OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12755, 30 March 1910, Page 4

OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.

In an article in a recent issue of the Lonon. "Times" it is contended that the Rhodes scholars sent Home by Australia and New Zealand had not been holding their own in English University education. This was attributed to defective elementary, and secondary courses of education. Mr 0. J. Parr, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, brought | the matter under the notice of the University College Council," and expressed surprise that our system of primary education was considered to compare unfavourably with those of England, America, and Germany. Whatever justification there might be for the passing of such a stricture he did not think "The Times" had found the true reason. Our system of primary education was, he contended, as sound and as efficient as any in the British Dominions. Mr G. L. Peacocke thought .that one of the reasons was probably the fact that we in New Zealand had to select our scholars from smaller educational circles than was the. case in larger British communities. However, there were many New Zealand scholars who had achieved fame abroad, and, as an instanse, he mentioned the name of Mr Hunter, who was professor of his subject in one of the large American universities, and of Professor Rutherford, who had won world-wide fame. Canada, for instance, had nearly seven times the population to choose its scholars from in comparison with New Zealand. We had also been selecting more youthful scholar*. - The llev. W. Beatty thought that the average New Zealand boy did not remain long enough in the public schools. The Chairman (Sir Maurice O'Rorke) thought that one very great disadvantage under which New Zealand stu\dents were placed in working against scholars in England was the fact that some years ago the secondary schools abolished tho teaching of Greek, which was oneof theeasentials in the Home Universities. Mr Beatty said that was an entirely political move, because it was thought that anyone who read Greek and the classics would not be subservient to the views of the political parties in power. (Laughter.)