EVENING SITTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1858, 1 July 1887, Page 16

EVENING SITTING.

Mr Dunbar took the chair soon after 8 o'clock, when there was a large attendance of teachers. THB PLACE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE TEACHER.

The. Rev. J. Clark, of Palmerston, read a paper on "The Place and Importance of the Teacher." The chief work of the educationist, he pointed out, was not to gain high percentages of passes, but that the boys and girls who went through their classes should carry with them as rational, moral, and social beings, the great principles which they had to carry out in after-life. He referred to the power which the teacher ,>could 'exercise in inculcating principles of truth, honesty, and self-control in his pupils. Then the playground should not be lost sight of as a means in training the children. There they were not subject to the schoolroom restraint, and it was there their good and bad qualities were most likely to appear. The teacher should realise that the children were not made for him, but that he was made for the children ; and his aim should be to make the children so far as he was concerned like what their parents expected them to be. He set that high aim before the teacher, but it was not a higher aim than the importance of his work demanded. He also referred to the system of flogging by the head masters of our schools as not being conducive to raise the moral tone of the school.

On the motion of Mr Reid (Forbury) a hearty vote of thanks was accorde 1 to Mr Clark. THE SYLLABUS. ' The Rev. D. Macgregor, of Oamaru, talked about the syllabus. He said the Education Board had done all they could to ascertain what competent authorities thought of the syllabus, and it appeared that in the opinion of those whose opinion was conclusive the existing state of things was extremely bad, and far from being fitted to serve the* 1 purposes of our educational system. The board had no legislative power They could not do more than they had done.

The.refitznust.be left with, the manly men, apd woma nly" wdnien of tile colony. It wtfs ifo'W.just fo.r the pUblio to iiiove. Yesterday he travelled with a member of Parliament. He hoped he, gave Kirn a' good deal of useful, instruction;—(Laughter.) ' THis member Had informed* him that, it would be Useless td make a political q"uestidn but df the 1 niatter^' as meribers- of Parliament were not tip in it. ' Any move would have to come by way of the Minister of Bducacation. Teachers should' seriously converse about it. The ascertainment was this — that far. too many things were prescribed, and there was too little freedom both for* teachers and taught. The spoiled child was the one who had been sat "upon by the great big' fat woman. — (Great laughter.) Now it appeared very much as if the syllabus was the great big fat woman and Otago was ' the spoiled child. — (Renewed ( laughter.) The system; tended to be too systematic, as if the system were the end' of the education. He did not want ' their boys to be sent from school crammed- with learning. He wanted them to go away 'ignorant and thirsting for knowledge. "It is,", he concluded, " a man I want in the future^ and I don't want a little wretch crammed with ologies." — (Laughter and applause.) , . ' Mr M'llbeA said their' syllabus was not so bad as was made out. It was certainly' worthy of recommendation, though he did not say that it might not be'improved upon. • • ' ' ' ' ■ Mr White referred to the recommendations of the New Zealand Institute with regard to the syllabus. If these ' recommendations' were adopted, great benefit would result ' to the coming generation of colonists through a sound elementary system of education. Messrs Mahoney, Reid (Milton), Peattie, Park, and Burnard also spoke of the necessity of some improvement in the syllabus. Dr Macgregor recived a hearty vote of thanks.

Dr Bhown asked the meeting to pardon him for saying a word on this matter. Before the institute separated they should give a practical turn to what was evidently the unanimous opinion of the teachers present by taking opportunity of the dissolution of Parliament to exact pledges from those who were candidates for a position inthe next Parliament not to look upon the present Education Act as a sacred fetish that must not be touched. — (Applause.)-

The meeting then adjourned till 11 a.m. next day.