District High Schools.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14211, 28 May 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

District High Schools.

'AN OTAGO SCHEME. (Dunedin "Evening Star.") Unlike the Government Railways, the Post and Telegraph, the Customs, or other branches of the Public Service, the Education Department is not directly revenue-produc-.ng. Any very considerable, increase in the cost of education is, therefore, liksly to be regarded with alarm "by the Finance Minister and other members of the Cabinet. For this reason, a Minister of Education who desires to see New Zealand keeping abreast of other countries, and marching in the vau of educational progress, does not hold an alisgether enviable position. Ministers, members of Parliament, and others, however, who view with alarm the largely-increased educational expenditure, of the past ten years, must remember that this is only in keeping with a world-wide movement that -is taking place in every progressive' country, particularly throughout the British Empire. The United Kingdom, every one of the Australian States, South Africa, and Canada are all increasing greatly their expenditure upon | education. But it is not the increased i cost of our education system that i worries the working man, or the gen-1 eral taxpayer. "What the working i man wants to know is: "Are we getting an adequate return for the money we are spending P" He knows that the most substantial return he receives for his share of the Dominion's taxation is the opportunity to give to his children a good education. He knows, too. that if society is to be levelled up, and that if his children are to win honorable positions for themselves, "equal educational opportunities for all" is the most potent factor in attaining his object. We are rapidly approaching to, and, we trust, soon will have as an accomplished fact, a system of education under which the boy or.girl possessed of ability, industry. and ambition may pass step by step and free of cost from the Kindergarten to the "University. When this time arrives, all that will he asked by the tax>ayer will be that wise economy eomlined with thorough efficiency must be guaranteed by those entrusted with the administration of our education system.

Many educational experts who have given earnest consideration to the subject have expressed the opinion that the Syllabus of work prescribed for the secondary departments of our District High Schools has in the past been unruited to the development of the industries of the localities in which the schools nre Haccd. the Education department issued a "Suggested j Course of Agricultural Instruction.' Mr Goyen. Chief Inspector for the Otago Education Board, and his colleagues have formulated a scheme of work for most of our District High ! Schools, based upon this suggested ' course. The scheme itself will bo considered by the Education Board at their Eext meeting. Even the ordinary layman, who does not profess to have the knowledge of an educational expert, will find himself well repaid for a careful perusal of this interesting document. The first thing that strikes such an one is the proportion of time allotted, in the case of boys, to English, mathematics, and wood-wodk. To the first of these subjects, which includes commercial correspondence. is g.ven fonr hours; to the second, which comprises arithmetic, logarithms, practical algebra, mensuration, surveying, geometry, and book-keeping, sis hours; and to the third, which embraces scale drawing, building construction. and practical woodwork, three hours—or a total of th : j-teen hours out of twentytwo devoted to eleven si , \i'»"t.s. W regard this arrangement of time and subjects as one of the strongest points in the scheme. Hitherto, in many of the schools, a, study of Latin occupied a too prominent position in the Syllabus. The chief aim of the schools scenes to have heen to prepare their pupils for the Matriculation and Civil Service examinations. Under the new scheme those who desire to prepare for the Matriculation examination will have to devote the remaining three hours a week to the studv of a language other than English.

As to ways and means, this does notconcern us very much. "We have already stated our belief that, given the right kind of education, the taxpayer will not object to pay for it. The In- j spectors are to be commended for their ' effort to draw up a scheme of work which, we feel sure, will be adopted : hy the Educaton Board, if not i\ it.- ■■ entirety, with but slight modifications.