Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1879.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 670, 7 April 1879, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1879.

We -very much, fear that our scheme of State Education is likely to be a failure in its most important branch —that is the instruction imparted to children in our common schools. "We suppose most people are aware that Bchool teachers are classed. The lowest class, by far the most numerous, are assistants or teachers in towns and country schools. Now, to show what an absurd standard ordinary schoolmasters are required to reach before holding a qualification, we reproduce a few of the questions which Mr. Vincent Eice, secretary of the Auckland Education Board, at a late examination, set before candidates to answer. We may say, of our personal knowledge of this gentleman, that had any one put the same questions to him he would not have been able to answer ten per cent, of the whole, and half of these would, in all probability, have been wrong. But Mr. Vincent Rice has secured to himself a work of Trench's, and a dictionary of derivations* out of which he has evolved the following :— Give the derivation and meaning of the following (words :— Examination, furlong, gossip, hamlet, madam, mystery, phonograph, prejudice, suburban, telegram. Give the derivation of the following words, and explain the effect of the prefix to eaeh : — Aspect, circumspect, conspicuous, despise, expect, inspect, prospect,, respect, suspect. •'■■•;■"■■ In how litany different senses is the word post used ? Give examples of each. Name two other words which have more than one meaning. Distinguish between invent and discover ; prophesp and prophecy ; genuine and authentic ; simile and metaphor. Give two examples (1) of the degeneration, (2) of the elevation, of words in their use. Give two instances of words commonly used to express meanings which do not properly belong to them. Write down the plurals of the following nouns '.—Crisis, nicety, people, staff, storey, tigress. • How are adverbs compared ; Give examples. Write down the comparative and superlative forms of blithe, lovely, patient, tranquil. Explain the terms active, passive, and Muter verbs ; and give examples of each. Give the past tense and past participle of the following verbs i—Beseech, contend, tow, weave, write.

Correct the errors of grammar in the following sentences :— (1), We had hoped \o hare seen a larger number. (2). Let each mind their own business. (3). Who do you mean ? (4). Your knowledge combined with your modesty, please me well. 13. Write a passage dictated by the Supervisor. 14. Spell the words dictated by the Supervisor.

We undertake to assert that every well-educated man in New Zealand will say that 90 per cent, of all British graduates -would get plucked if submitted to this test. Could five per cent, of the members of our learned and liberal professions correctly answer all of these questions, many of which are absolutely foolish and altogether useless? Could our Judges answer them, our lawyers and barristers, our medical practitioners, or literary members of the Fourth Estate? We humbly opine they could not. A Schoolmaster who could write correctly a paper on each of these questions need not go begging for a situation as teacher in a Government School at a Salary ranging from .£BO to £200 a year. He would only have to take ship for the old country ; call upon the Commissioner of Education, and say^putmedown for the firstopening at £500 per annum, and a good residence, rent free, to live in. What we really want for our ordinary Government Schools are intelligent, well-read, fairly educated men, who are capable of imparting to boys and girls, the knowledge which is to be found in our school books, in a manner that shall in time make thsir pupils fit for being trained to the ordinary occupations of colonial life. More is not wanted, and more certainly will not be obtained.