SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XX, Issue 1415, 24 December 1887, Page 3

SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

{To the Editor)

SlB, —Mr Closs says: "I am quite at one witb Mr Fraser that the science of nvat importance to know is that f the knowledge of J •nhiob tends to preservation of health and longevity." If that is so, if phyeio'oey is the most important science to know, why does ho not advocate the teaching ot it in eohoole? Why does be wmt to devote the so'itary "4} days " to geology, a science useless at its best for girls, and useless to anybody that learned it without "details?" Why neglect physiology, which ia " most important, ' and make a fuss about geology, when it is not even geology ha wants but chemistry and mineralogy ? And sfrce he is now convinced that physiology is tbe most important science, will he start to teach it at once, and leave geology to those that need it ? And since he believes that the committee should prescribe the science, will he take their opinion, even should it bo in this matter against his own, and proceed to art on it at once? •' Doubtless," he snys, " Mr Fnser thinks, as many others think, that geology has no relation to the industrial arts." I don't think, nor does anybody think, anything of the kind. What I raid was that a knowledge of geology compared with that of physiology and chemist ry i* ot no importance to children whatsoever. From the m inner in which Mr Gloss write.* ab >u< school comnri 1 tees, one would think he had them specially under his wing, and that they cou'd not look after themselves. In order almost to "butter" them, ho goes out of bis way to cost a most unwarrantable slur on himself and his profession. He guys that the oomtnittoe " have at ho»>-t *ha indu-t^ial progress of the c untry in afar higlier degree than a teacher hns." Whai evideme has Mr Closs for this gratuitous assertion? I know thus much about the committees, that th< y would make short work of his geology fad'; thit they have at heart the progress of the country in a far higher degre* than a teacher has, I most emphutiea'ly deny.

I had done now, but Sir Oloss deserves gomo CMdit for tha arithmetical antic he has performed. He io a little too clew here. " What are 4£ d >ya ?" he aiks in triumph, just as if he hid performed the wonder of wriggling through the eye of a needle, and then challenged the world to beat him. You see he reduces the half hour per week to 4fc daj in the year, and to aeveu weeks in four yean. How he went through tbis piece of conjuring I don't know, bat he would draw "crowded houses" if he would only perform it in pub io. If, in the same wa<7»i^7educe his teaching hours to days, we fluid that for 41 days' work be draws a year's salary, and for six months' work he draws four years' salary. That is an awkward conclusion ; hut it is just as sensible as that derived from reducing the hours devoted to science to days as he has done. By the sums procese, too, we find, on looking into the Otago University calendar, that just 6£ days per year are given to his favourite geology in the School of Mines. But if we give, as we should, two half-hours per week to science, what is t.h« real truth? We can at least give 60 lessons per year, and 240 lessons in four years. In that so contemptible now as are Mr Gloss's seven weeks ? My friend, Mr Closs, must be in a bad way when he has to bolster up his case with sophistical tricks of this bind. No wonder, Sir, you tell us to curtail our remarks. Now lam finally eurf ai cd. —I am,

'JO., P. B. FftASEB. Mount Sfcoarfc, 15th December, 1887.