OUR NATIONAL SCHEME OF EDUCATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 13

OUR NATIONAL SCHEME OF EDUCATION.

TO TUB EDITOR.

Sir,— l will now briefly consider some of the apparont defects ef the Education Act. The Act is bristling with imperfections, but that Is only a common fault with many of the hasty Legislative onactments of this Colony. Tho first and most serious defect in the Act is contained in clause 6. By this clause, virtually, the control of the whole system is placed in the hands of one man— the Minister of Education for tho time being. With the rapid political changes which occur in our Colony, tho supremo control of education could be placed on no more insecuro foundation. Tho Minister in office may bo an able politician, but at the same time quito incompetent to administer the Act snecessfully. He may or he may not be a practical educationist. He may bo a mere political aspirant, who would seek fame by altering in toto the regulations which control the working of the Act. So long as the administration of the Act is placed in tbehanda of one individual, whose reign is' so precarious, there can bo no possibility of stability. Here, at the very outset, the Act contains within itself the elements of its own failure. The whims and hobbies of one man can be foisted upon an unwilling people, who have no red ress. In vain the body of teachers may discuss the defects of the Act, and ask to have some of the more glaring imperfections remedied : the Minister of Education is monarch absolute of this dominion, and can, as such, issue his commands to those who must obey. What is the remedy for this most serious defect 1 Common sense points to a Council of Education for tho Colony— a Colonial Education Board, not appointed by the Governor, but elected by the people— by the Provincial Education Boards, perhaps, just as these boards are elected by the local committees. The Minister of Education should be, by virtue of his office, chairman of the council, and the members should be experienced educationists— men who have risen from the ranks by distinguished service. Iho expends, gi such a council might be an objection

to it, for we could scarcely get good men without payIng them well. Say that the council consisted of nine members, eight of these would have to receive a salary. £500 a year each would not be too much, and that means an addition of £4000 to the already heavy cost of education, not taking into account working expenses But I feel certain that with such a responsible body to administer the Act, more— far more, than the expenses of the council could be saved by the conBequent more Judicious administration of the Act. With a council of education an Inspector-general could be dispensed with, but all the school inspectors throughout the Colony would be placed under the central board, instead of the local boards. An annual conference of inspectors would bo necessary to draw up examination-papers for bot^ school examinations and .teachers' examinations. With Buch an arrangement it might be possible to arrive at something approaching to uniformity in teaching throughout the Colony. At present, though the standards are uniform, their interpretation is aB varied as the inspectors themselves, who, in reality, make the standards either easy or difficult, according to their own ideas. In gome education districts the examinations are particularly difficult, while in others they are comparatively easy. One inspector will consider three questions a sufficient test in each subject, while another thinka 25 a better number. One inspector must have about 90 per cent, of marks, while another is satisfied with 30 pef cent. In one district questions are given in the Third Standard which in another are considered stiff enough for the Kifth. It is utterly impossible, while each inspector is independent;, to form anything like "a iair estimate of the amount of work done in each' education district. This unsatisfactory state of affairs would be entirely done away with by placingthe inspectors under the BAmo control, and by having the p'api's drawn out as indicated. Then eich district would be tested on Its merits, and 90 per cent, of marks weuld be as difficult to obtain in one provinc6 as In another. Teachers' examinations, too, would tie.pln.ced on a sure footir g. It would then be possib'lotb prepare for anexaminat ion, but white a man whose' tiobby is English is asked to draw out a paper on that sub jecVjOnd another, strung on arithmetic, to draw up the arithmetic paper, teactiors nover can be prepared for reasonable examination. In fact, the question arises whether the examiner wishes to test the scholarship of tho candidate, or to display his own erudition. Some ot tho papers set a few years ago Bhow,. certainly that Mr So-and-so has pursued the English language, if not to Adam, at least to its origin. ' What the use of such a profound acquaintance with the doubtful intricacies of linglish can bo to a man in teaching boys and girls, even up to the highest standard in the common schools, is certainly difficult to divine. Tho examinations, in some subjects, a r e absurdly high for common-school teachers. In short, the present system of examination for teachers shows plainly that whoever is responsible for it la amere unpractical theorist. A council 1 of trained educationists would correot all this, and place the whole education scheme on' a sounder foundation. Teachers throughout the Colony would then bo placed on an equal footing, and an equal amount of work would be done in the schools in each education district. Uniformity is aimed at in the Act, but the means used are totally inadequate to secure thai;. The salaries of teacher.-?, too, should be determined by the central board, and thon those hard-working servants of the State would not feel that the remuneration for their services is much less in one district than in another. Some general' scheme of payment could bo devised which would not leave the teacher's salary liable to fluctuato with the rise and fall of the barometer.— l am, &c, 1 ' F. A. J, DkOondk. March 15th