THE ANCIENT TONGUE

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11110, 6 May 1911, Page 7

THE ANCIENT TONGUE

LATIN IN THE INTERESTING REPORTS. GOOD BAKERS AND GOOD CITIZENS. At the, last monthly meeting of tho Collego Governors, as tho result of a motion by Mr.Eouert Leo, tho board decided to ask tho principals of tho Boys' Collego and tho Girls' High School respectively to report—(l) On the ad- ; visnbility or otherwise of continuing / tho Latin classes to pupils who are ap--1 proved by them and will remain long ,' enough in tho Latin classes to gain a rea.lly useful knowledge, of tho lan-' guage. (2) To suggest what subjects should bo substituted for Latin and what changes, if any, would bp necessary in tho staffing of tho colleges. The Parents' Choice. The reports were considered ■ at a epecial meeting of the Governors held yesterday afternoon.' Mr. J. 1 , . Firth, principal of the Boys' College, reported as follows:— "(a) Confining the Latin classes to approved pupils: The parents' wishes and the object aimed at deserves consideration. Though a boy may bo very dull, yet his father' may wish him to have every opportunity of entering a profesV sion for which Latin is compulsory, (b) \ Boys remaining long enough to gain a really useful knowledge of the language: Parents frequently change their minds, perhaps after a boy has been two years at school; perhaps (as in two cases this year) after two-thirds of a term, and even a little knowledge of Iho rudiments of Latin is of value in tho matter of tho exact use of English. The same objection, that ths knowledge gained does not reach 'the paying points,' may be urged against other subjects, (c) Under present conditions no boy is compelled to take Latin (book-keeping is tho alternative subject), and boys are strongly advised not to begin tho language unless they are to reiniiin at least two years." Girls and Languages. "The questijii of Iho importanco of teaching Latin. to girls of different calibre, different destination, and ot'different period of stay is naturally a subject to which I havo given considerable thought, and tho practice adopted in the school practically represents my views on the subject," states Miss M'Lean, principal of the Girls' College. "The programme of work, as defined in the. prospectus, allows, broadly, of threo special courses being taken —(1) Classical, (2) commercial, and (3) domestic. Special subjects belong to these,, but any course is subject to modification in individual cases. Tho first course is planned for girls who moan to go to tho university, or to teach, and is taken by many for tho sake of reaching a higher standard of learning without any idea of teaching, and by some with a view to gaining a certificate likely to. bo useful in future emergencies. The. second is intended for those who wish to witer commercial life,, and the third for those whoso parents wish them to be trained, simply for a homo life. Tho majority ■ (including eomo commercial and home-life girls) chose the first course, which includes Latin and French. Tho ethers take French, in ono or two cases German as well, but not Latin. By tho titno they leave they have generally mastered French Bufficiently,u;ell to read it easily and to write .easy.,passages U).tq,.,F ; rqnchi with accuracy Their English stylo is thus, improved, their outlook widened, and a certain literary sense acquired. They have arrived at tho literary senseearlier than would have been jpossible in Latin, and, if Latin has been attempted as well, little progress would havo bo'en made in-either language. The "Ideal Course." "Those who enter th& school young get nearer to an ideal course—the domestic and classical, or domestic and commercial courses arc fused together in their case. Tho domestic can bo taken first, and after two or threo years lit French pupils arc ready at twelve, or thirteen to begin Latin, provided they have average ability and have not been handicapped in any way. This is tho . preferabb order—tho easier and living language first,'tho dead lauguago later. "The guiding principle in recommending Latin as a subject of study to a girl is not only tho amount of physical and intellectual vigour she may possess and the consideration of her destination, but also her probable length of stay. It requires exceptional r.bility for a young girl to get a profitable distance in two years. Tho general experience of teachers is that it is a waste of time to teach Latin to those who cannot go far enough to profit by it. The mental gymnastics provided by the early stages of Latin can bo secured, with • a greater degree of utility, by lessons.in French or English or Science". I say this, with full regard to the fact that mental training is of the first importance in education and the acquisition of.facts of but minor importance. Three Years' Latin Worth While. "A threo years' course at Latin is eminently worth while, because with tho modern literary method of teaching and. tho use of interesting books tho ground can bo covered quickly, at the samo time thoroughly and accurately, if sufficient help is given; and it is thus possible for some of the best masterpieces of classical literature to bo enjoyed ■ by-oven average pupils and littcrary taste and precision of languago can bo cultivated as by nothing olre. In addition to learning to appreciate literature of the first rank they feel the spirit of the past in a y/ay not ' possible through mere translation, and they are reading history from original sources, which is one of the most profitable way 3 of studying history. Alternative Subjosts. "In reply to the second question as to what subjects should be substituted I may perhaps mention what is being substituted at present at tho school. Of the 230 pupils to which we are. at present limited by our limited space, 142 take Latin, the remainder take the following subjects:—ln tho lower form Nature Study "and extra English; in the middle forms Domestic Science and Hygieno (two classes, junior and senior), also extra- English (at present the important movements in European 'His- , tor}'); and in the senio'r forms extra French. Vocational courses Suggested. Mr, Robert Lee opened the discussion on tho reports by moving to the effect that the principal of the Boys College should be asked to report upon the establishment of three courses at tho school, suitable respectively for (1) thoso intending to enter tho learned professions; (2) those preparing for a commercial life; and (3) those desirous of going on tho land. Speaking to the proposal, Mr. Leo. stressed the importanco of adequate correlation between the primary and secondary, and the secondary and University phases of education. Inasmuch as the University provided separate courses designed to prepare tho students for different pursuits, it was proper that the secondary schools should adopt a similar policy, and institute curricula suited to tho prospective vocations of tho pupils. Out of about '400 boys at present attending the .college, some 300 were f rceplaco students, and he inferred from that that the great majority of the college boys were the sons of working men, who could not afford to spend a lo:ij£ time at college, and so should bo

afforded special facilities for proceeding in their studies in the direction of their future avocations. Ho quoted from an articlo by Mr. Fowler, headmaster of Nelson' College, in the "Nolsonian," wherein the writer deprecated specialisation in tho secondary schools, but considered that the courses of study might be. so arranged to give useful instruction in the special departments of knowledge with which they would bo concerned in their after-school life. Mr. Brandon Opposes. The chairman of the board (Mr. A. de B. Brandon) reminded members that when Mr. liee moved for these reports uio underlying question was that of specialisation. Incidentally, ho might observe that if tho resolution proposed by Mr. Leo were adopted, there would bo considerable difference, of opinion as to tho courses required for each of tho three classes sot out in tho resolution. Ho was reminded of tho story of tho lady who, discussing her son Benjamin's future, said that ho had not enough brains to go on tho land, so she had decided to make him a lawyer! The question involved, ho continued, was ono of specialisation. If they considered the fact that the present compulsory education of to-day was tho outcome of tho teaching of the reformers of the middle and early part of tho last century, who insisted upon universal education as a necessary adjunct to their view that overy man should bo able to take an intelligent part in tho governing of his country, and that overy man should have a vote, ' then their duty with respect to tho college was to endeavour to give the boys such an education as called for threo things —a knowledge of language, a knowledge of tho methods and principles of reasoning, and the ability to form sound conclusions. It was not for the collego to turn out good bakers or good carpenters ; what the college had to do was to see that, as far as possible, it provided the baker or tho carpenter with sufficient education to make him an intelligent citizen. After further discussion, Mr. Lee's motion was put and rejected.