SECONDARY EDUCATION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16506, 6 August 1919, Page 5

SECONDARY EDUCATION.

INTERESTING .ADDRESS. BY MR. W. H. MOYES. At the quarterly meeting of the Tmannki School Committees’ Association on Monday evening, Mr. AY. H. Moyes, M.A., B.Sc., headmaster of the Now Plymouth Boy,s’ High School, gave an address on “Secondary Education.” There were about 40 present. a number which would have been increased had it been known who the lecturer was to he. Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., occupied the chair and thanked Mr. Moves for his kindness in coming to address the. association. Mr. Moves said

f am very pleased to have this opportunity of reading a paper dealing with some of the aspects of education as seen hy one engaged in secondary work. At the present time, when it is generally agreed that an adequate .system of education will he the main factor in solving the serious problems that the great war has handed to us. wlu-n the world is stirred from cud 10 end hy social unrest, it is more than ever necessary that all those engaged ju training the young should he unired in their aims, and that there should he complete correlation between the primary and the secondary schools. 'I hi: curricula of the two should he end on to each other. In the past there has been too much of the water-tight com-

pnrtnient business about our dihoivni grades of education. For tho most part .secondary school men know little about the working of tbo primary schools, and primary school men probably know little about our secondary schools. I firmly believe that every teacher in a secondary school would be of greater value to the community for a period of training in primary work, and under a proper system there should be nothing to hinder the primary teacher from gaining tJio necessary qualifications to enable him to shift on to the more advanced work of the secondary school. Win lc the training colleges to n certain extent offer facilities to the primary school teacher, no such institution exists for those anxious to enter secondary school life. Too often the. ranks of our secondary teachers have' perforce to ho recruited from umraini'd and Inexperienced men and women. It is surely a blot on our national system of education, that no training college is to bo found for secondary teachers, and that, outside of the university towns, no facilities arc offered primary teachers to acquire knowledge that will enable them to take advanced work m the upper forms of our secondary schools.

Throughout history we find thal the question of education ns a preparation for future work has, from the earliest times, interested deep thinking people. Plato, when writing with reference to those who were to be the guardians of the State emphasised two main points First the unreality of the education of his time, and secondly the need for the development of character as the chief task of those entrusted with the cdueation of the young. "What men learn,” he says, "is but a shadow of the reality, only those greater souls whose eyes arc turned so that they apprehend the, good, shall be the rulers of the State, and those souls must realise their community with lesser souls, and not stand apart from them because they have known the light." He insists also on a good all round education for the building up of character —an education in which there is no gap between study and practical life. Since Plato wrote much water has run under the, bridge, but to-day the problems that ho faced are still with us, and wc might do worse than hold to Lis ideals. WHAT THE SCHOOLS ARE DOING. Realising the complex problems that have arisen and that will arise during the reconstruction period following the war, you will naturally a.sk, what are the secondary schools doing to carry on the work for which you are laying the foundation. This is not the place to discuss changes in the curriculum that will meet the demands of the future. Suffice it to say that although at present everything is in a state of mix. nevertheless educationalists are alive to the situation and the Department is gradually evolving a scheme of work more in touch with our national life. The old system of compulsory Latin has gone by tho board and every secondary school now endeavours to give to its pupils those subjects in which a live interest is created. Humanistic studies are, in tho ease of many boys, taking the place of Latin, physical science ana chemistry are allotted an important place on tho curriculum, civics and history are compulsory subjects, and commercial and agricultural training are more and more gaining a place side by side with the professional or classical course. It might he as well to state here that agricultural training in secondary schools does not and never should aim at turning out fanners. While so-

condary schools are recognising that it would bo a dereliction of duty to neglect those subjects connected with our primary industries, they are nevertheless convinced that there is a danger of such a course of instruction becoming too vocational in its aims. The opinion of Mr. Crcsswoll, the senior inspector of secondary schools, avi 11 I think, be heartily endorsed by all interested in tlio teaching of agriculture. In .his report to tho Department/ ho says; “Unfortunately agriculture as a .secondary school subject either inclines unduly towards vocational training or else is made, subservient to botany and chemistry through being limited to laboratory practice and the study of text bocks. In the one rase no sound scicntihu basis is given to the work ; i.i the other ease the instruction tends to be purely theoretical. If agriculture is to become a useful school subject teachers must learn to steer a saie middle course. Their aim must he lo turn out, neither skilled farmers in the ordinary sense of the term nor pure theorists; but rather to encourage young men to cultivate a scientific outlook upon an intelligent interest in vheir environment.''' DANGER OF EARLY SPECIALISATION. And in connection with agriculture* {iiul commorchil instruction. 1 vrouM liko to suggest a matter for <liscussion. | Arc wo not in o’ir oli’orls to about i ouucailona 1 reform, in (l:nie;or of | [.•» nuioli attention f> purely utilitarian , mi.lives:' i heliovo tkrit more honoli* j oial results would ho from a ; in‘o yonrs’ £oikt il tourso ol List airi on [ hoioiv specialism ion r lN.* war; has prorml to ns that >[)ocia]i.a'.t ion is ! mvossary, hut should wv not realise* | that a preliminary proparation is moro .still? Looktnl at j from Iho most materialistic* standpoint j intellectual must always fount, i as an asset, for whatovor carors- wo j chooso, tho power to load nlhors is on- | ."ondorod largoly by good nil round j Unowlcclso. In my opinion spociali- j sal ion is heginninj* at too oarly an at an wlion a hov has not tho t’undamontals. and is totally unfit iod | t i prooood with suoh .suhjoc-ts as aro | included in snmo of the vocational!

As to tlie building up of character, every secondary school recognises that this should be ils chief aim. Nm every boy ran be turned out a scholarship winner, 'but every school can in a large measure succeed in incorporul ing the public school ideal with ae-t for work and earnestness of purpose. We have striven hard lo inculcate tins spirit in our own school, and though in some eases wo have to admit failure, 1 think we can saiely say that the majority ol tho boys will prove themselves better oilmens in the future, for having passed through it. Knowing that a school must necessarily aluine its lile lo what is best in the national spirit, we attempt to make the school a centre of community ideals. .Self government i.s encouraged in all its institutions, and outside of the class room, the discipline is to n largo extent in tlie hands of the prefects and senior bars. LFAV ING CERTIFICATES. As many of you are at present responsible for i lie i raining nf boys and girls, who will proceed in due course In tlic secondary v'hools, a very brici account of their working may bo of -ntercst. The curriculum is designed partly to prepare pupils for further study at. the university and for entrance to tile professions, and partly to equip a pupil 'with knowledge that will assist him when he enters business liie or -elides on iho laud. The cuiTienintn is naturally hirgnly controlled by the requirements of the leaving certificates of the Education Department. it t'oes not appear to bo widely known that any such certificates are obtainable by any boy or girl who works reasonably hard at a secondary school. They arc throe in number and are as follows;—-

(a) The Intermediate Certificate, This is awarded to those pupils who, after having gained a proficiency certificate or a junior free place, satisfactorily complete at an approved school a two years’ course of secondary instruction. (b) The Lower Leaving Certificate. Issued to pupils who have completed a three years’ course of secondary instruction. (e) Tho Higher Reaving Certificate. Issued to pupils who have satisfactorily completed at least a four years' course of secondary instruction; provided that any such pupil has satisfied the requirements for a Rower Leaving Certificate, and in addition has completed to good advantage a further secondary course of not loss than one year, including work of a higher standard titan that set for tho matriculation examination. These certificates all carry with them certain advantages and privileges. The Intermediate Certificates are accepted ns evidence of qualification for senior free places and for appointment as pro- ” bationers or as pupil teachers. Tho other two arc accepted for entrance to a. training college. Furthermore the holder of a Higher Leaving CerLlicate. is eligible to apply for a university bursary. Tito, term of a. bursary is in general throe years and the holder 'is entitled to tho payment of an amount equal to the amount of the tuition fees (not exceeding £2O per annum) payable by him at the university, together with the fees payable by him in respect of the university examinations. Provided that a favourable report is received with reference to the student’s work, the bursary may be extended for one year longer. It may also bo held at any school of agriculture recognised by the university. It will , thus be seen that a. little, although a very little, has done to bring the university within the reach of boys of average ability. It is a matter for regret that so few remain long enough at school to take advantage, of tho facilities offered.

In their third year at school and after, pupils receive instructiin in each subject from a specially qualified teacher, and in all secondary schools of any size, there is at least ono specially qualified teacher for each subject. VALUE OF GAMES. The physical well-being of tho pupils receives special attention. , Games arc compulsory and arc organised and under tho control of masters. We are firmly convinced that physical power is tho basis of all power, and that physical fitness leads to moral strength. Tho co-ordination of sense and muscle, and the habit of quick decision, which games cultivate, is a most necessary preparation for almost all pursuits in life. It must bo remembered that the secondary school has to deal mainly with pupils at tho adolescent age—an age when physical growth is one of the main businesses of life, and when it is natural for a boy to tako a pride in

developing his physical faculties. Though it is often domed, it is a fact that from 14 to 17 years of age,tho school hoy takes as his hero, not tho pupil of high intellectual _ attainments, nut the ono who excels in all. kinds of manly sport, -And this i.s, I think, what nature intended it to bo, and can result in no harm provided the teacher himself is careful not to adopt the boy’s standard. Games, too do much to develop the community spirit. Work in the class room is too often done with a selfish motive, whereas on tho playing field, the bov plays for his side and not for himself. Military drill is taken out of school hours and occupies about two hours a week. A portion of this time is devoted to the physical training scheme compiled by the. Defence Department, and I am pleased to say that in our local school, a special instructor has been engaged to take charge of this section of the'work. ' V NTVKRSITY EXTENSION LECTUR F.S. Leaving the work of the school I would like to ileal very briefly with one or two other matters of .general interest, On all sides there is a demand for education—a democratic education that will help eventually to free this country from the unrest that at present pervades it. No longer is edn- | cation looked upon as a luxury to he I partaken or only by tho wealthy classi rs. Every year brings ns evidence ; that the workers arc asking that their children .should be given a chance that in tlic past was denied them. And why should they not be given a chance? T behove that n great step forward would be idle establishment of university extension lectures, held in our secondary schools. Up to the present our university colleges have admittedly dime good work, but they'have boon open mainly lo tho privileged classes. In Ibis town and in every town in New Zealand similarly situated, wo have hundreds of young people who, by force | of circumstances, are debarred from . compel ing on even terms with their more fortunately situated brethren in j the university centres. Is it right that : the misfortune to lie born outside the | four centres should handicap a hoy in. j the nay it does? There are every year I in our secondary schools numbers of | pupils whose ability warrants their pro- ( cei-ding lo the university, hut whose means will not enable them to do so. There must also he. numbers of young teachers in this district who would wclci.me the opportunity of being able to attend a coarse nf lectures given by accredited teachers of the university. There should be no insuperable difficulty about ini reducing such a scheme; the machinery is available but is rusting lor want of use. No more telling accusation can be levelled against our 1 university than the fact that it has done practically nothing to extend tho sphere of its usefulness and has in no way attempted to make its teaching an integral part, of the national life. Perhaps tlie fault lies with ourselves, for we arc too prone to lie content with what tlie powers that be dole out to us and tail to realise that (-.durational roionn .should anticipate the wants of the people and not follow them. Tho university is our university and wo have at least the right to demand that it fulfil its functions for the good of the whole State. 1 sincerely hope that this matter will be taken up without delay by the public of New Plymouth and that representation be made to the university authorities stressing the need for the institution of extension lectures. RAISING OF SCHOOL AGE. Of late years much has been written with rclcreiuv to the age at which compulsory education .should cease. Though the leaving age in our secondary schools lias been gradually rising, and though parents are gradually being educated to the advantages of allowing their hoys to receive more advanced instruction. it must be confessed that the deplorable shortness of secondary school life is. in many case,-., the cause of tlie wastage of much public money.

Authorities in Groat Britain arc very lunch alive to the need of reform in this connection, as trill be scon from the following extract from the report issued by the Scottish Education .Reform Committee. Amongst other wrings it tavs;—■

The present system whereby compulsory education ceases at 11 years of ago is wasteful intellectually and mischievous morally. The reports of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Physical Deterioration, and of tho Poor Laws Commission, have made this abundantly clear, and there, is a general agreement that drastic and far-reaching changes are needed in order to copo with tho grave social evils that have been shown to bo duo to the failure to make adequate provision for the training and supervision of young people tip to the age when they can reasonably bo expected to take care of themselves. Tho raising of the school ago would only partially meet tho case, but a further year of school training and discipline would bo of priceless value in equipping tho youth of the nation to meet the increasing demands of industrial life on the intelligence, adaptability, and capacity of the workers, and to face successfully the growing dangers, and temptations of modern life. The extra year's instruction would come to them at an ago when the intelligence and reasoning powers were, becoming more fully awake, and when the ends and aims of education were more fully recognised and appreciated, while they would bo kept under discipline just at the time when it was easiest to influence permanently tho formation of character. This extra year would also servo to bridge tho present fatal gap between the ago of leaving school and tho ago for entering upon a definite, career. The census tables show that, for at least tho first year after leaving school, a largo percentage of young people have not settled down to a fixed employment. They shift from occupation to occupation out of a desire for change and variety or to mark time until they are old enough to enter tho. skilled trades. From 14 to 15 is an industrial loose-ond, and has a disastrous influence upon tho character of many youths. They are apt to become slack, indifferent, lazy, restless, and much of tho value of their school training, mentally and morally, is lost. Tho proposed extension of the school age would undoubtedly place a serious burden upon many parents, and substantial State assistance in tho form of a liberal bursary scheme would have to bo provided. This, however, could in largo measure bo secured by a redistribution of the present funds available for this purpose. It must not be overlooked that there is a keen and growing desire among a large section of the working classes for increased educational opportunities for their children, and in Scotland at least they may bo trusted, as in the past, to make sacrifices to secure these for them.

If education wore made compulsory up to 18 years of ago the need for direct vocational training between 12 and 15 would bo greatly lessened. As a matter of fact, education can never

I bo really vocational until the vocation is definitely assured, and this it seldom jis at school. But while school education cannot and should not bo vocational in tho narrow sense of the term, it is both possible and desirable at this I stage to differentiate curricula to suit the varying capacities and probable future needs of different classes of pupils. While conditions in Scotland arc naturally somewhat diffe.rcnt from those obtaining in this country, it must be conceded that legislation should he brought in dealing with the present unsatisfactory state of a Fairs and a bold attempt made to grapple with this problem. To make you realise the importance of this 1. cannot do better than give you an actual example. Of tlie 2-10 boys attending the secondary department of the local high school, only 26 have reached the age ol 17. From this you will see that the average school life, is very short indeed, and that in very many cases tho objects as which secondary education aims arc only partly attained by those taking advantage of it. Personally, lam of opinion that every boy, who accepts a free place, should be compelled to make use of it for at least two years, thereby bringing the age of compulsory education up to about 16. SUPPLY AND PAYMENT OP TEACHERS. Another matter moro sordid, but none the less of great importance, is the failing supply of teachers. Tho far-reaching reforms that will undoubtedly bo introduced must fail in their object, unless an adequate _snpply of qualified men is available. Every project carries with it a demand for more teachers, and we must confess that, unless tlic profession is made moro attractive to those who are fit to accept the groat responsibility of educating the nation, tho future is shrouded in gloom. In a pamphlet recently prepared by Mr. F. M. Renner for the Secondary Schools’ Assistants’ Association, the case of the. secondary assistant has been clearlv put. In it he says:— Are' secondary teachers professional men and women? —Let us first of all | discuss tlic question of our claim to bo paid on a. professional basis. Out of I a total of 323 secondary school teachers in PMG, only 81 were not graduates, in other words, approximately 75 per cent, had a university degree. Further, onlv 47 of tho total were uncertificated, : which moans that So per cent, of the secondary school teachers wore either graduates or certified men or women. It will lie conceded, therefore, that they must have spent three, four, or live' years in obtaining the necessary educational diplomas for their profession. A dentist, doctor, lawyer, or any representative of tlic so-called bonafide professions spends no more time to earn his diploma. Then why pay a secondary school teacher on a wage-earn-ing basis, while the doctor or tho dentist receives the recognised professional emoluments for his services. The term “wage-earning basis” may sound rather drastic; but wo say it “nothing extenuating *.or setting down aught in malice.” Taking a bird’s eye view of the average salaries paid to secondary assistants in New Zealand, we find tho following quoted, in the official report :

1912 1013 1914 1915 1916 1917 ££££££ Male ... 241 249 248 263 266 281 Female 15S 161 163 187 186 193 Tho figures show that tho salaries for male assistants have increased on an average of five years by £43, those of female assistants by £3-5 over the same period. Our statesmen may “lay the flattering unction of their souk ’ that as far as male teachers arc concerned, this is a .gratifying improvement ; but they fail to take into consideration two important points. First of all, the sum of £284 works out to about £5 IDs per week, which are the earnings of a fairly good carpenter, mason, or skilled workman. The secondary school teacher is, from tire point of view of pay, a wage-earner, not a salaried man. Tho second point, which may possibly bo overlooked by our statesmen, is an all important one. The high cost of Ihing consequent on tho depreciation in, value of tho sovereign, gives a quite erroneous idea of the secondary teacher's average salary. Wo may take it that tho value of the sovereign in the years 1012 and 1913 was somewhere in the neighbourhood of 17s Gel, dropping to 17s in 1914, to 16s in 1915, to los in 1916, to 14s in 1917, and 13s 9d in 1915._ This fall, over which tho people of Now Zealand had no control, has affected the secondary school teacher very seriously. It must bo remembered that most secondary school teachers have to contribute to* tho superannuation fund amounts varying from 5 per cent., and even up to 8 per cent., or higher, of their incomes. The more fortunate ones have, in addition to pay income tax. The amount of £284 quoted as the average is therefore a considerably smaller sum. As a matter of fact, the average salary paid to secondary assistants approximates in purchasing power to something like £3 15s per week. Is it to bo wondered at that our service is not such as will induce men of ability to remain in it beyond a certain nninber of years? Those of us who have been connected with secondary education know of scores of cases where men have cither chosen the teaching profession as a. “cave of solitude wherein they could prepare themselves for other professions, or have been forced, because of the country s repeated refusal to grant them professional pay and status, to seek more lucrative spheres of activitiy. No apology is, I think, needed f for introducing this subject hero. Jho position has to he faced and no matter bow’ ranch the Government denies it, tho fact remains that in all grades of schools, a satisfactory service of well qualified teachers cannot bo maintained until higher salaries and more definite prospects are assured. Wc have learned many lessons from the war and not the least important of these is the necessity of having our children under men and women fit to fulfil the. important trust imposed on them, ns Ims boon SiVid bj an English authority “Tho greatest of all influences in the schools will bo the personality of the teacher. It is ho who will write upon ' tho plastic heart and mind, kindle the fire of hero worship, inspire with noble idealism, and guide tho unfolding character, with .all its weakness and immaturity, to a full development and the realisation of some, nt least, or its splendid possibilities.” In conclusion may I appeal to you to mako more use of the facilities offered by our own school. Thanks largely to public generosity, the town has secondary senool buildings that compare favourably with anything of their kind in Now Zealand. It has well equipped science laboratories and it has a stair | of qualified teachers able and willing i to assist any of you who are desirous i of taking i‘ course in science. lam | looking forward to tho time when you ; will look upon tho school as an msti- ; tution that exists not for the benefit . of a few, but for the good of the whole j community* 1