Notes on Education.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 9, 5 October 1907, Page 11

Notes on Education.

(BY " SOCRATES.") . "JUVENILE CARPENTERS." • "It will readily bo admitted by ovoryoue, that tho strongest impulse of the untutored mind, is to create the semblanco of something of which it, already has somo ' knowledge." .Barter. To introduco into tho school tho hammer, the saw, the chisel, and other tools of wood-work as agents in the teaching' of certain principles in tho education syllabus would scorn, to the "man in tho street," to bo a bold step, if not even a species of faddism. r Paterfamilias lays down his paper ■•'in .the .evening-and condescends to inquiro of his son, "Well, Johnny, what were you doing at school today?" "Oh—all sorts," replies that young hopeful. Then, feeling that somo- . thing more definite is required of ' ' him, he continues: "Wo had wood-work this . afternoon." ' . * "What's that?" asks his father. "Oh—l dunno. The. teacher 'gives us a piece of wood and we plane it, and mako something." "Pse.e. What did, yr.a.:: usur". ' "Marble-boards. I'll-show you mine," and he produces for his . father's inspection the product ofhii ■-. labour. ■• It is smooth, accurate, and well : finishod. . , . % .,..'"H—m," comments Paterfamilias as he hands it back and proceeds to indulgo iu a little abstract thinking. Of what earthly uso, muses he, is the making of a plaything like a marble-board, in school hours, going to bo to his son's education? What does he get out of it? Ho finally gives it up and relapses into 'his paper. ~ His perplexity is not surprising. • r .t is the note of interrogation which is being struck by his" neighbours. His son, boylike, is unable to elaborate tho governing principles which underly a courso of instruction, which ■ looks suspiciously like, playing in • school. The result is a conservative attitude towards an unexplained in- . nr.vation. Now,-let Paterfamilias picture t/i' himself a largo well-lighted classroom. Rows .of small carpenters' benches, with tool-stands alongside, .. take up the (loorspaco, while round ~ the walls aro hung (blackboards and ■ models. - .-' -, About thirty boys from the Fifth Standard of ono of the-city schools aro occupied'at the benches, drawing plans and elevations of some simple article, a marble-board. The plan shows an object, with holes ol ■various sizes cut. out. Tho sizes deal with fractions of an inch, the reckoning thereof involving a useful exorcise in arithmetic. The. drawing finished, the class is brought up to tho instructor's desk and given directions as to planing, gauging, sawing, and sharpening tools. Tho proper handling of each tool is. pointed out, and each boy. goes back to his bench to construct from his own plan, an articlo whijh dopends for its successful construction on all tho concentration, dexterity, and accuracy of which ho is capable. The product of. his industry is a ■ simple contrivance much in voguoin tho school playground when marbles are in' season. Tho juvenile carpenter is led on by easy stages to more difficult models, and at tho end of tho .course has a. working knowledge of tools and a certain amount of manual dexterity; ho has, moreover, un,,,'consciously absorbed certain principles in drawing .and arithmetic and dci veloped habits of care and accuracy in the process of making somo object which is intimately associated with : his play.'-' •;''"'••■ t . Tho boy is not) being taught a ' trade. - Tho tools aro -merely tho agonts by which his latest constructive abilities aro developed. ' Wood, is selected as the' material, because 'it is light, clean, and easily worked, .and tho whole courso is a healthy balanco to- the mental side of the school work. School Athletics. ', It is. highly.. satisfactory to iioto that tho Wellington Education Board, '. at its last meeting, was quite unanimous as to tho desirability of giving systematic attention to school athletics. The matter is an important ono. School games cultivate the physical ..development of the body and,' j when properly supervised, tend to 'develop those qualities of which the best type of manhood is the ■ embodiment.' School athletics, it is but fair to say, have not been by any -means neglected in our Wellington Schools. ■ Sports' associations under the control of the Wellington Public School teachers have organised' and conducted school games for some years past; fur- . thor, this work has been a. purely voluntary effort on tho part of the teachers, many of'whom have carried - out the work, of supervising tho games ' at a considerable sacrifice What is: tvaritcd is official recognition of. this essential department of school-work, whereby school athletics may havo systematic attention, with duo rpgard to tho interests or tho child, the school, and the teacher. ; The Microbe ant! tho Giate. In these progressive days,'when the '-.. bacillus of this, that, and tho other disease is being driven from pillar to. post,'and there seems to be a common desiro for education in germicidal lore, it is depressing to find that , advocates of the "dirty old days" aro still with us. There is a good old British platitude still in vogue which runs:—"lt.was good enough for my father, it did for nic, and it ought to I ,bo good enough for my son." Quito so. Tho slate was good enough for certain members ot the Education Board when ' they wero bovs, and, therefore, etc., etc. It was also, said , these gentlemen, in voguo in cortain t institutions where, if tho slato • was as bad as thoy maclo it out to bo, it ! certainly should-not be seen. There ; was one in a modieo's porch, and so on. Well, and what if there vras? i That particular medico, and other persons named ought to bo heartily : ashamed of themselves. Tho slato must be categorically condemned. Even if it is never spat on, tho ; sponge, or wet rag which is com- ; monly used is a veritable/ temptation r of Providence and the übiquitous mi- - crobo.' There can be no question 3 about the* utility ot the writing-pad. It is clean, it can bo made cheaply, and retailed at a trifling cost. There is no necessity for indulging in the [ luxury of a sixpenny pad. Cheap , plain paper, economically used, which nan be ruled by tho pupils themselves, I is all that is required. Cadet'OfTicoi'j. The Education Board is somewhat ) exorcised in its mind as to the action > of a certain cadet-officer in one of tho , city schools, in resigning his position ; in the battalion, is a teacher at libl, orty to relinquish. his responsibilities - as a cadet-officer when ho wishes? is 3 ho not, by virtue of his position in l the school, and by virtuo of the offioi . ial regulations upon tho subject of mil- - tary drill in schools, compelled to ; accopt and continue those responsibi--7 lities until such timo as ho leaves tho 3 school? Surely. The command of tho school cadet company would seem to 3 bo an obligation which, from tho t naturn of the drill, and the risks attached to riflo shooting, should devolve I upon a senior assistant. It is one ot s the contingent responsibilities of his s position, and ought to bo acccpt/ed as ; slich. Tho result of tho Board's dco liberations upon the above-quoted' matter should be rather interesting.