Hand-writing in the Schools

Southland Times, Issue 19034, 30 April 1903, Page 3

Hand- writing in the Schools

At-: the annual, meeting of the Middle schooi ifuuMps oiv ifertV4*y cveniiig, th^v'j|Bii|^^.^.-'-*a ; nftryrt^* in tle in commenting on the annual report. He said thstt^iiind-writing was one of the thing? that liad worried the committee during ±he -year. The bad hand-writing of 'pupils at' ihe schools was becoming seriotis^throughout! tho city. lie* lately had an opportunity of seeing th<* handwriting of 87 boys who were applicants for a, position in an office. Tire -writing or -all was villainous,; and not on office would think of taking any of ih boys into the business. Mr Hammond blamed the amount of technical work taken in the school hours for this. The school classes just got- into jrorking order, ■when down, camera gymnast, jorhaps of doubtful ability, and tlie hoys were taken away; Technical work could be taught at a proper time by experts. Too much school time was taken up in technical work, at the expense of scholastic atiainsnents. It was only a matter Qf -time -when a/ schoolmaster would need tq : -be a jack of all trades, and of little scholastic attainment.

Wr Field said that the committee r ' had had a long discussion at one of their meetings on this question, ne did not thiukjfor one moment that Mr Hammond intended to iuipart. to the meeting that the bad hand-writing" was the fault of th^-vteacnerß. Tho committee had smt a resolution on the matter to me Board. Mr Hammond had urought the matter before the householders o-nly that they might, thinfe over it, and understand the feelings of' 'tie committee. The children had.-s o much vwork to do outside their school dtlties XHat they could scarcely give ithe time .they should do to the important scholastic work before thejiu Mr Scandrett said that the complaint as 'regards Wf hand-writing had existed for! i- very.;|[bng time, whereas it had only been i .within the last, two . years that J great,la,l ! iention had been given to technical ■$js*l The time Mr Hammond stated waVntirt taken up with technical work. It seemed to him that the fault was largely^due to the teachers. tHe thought %$-■^children, |^shbuld. be taught * the correct anMiner *6T' holding the pen . and advisfed the use of a certain class of which indicated the correct position 'for the fingers and thumb. He mentioned [that his boys (taught at the Middie School) were all good writers, bu£ they>'did not hold the pens correctly. The Board 'had- had tlie matter before them and had intimated to the inspectors that they desired good writing encouraged. It did not do for the Board to 'be too dogmatic in these things.

Mr Hammoiul said he did not look upon writing as the most important thing in schooling. (There were other subjects similarly backward, but he mentioned writing as being thp most obvious and the" easiest to explain.

Mr Scandrett Inentioned that the inspectors submitted: reports of surprise

visits to the Board, hi which the pro-

gress of the schools is •mentioined. and if reference is therein made to bad writing the attention of the teacher concerned is drawn to the report and a request made for improvement -in that department. Mr Wilson would like to ask if if were a fact that the various schools \in Southland had different styles of "writ-ing.«.-^e had been led to believe that •one 1 "School taught one hand and another a different Jiand. If that were the case then who* was in fault ? It must have sometjjiing to do with the Board. Mr Stirling would infer from the remarkS made by Mr Scandrett that the Board, left the style to the teachers.

3tf]f v then explained that the Boafßvhad adopted a.: series of copybooksfand booVs, and|the teachers had their from these;' iMr. Stirling said that; the Middle School was- not far in writing, but" in same of the country schools the teachers themselves wrote an atrocious liand:- This he had noticed in applica-tions-sent to the committee from teachers from time to time. Tic thought -the Board should give hand-writing; more

consideration, ; As the committee had already drawn the Hoard's attention to the matter it was not thought advisable to duplicate their action. It .v n s considered that the purpose of introducing tho subject into tho report— that of bringing the matter .prominently before the householders— had «ffeboen served, so the question was allowed ' to rest for the meantime at this stage.

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