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

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 131, 19 October 1877, Page 1 (Supplement)

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

Lecture XllL—Subject -.—School Literature.—Books for Boys and Teachers.— The Teacher's dangers, and the illeffects of some very common school methods. This subject, the lecturer considered, is of the highest importance, and, though usually ignored, deserves our best consideration in studying the moral welfare of the school. The subject, properly speaking, embraces the immense catalogue of all books published through all time, though, in this instance, it may be limited to works jjiaving reference to public elementary school education in a moral aspect. The subject may be considered in a three-fold aspect as text books for Beading, General Knowledge, and School Libraries. Moral training has hitherto been too much neglected by compilers in preparing books for instruction in reading, though the task of compiling such books is by no means easy. Reading books require in them more systematic lessons on moral training than they usually contain. They need not necessarily be serious, as children must lutigb. are meant to laugh, and their books should be natural and evoke laughter. Laughter has great moral, as well as physical, influence at times, and school life should be made as happy as can possibly be. A new set of reading books, containing variety of information in connection with moral teaching, and recognising human nature and the necessity of fun, is greatly needed at the present time. Such books should contain tales from school life judiciously chosen, loyal, graphical, historical sketches in a connected form; healthy literature in both prose and poetry suitable to the intelligence of children. Also, lives of great Englishmen, descriptive sketches, fables, anecdotes, and popular papers on scientific subjects. Historical text books are not usually prepared with the view of moral as well as mental training. Teach the pith and marrow only of history—the sequence of events and the relation between them. Teach history rather as if a person, a living thing, than as connected with a country. Shew the hand of God in the past, and His preparing for future generations. Mr Howard here ably illustrated his remarks by reference to the effect of the Reformation upon the people of England. The Reformation, he said, may be considered to have been both an evil and a blessing. The destruction of the Monasteries caused great distress to the poor. , The three great problems now engaging the earnest attention of Statesmen in England, viz.: Education, Licensing Laws, and Poor Laws, were all indirectly affected by the dissolution of the Monasteries. Shew the connection between past causes and present effects, as the influence of the dynasties of the Tudors and Stuarts upon the present age, and the various re-actions from certain political changes. History is eympathetic, causing periodic changes, and shews up both the good and the evil of the actors, as well as the results of their actions. We should strive to discover the motive which prompted any action in the past, and think tenderly of those who erred in striving to do right. Geography.—Shew that the world has been planned by infinite wisdom and not by blind chance, and that in the past the present was being prepared. Libbary.—An important adjunct to the school. Teachers must endeavor to improve the taste of children, by fostering the love of pure literature and discouraging bad productions, and by this means strive to counteract the injurious tendency of the impuie or worthless literature so prevalent in the present day. Teach children to read with a purpose in view, by studying the reading lessons in school, and help them to discriminate good authors, and the best kind of books they should read. Teachers' Eeference Library.—Keep only a few books and let them be well read, and always accessible. They should be devotional containing commentary and book of anecdotes; professional, as Paynes, Gill, and Curry's works; school management, as " Walter the Schoolmaster ;" " Book about Dominies ;" " Book about Boys;" English Classics — Historical Novels, Dictionary, Atlas, Concordance, &c, &c. Teachers' Dangers.—Very great tendency to vanity and conceitedness, and to despise others having less position, rank, certificate, &c. Teachers are not sufficiently united in their work, and are forgetful too often that they need to be learners continually. In school, too inclined to be dictatorial, cross, and cruel, forgetful that he is judge, jury, prosecutor, executioner all in one person. Impatient, and given to exercise bad temper. Anxiety for results is a common fault and danger, as well as desire to rise to high social status. Social status depends upon worth and qualifications, and will never fail to gain recognition if deserving. Despondent, to feel he is working alone in overcoming daily difficulties. Often greatly inclined to possess irreverence for children. A child, if trained aright, is the most Christlike thing in the world, and the teacher should ever keep in his mind his responsibility to God for the children committed to his charge.