EDUCATIONAL DUFFERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19504, 4 February 1926, Page 10

EDUCATIONAL DUFFERS

(To the Editor). Sir, —There has just come into my hands a cutting from your issue of JanI nary 18, containing a letter from “Vigilans” on the subject of il Educational Duffers. ” The writer says of intelligence tests that they enable us to ascertain the intellectual capacity of our children, and to classify them correctly for their future careers.” It would be nearer the truth to say that intelligence tests indicate with some approach to reliability the intellectual ranks of pupils; but they cannot as yet be relied on to register the fixity or adaptability of intellectual endowment. It is here that the interests of the late developer demand attention. The qualities of some pupils are much slower than the average in emerging into the visible field; but they may be of no less value on that account. The same consideration applies the test of reason to the dictum quoted from President Wilson, and finds it wanting in solid content. The fact is that you cannot have universal education without adjusting your teaching to the qualities and needs of those to be educated. If all human beings were of exactly the same qualities there would bo no need for education and no possibility of it. The dead level of sameness would assign irrevocably his place to each; there would be no progress nor hope or desire of progress. But in actual fact there is and must be universal education, whether consciously of the kind given in school and college, on unconsciously of the kind given in the world of experience—what has been euphemistically called 1 ‘education in contact with life—the sands of on the shores of the sea of humanity arc composed of its wrecks, while on the heights overlooking the shores are a few very notable and noble figures of survivors. But the real purpose of this letter is to direct attention to a statement by the writer to the effect that duffers will remain duffers all their lives. No statement could be further from the truth. Every group of people, every circle of acquaintances in the country, has knowledge of cases of young people, girls as well as boys, who in their early years were the duffers, the dunces, the backward eases, the unteachable, and who in later years have developed qualities that have led to success in life, and, what is more, to the growth of sound and reputable character. Every teacher rejoices in such cases, and remembers with regret some cases of the other kind, where the bright ones, the prize-winners, the duxes of their year, have not main tained their early promise, and have not done what was expected of them. Ft is not true to say “once a duffer always a duffer”; it would be equally untrue to say “once a dux always a dux.” What are we to do then! Whether the answer is eventually to be found in eugenics may be left to the savants to decide. Meanwhile, every young person, duffer and dux alike* has a value—socially and politically, an incalculable value—that education will assist to develop and the lack of education will doom to heavy depreciation in all cases and to total destruction in many.

It is true we have not yet solved the problem of suiting the education to the needs of the individual pupil; but we are making progress. We have first to ascertain what are the real physical, mental and moral values, and then adjust our efforts accordingly. Eor the present, we have not gone much further than to admit that every individual has his own personality and qualities which it is his right to have developed to the best possible standard; and it is equally and necessarily the community’s interest to see that it is done. — I am, etc., H. A. PARKINSON, Secretary, N.Z.E.I. Wellington, February 1, 1926.