South Canterbury Times, MONDAY, JUNE 12, 1882.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2875, 12 June 1882, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, MONDAY, JUNE 12, 1882.

We take up the report of an Inspector of Schools with much diffidence and hesitation, in the present state, of affairs. For the position of an Inspector.is by -'no means a! fair, orie? under existing regulations. IJ&, -Is. not, as he ought to be, .a departmental officer, but the servant of a local body, and is therefore unduly exposed to local influences. He is ; - thus fettered, and handicapped.' Indeed we should hesitate very much to enter upon a review of .- the. ,-Soutb Canterbury Board Inspector’s report if we did not know that-'ho is a gentleman of thorough practical experience, ' arid one' whose reputation for impartiality, is undent, able.. Knowing this, we are prepared to review his report without fear W favor. The first paragraph , of the report contains satisfactory intelligence. 11 Thirty-five schools were in operatiori during the year, being an increase of six on the number at work in 1880. With the exception of .North prari, which fias been closed for the greater part of the year, all the schools have been examined in Standards, and in a few cases, where the results were unsatisfactory, a supplementary Standard examination was held at, tlie close of the’ year. ’ Three; small received .no visit of inspection, but most of the schools have been visited several times.”, The- percentage of passes for the district, 73-43, is also satisfactory. The Inspector laments that a too large proportion of scholars “ fail to reach the requirements of Standard I.” He puts this down to sickness, bad weather, etc. r: In our opinion, this 1 is really traceable to two causes, (1), the paucity-of .qualified infant teachers ; (2) the excessively high Standard fixed for younger scholars. : Mr Hathmond’s analytic review of the various subjects , is very thoughtful and suggestive. • He finds fault with the reading. He says it is fluent, but expressionless, and he ■ traces this to the use of a uniform series of reading books. ‘ There may be something in this, but it is not good reasoning. It is impossible to train children by any other than a uniform system. The system,, as it stands, may be defective, but how is it to be mended? It would be impossible to supply the classes with new matter every day. The members of the classes must be taught reading from the same book. The fact (which we do not deny) that the mass read badly does not, as the Inspector suggests, proceeds from the uniform book, but from failure in duty bn the part of the teacher.. The teacher, too often, thinks his work creditably done when he “ hears the children read,” and corrects their bluriders. But this is not his entire work. He should point to heaven and lead the way. He should show the scholars how the passage they are reading might be read, and set them up a standard. The uniform books in use would be found, if this yvere done, to supply variety enough, and to give . sufficient opportunity for good i reading. The fact is, the children learn the pieces by rote, simply because the merits of the passage have never been placed before them to think-about; only the words have been left to them for committal to memory. If the teachers knew a little more about reading than they' do, there would very soon be a manifest improvement in the performances of the scholars. The defects in spelling are easily accounted for; there is not enough dictation. The Inspector complains that writing (although generally well taught) is a subject in which too little work is shown in a given time! and he adds a disapproval of the labored copy-book style being retained in the higher classes. Well, writing, is a merely mechanical art. We should say, never mind the “ labored, schoolboy style.” If a boy can form, at school, a large plain band, he may be trusted in after life to diminish the hand to suit the circumstances. In business, his handwriting will generally fall into a proper size ; and, if he has a good training in round hand, his writing then will retain a superior plainness. Of Arithmetic, Mr Hammond says, “ Arithmetic is, subject to the greatest variation, and may, perhaps, betaken as the best test.of the quality of the instruction, and of the ability of the teacher., I am happy to say that in a good proportion, of our schools the subject is thoroughly well taught, the mechanical work is accurate and the principles are well understood.” This is satisfactory, and is no more than our knowledge of colonial youth appears to confirm. Colonial boys are of a practical turn. The proficiency in work, and the meagre comprehension of principles, are just what might be expected as the result of the system. Grammar appears to be a “staggerer” to, the Inspector. He says on this point“ The principles of Grammar, as shown by parsing and analysis, are, as a rule, well taught, but it is much to be regretted that in. only a few schools,. is the knowledge thus gained put to its legitimate use in composition. In examining the papers one can scarcely credit that the composition is written ■ by the same scholars who work the answers in other subjects. The teaching of composition presents considerable difficulty, especially in its earlier stages, and the results of # the labor expended are not soon apparent. Teachers become disheartened, and the subject is neglected as being beyond thescholars’ capacity. But its importance justifies its position in the syllabus, and claims for it, systematic treatment in every standard.” Now, grammar is a subject on which many widely differing opinions are held. We, ourselves, have no faith in the teaching of grammar, beyond the limits of etymology. It is within everybody’s experience that many a boy grammarian talks like a barbarian and an ignoramus. This is simply a matter of circumstance; if a lad happens to hear correct language, and to read it, ho will assuredly use it. Our British system of education is defective in this respect. It imprisons the mind within certain hard and fast rules. In this it errs. It should rather conduct the mind to a contemplation of the beauties, or lead it to an

investigation of the philosbphy, of a passage. A mind,.so trained, acquires a certain, intellectual sensibility which will guide it into the channel of correct and elegant expression. Grarainar is all very well when, in more advanced stages, one comes to analysis and investigation; in the state of pupilage it is worse than useless; it is a profitless burden. History' and, geography are spoken well of. Science, drawing,^"‘singing, and drill, progress slowly, because teachers proficient in either or all these, are very rare. This will mend, however, yearly. Needlework appears to have been rather a troublesome matter of late. Teachers object that it is made to occupy too long a time. And so it does, considering the excessive matter contained in the “Standards.” Mr Hammond proposes to duly provide for the training of pupil teachers. The last paragraph of the report is somewhat amusing. It is honeyed irony. It damns the Committees with faint praise. “ Another matter I feel compelled to speak upon, is the vexed question of the powers and duties bf School Committees as affecting teachers.. '; I have no desire to underrate the value of the work performed, and of the influence exercised by Committees generally. In many districts their labors are invaluable, their influence strengthens the hands of the teacher, and creates an active interest in the cause of education, which in their absence would be often entirely wanting, but many cases come under my notice of undue interference with the Teacher’s work. Committees seldom comprehend the requirements and technicalities of the Government Syllabus, and often fail, to, see that the teacher is not responsible for the course of instruction pursued.” We commend this gentle remonstrance to all whom it may concern. '

So far of the report. We may say that in our opinion the - schools of the, colony are very insufficiently inspected. We presume Committees are allowed to occupy their present prominent position in educational affairs, to compensate for the paucity bf the inspectoral staff. In such case,.it is high time that absurdity,was done away with. Half the teachers have no idea of organization and discipline, The teaching is generally good and the work conscientiously performed ; and there are not wanting men of excellent parts among the teachers.' But of disciplinarians, of men possessing the administrative faculty, there is a lamentable scarcity, A head master should be one whose influence is felt throughout the school, one fitted to command. If he possess this faculty he will do more good by the exercise of it, than by all his personal teaching work. Organisation and discipline must be imparted to our teachers, and to that end it is necessary that Inspectors’ visits should be both longer and more frequent. As for the Standards, we have already expressed our entire disapproval of them, as excessive and unworkable, their remodelling appears to us merely a question of time. Finally, we desire to again press upon public attention, the necessity, in the interests of education, for the elevation of the teachers. It is high time the people understood them to be public servants, not the servants bf the localities in which they labor. Until this is perfectly understood and. fully recognised, the teacher’s relation with his scholars will not .be of the right character ; and will rewound to the injury of the children, over whom, a teacher should stand in loco parentis, and- possess a power from whom there is no local appeal, and to which the ‘ Inspector alpne is superior. We have always strenuously advocated this, and we shall never cease to do so. 4 •

In a country like this, agricultural industry plays so important, a part, that it becomes a duty with everyone who has the welfare of New Zealand at heart, or desires to acquaint himself with its resources and condition, to bestow some attention upon this great subject. It. is a matter on'which townspeople generally do not inform themselves so well as they ought, The land is the primary source of all national wealth, and it therefore concerns everybody, whatever may be his calling, to know how it fares with that large and important section of the community who are engaged in tilling the soil. The prospects of farmers have not been so good, for some years past, as they are now. Prices are at a really payable figure, and although the yield of last harvest was not heavy, we have little hesitation in saying that the total result gives a very satisfactory .return for the total expenditure of labor and capital during the year. It is true, there was a heavy loss from the wind, a loss which it is to be feared was in some cases almost ruinous, but at the same time the prices obtained since : harvest will go far towards putting many a struggling farmer on his legs. We sympathise most sincerely with those' who have been so unfortunate as to lose, in a great measure, the opportunity offered by the unusually good markets, of working oft’old burdens; and we also congratulate the lucky ones, for assuredly if there is any class, of men in the country who pay the full penalty in the shape of good honest sweat of the brow, for all they get, it is the working farmers. The life of a farmer of small capital is one of toil and anxiety, throughout the four seasons, and the result of a year of unfortunate toil, is but too often, blankdisappointment.

• The news lately : received of the highly satisfactory sale of the shipment of frozen meat from Dunedin, has a more important hewing, on the future of agriculture in this country than perhaps many people realise. It, in fact, promises little less than the revolutionising of our system of-agri-culture. Hitherto the majority of our farmers have relied chiefly on grain. Sheep and cattle farming has been gradually coming into importance, but only as an adjunct to corn-growing, a stop-gap, as it were, -between the crops. It requires no great- insight into agricultural, matters, to know that any country that makes grain its chief article of export, must grow poor in the long run, for it

is nothing more nor less than living on capital. Except under a system of artificial manuring, the only way to retain the fertility of the soil is to make stock the first, and grain the secondary object, but unfortunately all but the farmers of considerable acreage .haye been., debarred from .so . .doing, owing to the want of markets for meat and dairy produce. A farmer of from fifty to five hundred acres cannot afford to’ keep sheep chiefly for their wool. Unless the mutton will also pay for growing, and command a ready market, the 'small flock owner is at a great disadvantage. It cannot possibly pay him, as it ,rpay the runholders, to keep sheep for the sake of their wool till they are broken mouthed, and then consign them to the boiling down pot. The English sheep farmer relies much upon early maturity and quick returns, and this advantage must also he within reach of the colonial farmer before he can treat his land properly. A ready market for all the meat we can produce, together with a price which'beoomes a iriargin of profit, seems to be.now well within the reach of stock owners if they only have the energy to take advantage of it. The natural capacity of the country for the production of meat, particularly mutton, is unsurpassed, The English consumers take heavy fat sheep, and heavy fat sheep we should be able to send them. In many respects we hold a much stronger position , than Australian mutton producers. There the country is- for the most part suitable only for merinos, and merino mutton, much .as we esteem it in the colonies, does .riot agree, with the English palate. The-'taste of Home consumers evidently wants cultivating, but in the meantitne the advantage, lies with this colony. We haye, moreover,ndrie of the difficulties of great land carriage to contend ; with. The meat is all produced withiri easy reach of the coast, and the climate is all that could be desired for the successful handling of this perishable commodity in wholesale quantities. '

It is common sense and -sound political economy that each country should produce those commodities for which it is specially suitable. For any other 1 case there is a manifest loss of power, as, for instance, when New Zealand attempts to ' compete with a country like America, in, the great wheat markets of the world. We can grow crops equal to. those of any; country in regard to yield per acre,and even quality, of grain ; but land is dear and limited in extent, the country is isolated, and carriage and all other expenses are heavy.. In America land is cheap and practically unlimited in area, carriage is also cheap, and all other costs of production are cut down to thefinest possible point. Now it is evident that instead of pitting ourselves against so gigantic a rival it is to thednterest of a country like this to make it a friend, or at least to take up a neutral position. America has been the great disturbing influence in the agricultural. world during the last few years. American wheat growers have undersold the English wheat growers in their own markets. But while America can export wheat it cannot export mutton, the number of sheep kept in the United States being, inconsiderable. There is as good a demand for mutton as for wheat in the English markets, and if our own farmers are wise they will devote their T energies towards supplying a* demand in regard to which there is no danger of competition from the enormous territories of the ’ Great Republic. There is only a. limited proportion of the land in New Zealand in the highest degree suitable for wheat, while nearly all the agriculture! land is , eminently adapted for turnips and sheep. 1 . With an established trade in frozen meat we could make'good' use : even of the poorest land, and limit,the corn-grow-ing to those portions only which pay for cropping. By such means agriculture would become permanent, while the present occupiers of the land would get good return for their labors. The land would pass down to the next generation in a condition of ' unimpaired fertility.

We should very much like to be informed who is the Timaru “ truthful James” of the Press Association. That individual, wo perceive from the “New Zealand .Times” *of the Bth inst., forwarded the following message Mr Sutter’s Timaru High School Amendment Bill meets with the. strong disapproval of tho present Board and others, who have never been consulted in the matter.” The Bill does meet with the disapproval of certain members of the Board, who are by nature opposed to fairness and representation ; arid ; possibly of others, the Press Association quid nunc of this town. But it meets with the entire approval of the people, and neither our morning contemporary’s old fogeyism, nor the Press Association picker-up of trifles can govern public opinion. They can not govern it, and they are manifestly, unfit to lead it. The public of Wellington, and Members of Parliament now in that city, should know that the.“Timaru Herald” is the Press Association Agent, and that its editor, and several of its proprietors, are ;nominated members of the Timaru High School Board. .