EDUCATION COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1473, 22 June 1912, Page 8

EDUCATION COMMISSION.

THOSE NEGLECTED FUNDAMENTALS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Invercargill, June 21. The Education Commission continued its sitting hero to-day, and is still taking cvidenco to-night • with* a view of finishing here before the week end. Miss .Tobson, principal of the Girls' High School, said that examinations for proficiency certificates did not seem to be a thorough test of proficiency. 111 the majority of proficiency pupils she had found a decided weakness in English and arithmetic. This was due not to the teachers, but to tho fact that too much attention was given to subjects less fundamental in education, and that the syllabus lacked deiinitencss, thus inducing lack of thoroughness. She would strongly advocate tho reinstatement of .grammar upon the syllabus, though by no means desiring to revert to tho old state of affairs, when grammar was a grievous and unprofitable burden. Yet tho simple and fundamental rules of grammar were a necessity. Its importar.ee in relation to English composition and as a basis for tho study of foreign languages would surely be admitted by any experienced teacher of these subjects, who would have probably found the ignorance of elementary grammatical principles a serious difficulty. Sir. T. D. Pearce, rector of the Boys' High School, said that tho ' foundation of primary education lacked simplicity and solidity. With Liberal interpretation the "three K's" could comprise the primary course of education. He advocalcd more attention being paid to the elements of formal grammar with the use of grammatical sense in the sth and Ctli standards. He was a believer in homework. They could not progress in secondary subjects without exact memorising, and boys who came from schools where home-work was not sot made the poorest progress; boys from schools where homework was set, the solidest. As regards scholarships, lie had formed'the opinion that the allotment of;a scholarship of a value of five pounds 'to town schools was a mistake. He considered that tho money would be better spent in the provision of scholarships for country boys, thus aiding them in their desira for further education. Overlapping, so far as bo was aware, existed at ono point, i.e., between so-called day tcchnicar schools and high schools. There was little difference between their time-tables and subjects of instruction, and, as the day technical schools were born last, they were the guilty parties in overlapping. Evldciice is proceeding.