EDUCATIONAL.

Colonist, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11287, 22 March 1905, Page 4

EDUCATIONAL.

Wanganui, March 21. Reporting to the Education Board last night on his recent visit to the United States and Canada in conection with the cause of education, Chief Inspector Gray says that all along the line of elementary, high, evening, and technical schools, and training college teaching we have much to learn, especially in the matter of training teachers and the equipment of manual, training, and technical schools. The whole American system is permeated with the idea that the higher form of mental training is obtainable only in conjunction with manual training. The pupil-teacher system is unknown in America, the supply of teachers being from well-equipped training colleges, to which only scholars who ca _ c graduated with credit from the high schools are admitted. Reference is made in the report to i visit paid to the McDonald Consolidated Rural School, near Toronto, to which children from a distance of from three to six m«les wore conveyed daily in vans. One school of 150 takes the place of about four small schools. Tho Inspector says: "The sooner we become alive to the great advantage given by this substitute for our numerous small schools, the better for education in our country dis-: tricts." As emphasising the necessity of advertising New Zealand in America the Inspector says that in some parts surprise was manifested at the sight of a white man who was actually raised in New Zealand. The remark was made to him by the representative of a large'school. A supply and manufacturing establishment in Philadelphia illustrates the prevalent misconception about our enlightened and highly civilised corner of the world. The Inspector suggested that occasionally the firm should receive orders from New Zealand. The reply was: "I guess, we occasionally sell stuff to American missionaries who go down there to work among the natives." The Inspector adds that he dare not say this ignorance was typical, though all too common. "Our politics and laws are the cause of a great deal of discussion among Americans, who take a keen interest in our welfare."