Educational

Observer, Volume XI, Issue 706, 9 July 1892, Page 3

Educational

The Editor of the Observer has definitely decided up in the permanent continuance of this column,and communications on educational matters are therefore invited from teachers and others interested in the work of education. These communications should be addressed to 'The Editor Educational Column, Observer Office.'

A very grave duty is cast upon the Auckland City Schools Committee— the choice of a fit and proper man to be the headmaster of one of the largest and certainly not the least important of our city schools. I am not intending to discuss the merits, or otherwise, of the several candidates whose names have been forwarded, .and from whom the choice is to be made. I am merely trying to point out a few principles, which possibly may guide the members of the Committee in making their selection. First, then, it should be borne in mind that the schools are maintained for the education of our children, and not only for the means of providing employment and consequent emolument for teachers. The late Mr. O'Sullivan always insisted that the headmaster of a large school must be a man., and then that he must be a gentleman of education, refinement, and good manners. As such he will be respected by the community, and esteemed by his subordinates and pupils. It is not necessary that, be should be possessed of the highest literary attainments — his professional status is sufficient evidence of qualifications entitling him to hold the position ~ but he must be known to be of strong character, of firm determination, the man of tact and of presence of mind even in trying situations. He must be more than a mere teacher— he must be a schoolmaster in every sense of the word — master of his staff and of his children, ruling them dis creetly, maintaining and enforcing discipline without the exhibition of undue effort. His power and influence should be always felt, though not always seen, and evidences should be as thoroughly apparent in his absence as in bis presence. Then, he must be a good organizer as well as an excellent disciplinarian, and for this the Committee will seek him from those whose experience bas been gained in the largest schools, because it is undeniable that this faculty can come only from ex perience. In proceeding to make their choice, the members of the Committee are called upon to throw aside all personal considerations of friendship, and to select that man for the post who, they are convinced, will maintain the school in usefulness and progress. I have no hesitation in saying that for the western tide of our fair city the choice of a headmaster for the Beresford-street school at tbe present time is more important tbaa would be the election of a member for the City Council, or even of a member for the House of Representatives.

It is very probable that at an early date tbere will be a conference of the chairmen or other delegates in connection with the various schools in and around Auckland, for the purpose of discussing certain matters of educational importance ; the two subjects which seem to call for special attention at such a meeting being the adequate staffing of our district schools and the supplying of the neces.-ary school requisites.

A glance at the financial .statement of the Board's affairs, as given in the daily papers on Saturday last, will convince one tbat there exists a considerable credit balance. This 1 is all very commendable, but the question suggest itself, are our

primary schools suffering in consequence? Has not the money been voted to be used in the interests of education ? . Why hoard up thi.s money when it is needed to pay a sufficient number of teachers to carry on our educational work satisfactorily ?

Persons entrusted with the management of educational mutters should carefully bear in mind the necessity that exists that children shall not outnumber their teachers on a disproportionate scale. Tbe fact of haviDg too few teachers utterly undermines the school life and causes a fearful waste of living material. It is clear at once that if a teacher bas too many pupils, it is impossible to give the necessary individual attention, or to find out in any way their special needs, which ia alone worthy of the name of teaching. A lecturer can lecture to as many as can hear him, but lecturing is all very well when everyone is fairly advanced.

A large mob of children, then, has the effect of removing a teacher from contact with his class ; individual interest is merged and lost. They are a number of faces not hearts ; there is no getting near them, no kindly intercourse or possibility of treating them as human beings. .

In such a state of things some few may get on well, but there is no teaching. A small minority will always get ou. A Stephenson will work his way up without a school at all.

' Big and beautiful you were last year, my colt,' said the lad, ' but this year you are far grander. There is no such horse in the king's stable. But now you must come along with me.'

4 No,' said Dapple again, ' I must stay here one year more. Kill the twelve foals as before, that I may suck the mares the whole year and then just come aud look at me when the summer comes.'

Yes, the lad did tAhtt; he killed the foals, and went away home.

Dapplegrim (tales from the Norse ) — Dasent.

The star system is a very fallacious test of a good school. In every school there will be a certain number of clever boys and girls, who, with extra -Aork may be able to obtain scholarships and other distinctions ; yet they may, like the fairy horse in the old Norse fable, require that the other twelve foals shall be killed and their portions given to him. Very satisfactory for the twelve foals and their mothers. A great school ought to give^the portions required for the one, without killing twelve to do it. If the numbers are fairly portioned to each teacher, it can be done. Good tea hing improves the lowest and is more effective than lecturing for the highest.

There is very little want of ability in boys naturally, but there is great want of willingness - and ingrained antagonism to learning, and dread of it— and very of ten utter incapacity for self-teaching. All can learn, but the clever boys learn more quickly. That is all. With a good teacher it becomes simply a question of time. It is certainly a serious deficiency in a school to have no teaching. But there is no teaching if the numbers are beyond the power of the teacher to deal with individually. A few of these may be taught, the rest are killed to feed the fairy horse.

Anybody may arrive at a rough estimate of the amount of teaching in any school, by a simple arithmetical calculation. If the numbers of a class be known, and the hours spent in school, with the average length of the lessons, it will be easy to find by a division sum the chance each boy has of being called on to do part of the lesson. In the case of composition, for instance, the result is still more easily attainable, because exercises in composition require to be looked over separately and ought to be commented on separately. For instance, if 40 boys do three exercises a week, a teacher has to look over 120 exercises. Supposing five minutes are allowed to each exercise, there is at once a result of ten hours' ceaseless work required to give e,ven this attention to each. Many of our teachers, and young teachers at that, have as many as 80 children to teach. Just make a few calculations as to individual attention to reading and composition.