GIRLS AND EDUCATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13306, 16 February 1914, Page 4

GIRLS AND EDUCATION.

REPLY TO v THE DOCTORS

(Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, last night. "That the- education system m vogue m New Zealand Js not responsible for nervous ..and mental debility, m girl pupils; m spite of the, opinions expressed' by prominent" doctors at the present Medical Congress," is the declaration of four prominent local tutors,. According to the principals of the Boys! . Grammar School, the Directors of Technical" - Training, and Dr. Thomas, of the Choral Society, eye-strain and physical unfitness are the result of causes outside the school. In the large majority of cases, say these authorities, the girl pupils m the schools average a good • standard •of physical and mental fitness as "compared with those of other countries.

The trouble' is not so much m school work as m the' girls' mad rush after pleasure and excitement after- school hours are over is the opinion of Mr J_. W. Tibbs, principal of the.B oys Grammar School. . '"I was head of the Auckland Grammar School for 13 •' years,", he said to a representative of th© Star, "and I know practically nothing of physical or mental breakdown or eye-strain as a- result of our existing educational system. The girl who works steadily at school and foregoes excesses' of any description is m a better condition to lundeJTtake the duties of womanhood than the girl who is always running round after pleasure. Some of the girls of -my day who were then at tbe Grammar School are now sending their chil-i dren to school, and. judging by that fact alone, I should say that the mothers could not have suffered to any great extent while they themselves were at school. Kye-strain I have not found. t.o be very prevalent m the schools of this country, and there is certainly a great improvement m the physical -standard m the Grammar School." . .. .. Dr; Thomas, conductor of the Choral Society; referring to the statement madeby Dr; Lindo Ferguson, of -, Dunedin, that the strain of preparation for musical examinatipiis was disastrous m its results, said: "Never m my experience liave I Known of a case where musical education has been detrimental to the pupil. , I have never had a pupil who has worked hard enough to-^ufier from 'any mental trouble. Two or three hours a day is the Average length of the lesson, and this has never been too nruch for any of, my pupils." • '■■".;;_, Miss. Butler,; principal of the Girjs Grammar' School, while expressing . the opinion that' there was a*- large amount of truth m the assertion of Dr. Murray Leslie that some girls suffered from the strain of school work, said t that a lot depended on the manner m which the pupils were handled by the inspectors. Every care, she said, was taken at her school to watch the growth and development of the girls, and immediate action was taken \_ien any -symptoms of curvature Of the spine oi* eye weakness manifested themselves. The girlsy were •examined carefully twice the first year of their admittance, and once every succeeding year, and every thir,-? was done to ensure that they should work m the best of condition. She added: "My opinion regarding eye-strain and weakness is that it is caused more from dust than anything else."