A NELSON HOAX.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 36

A NELSON HOAX.

SALTING A MUDFLAT. 1 NELSON, January 15. The reported discovery of gold on the mudflat near the town turns out to have been the result of a practical joke, a quantity of brass filings having been scattered over the ground where the drainage works were being carried on. Before the story was exploded several claims were pegged off and prospecting licenses were issued to two well-known, residents.

"THE EDUCATIONAL LADDER." ! ; «. _ j By J. MacGbegob. In his articles on cur high schools Mr Cameron has directed public attention to a very important aspect of the education question. By a. gradual process education at our high schools has within the last few years been made practically free. First, .we had the Education Board scholarships, then the High Schools Board of Governors took to granting exemption from fees to candidates attaining a fixed percentage of> marks in the scholarship examinations, next the Government intervened by insisting upon a proportion of free places being provided for, and now we have provision made by the Government for -free education at the high schools for a period of two years for -nils who produce a preserved certificate from the primary school, with the right to a further term of two years to those of them who pass the necessary examination. These changes amount to a revolution in our system, of secondary education, ,and it has been brought about in a characteristically haphazard and unsystematic nianner. In our system of primary education many changes* which are Teal improvements have been introduced within the last few years; but it is very questionable whether the -revolution in high school education has been beneficial. It bears on its face the mark of the politician whose aim is to render secondary education democratic — a perfectly proper aim provided the education offered is adequate and appropriate to the aim in view — the training, not of those puipls who are intended for the learned professions (so-called), but of those who in after life are desiined for industrial and commercial pursuits. But, unfortunately, the education offered under the existing is neither' appropriate nor adequate, and my ftarpose £ n now writing is the practical one of reminding parents of the necessity for full deliberation before deciding to send their children _to a liigh school under this provision. Years ago I pointed out that to send such pupils to a high school for two years ie to waste two of the most valuable years of their lives, and this is equally true of the new arrangements,- whilst the danger is greater, because the temptation is greater. Not only is the free-pupil system inadequate, but, as you pointed out in your article on the subject a. short time Ago, "it has to some extent spoiled the character of the high schools by making them practically State continuation schools." Wlien I advocated some years ago the establishment of a higher, school specially designed to meet the requirements of such pupils, the proposal was so novel -Chat it met with a good deal of opposition, and even ridicule. These proceeded mainly from people who considered the scheme inimical to our higir schools. Mr Cameron tells us that 1 lie then thought _ that the high schools might be so adapted as to meet the requirements of ■ such pupils (this was the argument ' *generally set up in opposition to my proposal), bat that he has now come to the conclusion tbait "what we need is a -new Jcind of high fvchool in which boys " (why not girls also?) "who- are not going to the university, who are likely to remain in the high school only two years or less, could' be gathered and trained in such a manner as to fit- them for the merchant's -office, the workshop, or the farm." It is a remarkable instance of the irony of events that those who, in the supposed interests of -the high schools, opposed the scheme should prove to have been their real enemies, inasmuch as the extension of the system of free places has Tesulted in "spoiling the character of the high schools." Since then the subject -has received a good deal of consideration in England, where the Board of Education not long , ago obtained a report from its Consultative Committee on " Higher Elementary Schools." The question referred to the_ committee was to this effect : When a bright boy or girl has adequately profited by the instructon given in the elementary school up to about fhe age of 12, what further teaching 1 for two or three years will best equip him or her for industrial or commercial life? I -cannot trespass upon your space so far as to give even the substance of the of the committee, but it was such as to afford the strongest possible support to the proposal now under discussion. "If a boy leaves the elementary schotfl and enters upon a high school course with the intention of leaving At the -age of 15 or 16 and entering upon some employment, the systems pi knowledge which can be established during the school period must be different from those of the boy whose education is intended to be extended until" 21. If, then, a national eystem of education is to make -adequate provision for "the efficient afterperformanee of the various social services which the nation requires at the hands of its adult members — if, in short, it is to be organic to the life of the State as a whole, — then there must be, not one type of higher education, but several ; for it is to her higher schools that a nation must principally look for the preparation of citizens who in after life will discharge the more important services of the community. This truth has already been ( realised in other countries, notably Germany. We are "only beginning to realise it, and take measures to carry it into practice." This extract is from a little book by the Professor of Education in the University of Edinburgh, the general" tenor of which "is such as to support the case for a special school. One is naturally predisposed to think well of a book whose .teaching chimes with one's own ideas, and this* -may account for the fact that TProfessor Darroch's book ■seems to me one of the best I have ever read on education. One thing seems certain — that the present arrangement cannot go on much longer. It involves great waste of money and, what is much worse, great waste of the best years ,of the lives of many of our future citizens. Either we must" have "Special' schools provided for the class of pupils referred to, or) seeing that such pupils constitute the majority of th© pupils of our high schools, it must be frankly acknowledged that the main business of such schools ought to be the equipment of the scholars for active life, and that, if tha schools do undertake to prepare for the universities, this" -should he" regarded, as a wholly subsidiary object. We cannot any longer allow our nigh schools to be treated as feeders for the university. We cannot allow the interests of the preat body of the future citizens of New Zealand to be sacrificed — no, not even to secure a i steady flow to Oxford of Rhodes scholars,

many of whom will probably never return to New Zealand, except as visitors. The secondary schools were designed as a ladder leading from the primary schools to the university, and it is well — nay, essential, that the way should be open to th» poor man's child as well as to the rich man's; but it is not well that some hundreds of pupils should every year be induced to spend two or three of the best years of their lives in toilsomely climbing up a third or a half of the way only to find that for them the ladder leads nowhere, and that they must simply retrace their steps and make a fresh start. One of the most remarkable facts about our education system is that such large numbers of pupils present _ themselves year after year for the matriculation examination of the university. Many people regard this as a good thing. To me it seems very much to be deplored, just because it indicates how complete is the absence of organisation in a system that leads to such a waste of time, energy, and money. The passing of this wretched examination has become an end in itself, and yet in probably the great maiority o|- cases the time apent upon it is simply wasted, because the knowledge acquired is not capable _of being used and applied for the realisation of any social purpose, and consequently is simply _so much .useless lumber, to tjie individual a burden, soon dropped to society valueless, since it can .maintain and further no real interest of the community. The principal cause of this awful waste of time, energy, and money is the absence of schools suited to the requirements of such pupils as we are now deal-, ing with. It is a mistako to suppose that we make our sy6tem democratic by merely providing a ladder leadine from the prln.ary schools to fhe .university, and making iit open to all, poor and rich alike. " A national system of education must be democratic in the sense that the means of higher education shall be open to all, rich and poor, in order that each individual maj be enabled to fit himself for the particular service for which by nature he is best suited 1 . It must see, further, that any obstacles which prevent the full uee of these means by particular individuals are, as far as may be possible, removed. A national system of education, on the other hand, muss be aristocratic in the •sense that -it is selective of the best ability. Lastly, it must be restrictive, in order that the means of higher education may be utilised to the best advantage, and not misused on those who are unfitted to benefit therefrom." * In the organisation of secondary i education there is ample scope for the eneraries of the Minister of FdrtoaHon, and .now that be has at his command the services of an inspector of secondary schools we may surely look for reform in the near future. There is even greater need for the reorganisation of technical education^ and Mr P.' B. Fraser is doing good service in pair ting out the weakness of that branch of the sytstem. The amount of money spent on ' this department is out of all proportion to the service rendered to the community. . . . ■ ,