THE BOY AND THE MAN

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1931, Page 9

THE BOY AND THE MAN

DULL DAYS AT SCHOOL. LIMITED GUIDE TO FUTURE. Sydney, July IS. Some interesting views have been obtained in Melbourne as to whether it is possible to foretell the future of a boy by his aptitude or inaptitude for school work.

Dr. Littlejohn, the principal of Scotch College, said, “It doesn’t follow that the brilliant, boy who carries off all the prizes and scholarships will win all the prizes in after life. He may lack the very qualities that count for success in tile career he takes up —say, business or some commercial sphere. On the other hand, he may be fitted by his education and training at school for a certain career which may never be his. He may be one of the ‘mute inglorious Miltons.’ “A boy who has the natural qualities which make for success, such as sterling character and personality, or the ability to handle men, may have rather a bad time in getting through his examinations at school, and may be ‘ploughed’ at the university. But he is a success in afterlife if he only gets’his chance to develop. Character and personality are the things that matter most.” Mr. Adamson, principal of Wesley College, remarked that there was no hard and fast rule. “There are many instances,” he said, “of the boy who was dull at school but who got to the top of the tree afterwards, and became a successful business man. On the other hand, I would hardly expect the boy who was dull at school to be very brilliant at the university.” The Director of Education, Mr. Hansen, said it was an old, old, problem. He quoted Bacon, who wrote in the 16th century: “There be some have an overearly ripeness in their years, which fade th betimes. These are, first, such as have brittle wits, the edge thereof is soon turned. A second sort is of those who have better grace in youth than in age.” Mr. G. M. Wallace, the editor of the publications of the Education Department, cited the case of Sir Walter Scott, who was the dunce of his class at school.

“That was a case of delayed genius, arid a late maturity,” said Mr. Wallace. “Some boys are very late in (blooming.”