NOTES ON EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 511, 19 May 1909, Page 8

NOTES ON EDUCATION.

, (Bt SooEAiia.), " TRAINING COLLEGE ANNUAL REPORT. I Tho annual report of tho Principal of the Win. Gray,) on tho progress and condition of the work of training teachers for active serNormal Training College at Wellington (Mr. vice is, in many respects, an interesting document. The normal college has not boon, long enough in existenco for tho influonoe of its toacfmigs to bo as yet very strongly marked, but thero aro not lacking indications, in the work of the younger teachers who have graduated from the institution to positions in the'service, that the college is, exerting a valuable influence in raising the standard of ideals in teaching.' It may be, however, that students find that some of the principles and methods acquired under guidance, admirahle in theory,' no doubt, must of necessity be whittled down here and readjusted there to suit oanditiona of active effort in tho public schools. Stffl tho leaven of good theory must ultimately prevail, and a finer and more delicate conception of teaching than the rough and ready methods of an earlier period must become more and more evident m the schools. Very Important: Students' Lodgings. "Wellington City," says Mr. Gray, "provides only 22 of our students; so that by far the greater/ number, 68, are students living away from home. The first problem (and in many cases it is a difficult one) before the majority of the students is.the problem of finding a place of residence at once suitable and within their means. The utmost that most can pay is £1 per week; and it is the testimony of those who aro by no means extravagant that to pay this amount, and to meet all other necessary expenses, taxes fully tho resources of an income of £60 per annum. One pound per week is a reasonable amount to pay, and'whore the amount paid has been much less, I hayo taken pains to satisfy myself that tho students were in oomf ortablo and suitable quarters. The Women Students' Hostel has been found a great boon, more than 20 of our students having obtained rooms thore. _ This establishment furnishes the ideal conditions for student life; every convenience for study joined with opportunity for social recreation. It is gratifying to learn that tho council contemplates further development of tho hostel scheme, so that wo may ere long see ■ sufficient accommodation provided for all our women students. When that time does como 1 trust it will be obligatory upon all students to avail themsolvos of tho opportunity afforded. So far none of the men havo taken advantage of tho Men's Hostel. For them even more than for the women tho life and associations of residence axe desirable. I am Bure of this, that wo are not getting the best results under.present conditions. The circumstances under which some of our students are obliged to live are quite, mimical to the student habit and to the development of the type of character which is needed.in the teachers of our children. A return of the tariffs paid by tho students showed that—Throe students paid 14s. per week; . 11 students paid■ 15s. per week; 2 students paid 16s. per week; 17 students paid 18s. per week; 13 studonts paid 18s. 6d. or 19s. per week, and 5 students paid 20s. per week. Those who paid the lower rates were m most cases staying with friends or in private families. It is not possible to secure Buitablo lodgings at a' rate much helow £1 per week. It is desirable that in this matter all our students should bo placed on the same footing, and that all should havo tho advantage of the very best arrangements possible;' If it were made a condition of studentship that the student must go into residence, I believe it would not bo a matter of much difficulty to find good homes that would servo for tho purpose—homes that would specialise in'the requirements of students, and that would be recognised by the authorities as college homes. A Very Weak Spot: Science Study. "The fact that the minimum requirement' for entrance to the college is matriculation or its equivalent in 'Partial D,' Bhouldensure that most of the students are fairly well equipped. in general knowledge; and.so they are. But at the same time it'has.to be noted, that their equipment along science lines is woefully inadequate, and very, much inferior,to what should be expected in those who have gone right througn tho primary school ooursa, and in most cases have spent at least two years at a secondary school. For the most part students would avoid science subjects, both at training college and at, university, if they could, and not infrequently express dislike to the practical Bide of such subjects. In framing the university course, I find it is the few who wish to' take up science subjects. All along the line the desire seems towards what can bo got up from text books or memorised from lectures, and I can only put this down to habit—a habit of many years' growth. Tto mind has become so accustomed to imbibing from text books and to depending upon statement and lecture that it is only with difficulty it can bo roused to independent effort in investigating facts. Coming to the training college with so poor an equipment in science and in observational geography, the students have a great 'deal to do in their two years' course, oven along this one line, if they would prepare thornsolves for the demands that will shortly bo made upon them as teachers. The most elementary notions in physics, in chemistry, and in tie phenomena of nature aro often want ing. Surely it is a reflection on a good'deal of the education that has gone before that it is so, and constitutes an additional reason for equipping this part of the college work as fully and adequately as possible, aid of providing for it the services of a specially qualified science master who can give his undivided attention to the subject.' Proper Order of Study. "The question again arises, Is it possible for ; students to pursue their academic course and at the same* time do justice to tho many other requirements of their professional training? First, I think it would be better, and I advise this course,, that degree students should finish their degree before entering, and then during their training year (for one year at the Training College m such cases wou'd be sufficient) give tho whole of their time to strictly professional subjects. To take a* typical example. One of tho 1908 entrants happened to be an honours' student. Of necessity by far the greater part of her time had to be given to her hcriours r studies. To havo given hor und'vided attention to this work during tho whole year, and then to. have entered the Training College in 1909, and then to devote her whole time to her professional training, would have been the bettor plan. We have had experience of students running their last two university years sido by side with tleir Training College course. This has not vorkod for the best. It h, I believe, quite possible to combine tho first two years of tho degree course with the Training Collego course if the students are well prepared, but in the main tho better course is to complete the degree course before the Training Collego course is begun. If this be done, then one year at the Training College should bo sufficient. Then, leaving aside She degreo students, and looking at the requirements of the majority, tho question arisen: Are the interests of their future educational careers best mot hy a combined courso such as wo contemplate? Tho answor, I think, must be, Yes, if tho propor courses of study can be provided. Tho lino must in future bo drawn more strictly between degreo and non-degree students; if this wore done mora would probably tako up tho science subjects which Bhould be regarded as essential. Practice In Teaching. "The arrangement for prac'tico whereby students in t&eir socond year aro allotted according to thoir' abilities and aptitudos to secondary, country, infant, or standard departments, and aro kopt for a longer period in that department for which they seem most suited, has beou omploycd during tho year with satisfactory results. Every stuclont gets some acquaintance with the country school department—both the soh> teacher school and the lower division of it, with tho standards and with tho infant dopartmout, but not necessarily with tho sec ondary department. Thoso who by equipment aro fitted for tho secondary ■ department give tho larger portion of their time lo it and to the uppor standards. Thus an attempt is mado to spccinliso, uhi'o at tho-samo time an all-round training is given,

Every BocaoAyoßr student has opportunity and practice.- tn methods under these aspects: (aJ the single lesson; (b) a related scries of lessons; and (o) lessons as forming., parts of a time-fable. Practice is only one side of the training tho college gives in the art of teaching and management. Discussion, of plans and programmes and observation are of equal importance. Sufficient practice is given to insure that the student will not bo nonplussed when he comes face to face with the concrete situation absolutely and entirely alone; sufficient to give him confidence in his powers, and to indicate how these powers may be developed. The aim of the practical side of tho allege work is well summed up in a paragraph from an excellent article entitled : 'Tho Training of the Primary School £^c fl er,' in a recent number of 'School': The aim of these courses is-less pretentions than many to bo met with at present. They seek not to turn out fully proficient and experienced teachers, rather to let those attending see in what good teaching consists, lead them to observe and study children sympathetically, and get them to analyse the reason particular methods are employed under given conditions. Prom a concrete study of children and methods they aim at establishing general principles, training the students to apply tho principles to new problems j in short, loading them to think out methods and ctrttrvato in tliem a critical atfcitudo of mind towards their teaching.'"