EDUCATION IDEALS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1313, 16 December 1911, Page 5

EDUCATION IDEALS.

SOME PRIZE DAT SPEECHES.

Miss M Lean, in her report of tho year's progress of the Wellington Girls' College, stated that there was something to bo ? i for co-education when the women beat the men, because, as .Max O'Rell had said, "The men look surprised and said Who would have thought it?'" and the women look surprised too (in a different way) and said "Is that all?" It gave them a clearer view of each other, and a possible righting of wrong, ideas. Miss M'Lean went on to state that she was glad when college girls (whether at Victoria or Wellington College) did not confine their attention to writing good examination papers. They hacf other lacultics to cultivate, and should, as far opportunity offered, seizo every means of furthering them. Very many old girls, of lour or five years' standing, were now occupying posts of responsibility in all parts of the Dominion. They were to be found, at one end, in Auckland in tho Oram mar School, and, at the other, in tho Invercargill High School. They were in the private schools in Wellington (both boys aud girls' schools), and in Government and business offices. The one place in which they were not to be found in was in up-country stations. Girls did not seem eager to go away from the bustlo and stir of tho cities. They had had the opportunity of congratulating Miss Bertha Reeves upon her appointment as assistant lecturer to the professor of mathematics, and now they were able to congratulate Miss Evdvii Watson on her appointment to tho position of assistant lecturer at Victoria College. Miss it Lean asked that, during school fours, parent, should allow nothin- to mtcrfsro w.lh the regular school work, cxcept ueccjaa ry helpfulness at home—no parties*, no plays. 110 picture shows, no concerts, ov anything that might be allowed tii spoil steady attention to school work. School day? did not last long and habits of perseverance, concentration, and of putting duty Wore pleasure were too important in relation to character-form-ing to be lightly esteemed. In connection with university training sh.9 did not think that girls should be illlowed by parents to tt-acli a full school day, and also to attend lectures and try to pass university examinations in the usual limit of time. It was done sometimes when there was no need for it from a financial point of view. The unfortunate girl usually broke down in health in the exacting endeavour to teach, attend lectures, and prepare work for classes at the same time. It was infinitely better to get the degreo first, and the training experience afterwards. Miss Richmond congratulated Miss M'Lenn upon the successful year which had just concluded, and spoke of the value of competition, though the gaining of prizes was not the be-all of their school existence. Professor von Zcdlitz compared th,e educational ideals of to-dsv with those of one limit]l'M years ago. Then the great object of a. girl's education was that sho should be ornamental—an aim which practiiyil'v limited it to those only who could afford it. Since then a completely revolutionnrv ideal had arisen, and arisen within the lifetime of EO"'e of those who were then in tV.vr- hall. There had been VHer antagonism to faro, and mistakes had been made lha f had caused Encrland to nrogress less raoidlv than her rivals on the Continent in the great matter of ednealion. THe now was to create efT'oiont tvnes <»f individuals—individuals trained by human effort to think, to develnn their facilities and to stand on a higher level in tho community as a wholo. The old idea of a "irl's inferiority to a hoy in the matter of mind was lesohvh'd. There were. Im.vevcr. necessary differences in a norUnn Of fiipir training. The dtih- had been thrown noon the boys of the Dominion jo prepare t'nVm"<>'vcs for the mmr-ling of our shores, and he also looked to the da.v when all our girls would be asked to go through a course of domestic service.