THE SCHOOL WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1313, 16 December 1911, Page 9

THE SCHOOL WORLD.

AN EDUCATIONAL REVIEWNOTES FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY. ' Tcachers and others interested administration of education arc iiiyto to contribute notes for publication in "The School World." . These should «o addressed to the Editor, f.! 10 .,. World," Tun Dominion, ''"J,J Correspondents desiring cnliehttninj-nt upon any (|uf.tion in connection w tit iuo school .work,' or the, general tration of the education system, arc in vitcd to submit these points to tlio m»tor for elucidation and reply. W l-cro ■ anonymity is desired, it will be strictly |. observed. . "The 'German Association called tho Gcosmphontag has, according to tho "Zeitscln-ift d. Gescllschalt t. .Erdkuiido ?,u Berlin," been considering methods ot reforming geographical teaching in tho schools of Germany. It is. of interest to note tho conclusions arrived at in regard to the training of teachers. It is roconlniended. tlmt teachers of tho subject should lie ■ specially trained, ana should study, geography during several years. Mere book work is regarded as insufficient, and excursions and practical work should be. sufficient to render tho (eaeher competent to lead similar excursions afterwards as part of the school work. When geography is taken together with a literary subject, such as history, tho students should have strongly urged upon them the necessity for adding sonio practical study of geology to their course. "Without geological and. climntological knowledge scarcely one branch ot geography'can be pursued with profit. The frequent association of history with geography is regarded largely as a matter of school convenience, rather than as an indication of affinity between tilt two subjects. As a result', of a generally-expressed desire lor the organisation of a protection league, a school committees' association lias been constituted in the Poverty Baydistrict. rules havo lteen adopted, and the following Executive Committee appointed:—President, Mr. J. R. Kirk; vicepresident. llev. L. Dawson Thomas; secretary. Mr. P. C. Andrew; treasurer, Mr. G. Widish; committee, Rev. M. \V. Butlerfield, Messrs. G. Warren, 0. Hansen, K. Humphreys, E. Grundy, and O. K. Pasley. As au initial step ..in tho conservation of the interests of tho schools, the association decided to extend its- assistance to tho Wangnnui Association in the matter of additional areas, and also resolved to move in tlio direction of securing for school committees generally more, extended powers than are at present enjoyed by them under the Act as it uow operates. Under the will of the late Alexander Yell lis, of Blenheim, .C! 00 is bequeathed to the Marlborough High School to found scholarships for the sons of .manual labourers earning not more thnu .£125 a year. _ . "Our greatest difficulty is still with arithmetic," observed Miss Greig, ladyprincipal of tho Napier Girls' High School, at the prtac-giving on Tuesday last. "Many of this free-place pupils come to us weak in this respect, while most of tho junior girls find it the most difficult subject in their curriculum.' Mr. A. S. M. Poison, headmaster of tha Napier Boys' High School, had something to say on the subject, oi school sport at the annual prize-giving on Tuesday. Ho regretted that the games and sports wero not participated .in by all who were physically fit.. Evidently some parents failed to see tho real value of properly organised games in character building, and • tlioir influence for good on both bodv and mind. Chronic neglect of such influences must result in inferior stamina and tono in tho individual and in the school. Next veal', ho stilted, the scliool. dress which has been worn for several'"years by a large number of the boys would become general, llio costume, originally known as the Loretfo dress, was* already compulsory in several prominent secondary schools in New /calami, and had everything to bo said in its favour. Com'paVp/l witlr'tht! vpjimm styles of ordirtarj -ciiftumo it-was healthier, more becoming, more convenient, and cheaper. Furthermore, it had a most beneficial 'effect on tho tone of the school. 11l this, as in all other matters that madft for the welfare of their boys, tho cordial support of tho parents was earnestly roquested. Addressing the students of the Napier nigh Schools at the annual prize-giving on Tuesday. lust, Professor Von Zcdlitz, (of the Cluiir of Modem Languages at Victoria College), referred to the advantages possessed bv the Nopier High, Schools ill the matter*-of valuable endowments—secured in tho past by far-sighted and patriotic men, and most favourable climatic conditions, and urged that parents should avail themselves of theso advantages aud prove themselves worthy of them by sexy ing. that their children regularly attended through, all the; standards and forms. Tliero were'some peoplo who said that, secondary education lvns no good, that it was better for tho children to take them away from school and put them to "something useful." Hut ho claimed that education nie-iut the greater efficiency of the •individual, and, therefore, tho greater ■efficiency of the community. The conception of education as it now prevailed was one against which old reproaches had no right of standing. There might bo some parts of. their training which boys and girls could not recognise as bearing uiion their usefulness in life, but all of it. had a direct bearing on the development of their efficiency. Tho best gift: to the Empire was an efficient and educated civic community. Thus it should bo born# in mind by those attending secondary schools that by striving after and attaining efficiency thrv were not only benefiting themselves but also tho community to which, they belonged. .