RESUME OF LECTURES ON EDUCATION, BY C. C. HOWARD, ESQ.. F.R.G.S.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 124, 25 September 1877, Page 3

RESUME OF LECTURES ON EDUCATION, BY C. C. HOWARD, ESQ.. F.R.G.S.

Lecture X.—Subject : — Home Lessons. How best to make them subserve the purpose of Mental Training. Common faults of Books of Home Lessons. Hints on Setting and Examining them.

#. Home lessons afford many mental advantages to children ; (A.) Self reliance. — An acquirement of great importance, making children feel that their tasks can be overcome by their own exertions, as little help can be obtained at home, Foster habits of study. —Education is tbe work of life, and habits of persevering study cannot be too much encouraged or too early inculcated, (c.) Extend the time of Education.—Tbe time allotted during day to school work is insufficient for its purposes. (d.) Secure useful co-operation of parents. — Many parents like to encourage or assist the education of their cbildren. (c.) Prove to parents that the teacher has the interest of the children in his work, and that the teachei wishes to see the children make progress. Home lesson books reflect the teacher's character—as painstaking or careless—in proportion as tbe work is carefully examined and corrected. Home lessons tend to make the school popular by urging on the children's progress, as well as supplement the work done in the school. The teacher should aim at doing his duty thoroughly and heartily, and never allow himself to become worried about the success of his work.

Parents are frequently hindrances to a teacher's work. Some interfere too much, while others feel too little interested. The lecturer dwelt at some length upon the relations between the teacher and the parents of the children, and insisted that the teacher must carry out faithfully the work entrusted to his care. Sometimes parents will object to the amount of work exacted from their children. Teachers must be careful to require only what is reasonable, and if then objected to, let the children be removed to a slower school where less care is felt for children's advancement. In exacting home lessons the concerns of three parties must be taken into consideration — teacher, parents, and scholars. Teachers ought not to demand too much, but should take into the account the parent's side of the question. Parents often need the services of their children, and' have a claiui.upcm-some of -their time. Children need time for play, and lessons should be very sparingly given for work during holidays. Teachers should aim to make the lessons tend to usefulness —intellectually and physically—rather than to display, and let aIJ lessons have a definite bWring , upon the child's future mode of life. Systematise home lessons by including them in the time table of the school, and let them subserve two purposes—(a.) to clench the work of the clay, and (b.) prepare the work of the morrow. Lessons should be preparatory for the morrow, and should be such as can be easily and readily examined, such as dates, arithmetic, drawing, mapping, spelling, grammar, poetry, &c. Mr Howard strongly recommended the use of some book of special study for home lessons, and the practice of giving special prizes for best work, drawing, carving, &c.; silso, that of cultivating any special gifts a child may possess. He thought that most of the home lesson books in use were very unsatisfactory, especially when very miscellaneous, and that one lesson book for home work would prove more beneficial than using many. Home lessons should, as far as possible, be done on paper, and it should become the duty of the pupil teachers to examine, or assist in setting and examining the work. £>he above lecture concluded the first division of the first course of the lectures —Mental Training.