The Examiner. Published MONDAY, WEDNESDAY. AND FRIDAY. MONDAY. JUNE 4

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXII, Issue 3882, 4 June 1906, Page 2

The Examiner. Published MONDAY, WEDNESDAY. AND FRIDAY. MONDAY. JUNE 4

This editor of One and All Gardening, in an article in A UNIQUE' which be urges the SCHOOL. importance of beautifying London by introducing trees and floral adornment in all available places, says that for such a conversion enthusiastic opinion bared on knowledge is necessary. “ The knowledge,” he adds, “ can be disseminated through two very , agencies. First on the list I place the power of the schools; second, the power of experts grouped in our local horticultural societies. Our public schools ought to teach the love and practice of gardening to onr children. A notable instance of what can be done where the true spirit animates a good heart may be seen at the Invicta Board (or, rather County Council) School at Blackbeatb, where a wonderful work is carried on by Miss Latter, the head mistress. The children there have learnt the first and greatest secret of life —how happiness comes from true work. It is noticeable that the infants cultivating these Invicta School gardens have no book learning forced upon them for the first two years of school, yet at seven years of age they are found to Lave surpassed in acquired knowledge and aptitude the children who in theory had two years’ start of them.” Another writer describing a visit to the infant school at Invicta road, over which Miss Latter presides, characterises the school as unique, and the only one carried on under similar lines in London. The buildings are apparently 'on the usual plan, there being a large ball with classrooms opening from it, but both ball and classrooms present a much brighter and more attractive appearance than customary, being decked with growing plants. The main featnre of the system adopted appears to be that the children are not troubled—at all events those of earlier years are not- with the ordinary ritual primary education. In the place of that they are brought close to Nature and in touch with her, mysteries—the evolution of the butterfly, the growth of plants, etc. About a hundred of the children have little garden plots in the school grounds, which they and their comrades tend, being taught to do so intelligently by the teachers. They also watch and take care of the plants in the school itself. Some pets appear also to be kept on the school premises, and jars containing insects in the pupa stage of development are a source of great interest to the young people. The children are also given an insight into domestic economy, and the visitor remarked upon it as surprised to find on entering the classrooms that little arm chairs and tables, looking as if they came out of a doll’s house, were provided, except for the elder children sitting at some lesson. Then, besides making tea and so on, the children even attained to more ambitious heights, and plum-pud-dings were in the making while the visitor was there. ** The atmosphere,” concludes the writer, “is rather that of a well-organised nursery than that of a school, and in the afternoon no * scholastic ’ teaching is given even to the elder children. A good deal of time is spent in the playing of children’s games to music. What the work really takes the place of is not the first school but the last years of childlife at home.”