EDUCATION COMMISSION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 315, 3 July 1912, Page 5

EDUCATION COMMISSION

SITTING AT WANGANUI. By Telegraph-Press Association. Tho va i- Wanganui, Yesterday. . Ihe Education Commission openedt it* Wanganui sittings to-day. The first witness was Mr W A L, ■ ■ Dal of +),« to • Armour » principal of the Wanganui Technical College. fhe sv n Hnh red th 6 6Ub J ects comprised ta but Z I " eCmary and official, but too much was crowded into the time at the of the pupils As a T? t6d that Ct or Standards 4, 5, and 6, should be a which y w C ° Ur l' inStead of threethor. ? « qmva,ent t0 WW that there should be seven standards with a piocency cert.ficate awarded on the Jonwl Y eV t1 th ' &cond ary schools would then be able to start as such, instead of spending the first year covering primary work. Mathematical geography in.the primary schools was too difficult, and should be reduced. History was sadly neglected in the primary schools, but it was essential to all wishing to take an intelligent interest in the world's affairs, and aspirants for political honors should have an adequate knowledge of it. Regarding mathematics, the University standard was too low, and at •chools too much time was spent on non-essentials. After outlining the organisation and scope of the Wanganui Technical College, to show that it dealt with both secondary and technical education as a day and evening institution, and without any overlapping, he went on to say that that part of school life out of the class-room was rather ignored by the Education Department, which did not make an effort towards inculcation of a good tone. An institution such as the Wanganui Technical College, combining secondary and technical courses possessed many advantages over one purely secondary or purely technical. It enable vocational training to be entered upon both by boys and girls, the moment they were ready for it. The training was every whit as good as at secondary schools, and the possibilities of development were more promising. The equipment was superior, while the scheme was so dove-tailed that there was no ver'apping. It obtained a higher degree of efficiency in the minimum time. Chemical laboratories in the technical schools should be so equipped as to provide for the practical study of technicological chemistry for application to various industries. Too much time was spent on theory and experiment..' Pupils without any deep knowledge of an academic programme might yet become quite efficient as chemical experts in the vocations of plumber, painter, dyer and various manufactures, and thus obviate the necessity of having to import such experts from other countries. He believed that a reasonable amount of home work was necessary and beneficial. He found parents generally would not object to it, though there was a tendency to neglect it in favor of picture shows. Assistant teachers were under veiled compulsion to act as officers of cadets. They should get some monetary benefit for the duty. Elocution should form part of the school 1 curriculum. A plumber gaining a license in one town should be allowed to practice in another without the necessity of a fresh examination. Mr. E. Crow, instructor in engineering at the Technical College, detailed proposals for instruction in various trades. Pupils should he encouraged to take an interest in their trades outside the class room. Instructors should take them to and explain any public works being unI dertaken in the neighborhood. He found I his students, though bright and intelligent, yery backward in arithmetic. The college was doing useful work' in turning I out mechanics. He advocated the establishment of scholarships in engineering. Mr. C. T. Cox, commercial instructor at the Technical College, said the grounding in arithmetic was not what it should be. He found students at first unable to add accurately and quickly. This hindered progress in the specialised course, as it meant that the primary work had to be revised. Mr. E. H. Clark, instructor in manual work at the Technical College, defended that subject from the charge that it wa9 an unnecessary "frill," and gave evidence to show its value, both per se and as bearing on other subjects of the school course. Mr. D. McFarlane, president of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce, advocated swimming and life-saving being made compulsory. As a business man he testified to the need for improve-, ment in writings 'Copy-books should be dispensed with after the first standard, and writing thereafter allowed to develop on more natural lines than at present. There was practically no instruction in writing in secondary Mools.