NATIONAL EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1487, 9 July 1912, Page 5

NATIONAL EDUCATION

ROYAL COMMISSION. EXAMINATION EVIL: AND-THE ARITHMETIC FETISH. The Royal Commission appointed by tho Mackenzie Government to inquiro into tho general condition and progress of national education, opened its Wellington sittings at tho Education Board oitleo yesterday, Mr. M. Coheu (chairman of tho Commission) presiding.. Tho other members of tho Commission present wore: Messrs. Win. Davidson (Dunedin), J. K. Kirk (Gisborno), F. I'inuii (Feilding), H. Poland, M.P. (Paeiouj, J. 0. Thomson, M.1 , . (Kiverton), and T. U. Wills, M.A., (Auckland). "Wire-pulling." Tho ovklenco of Mr. A. S. Aldrich, principal of n private school, and chairman of the School Committee at South Makarctu, Takaiiau, Mawko's Bay, was first taken. Tfio witness read ii state-" ment which amounted to an indictment of tho administrative- methods of tho Hawko's' Bay Education Board, as evidenced, ho alleged, in connection with what had happened over a school site, dispute, and a certain school comniittco election. Mr. Pirani asked whether the consolidation of the Hawke's Bay, Tarauaki, and Wanganui education districts under a 'single administrntivo body would not bo a good thing, Mr. Aldrich: If it would do away with tho political influence and wire-pulling that goes on—it would be advisable. Mr. Robert Leo's Views. Mr. -Robert Lee (chairman of'the Weiliugton Education Board), and formerly chief inspector.of tho board for 2S years, wa? called, Mr. Leo's evidence in chief, shortly stated, set forth that a council of education should advise the' Government with' regard to all matters connected with tho progress and development of national education. This council should bo representative of all Stato educational institutions, and should appoint Departmental officers, principals of colleges, . and inspectors of schools. The administrative- scope of education boards should ba enlarged to include secondary and technical schools; head teachers should have a veto in tho election of members of education boards; education districts should bo reduced to ebont eight in number. He objected to the principal suggesled of making manual-and technical education dependent upon local taxation, Mr. Leo also regarded tho present system of grading teachers' certificates 'as complex and archaic—there should l>o no necessity for tho normal teachers' examinations now that tho universities and training colleges were in operation, and teachers could qualify by courses of study. It should now suffice for a candidate for employment to present a certificate from an inspector, and submit his college record.

A Danger. There was danger, ho continued, that agricultural instruction and rural courso might degenerate into mere growing of crops, whereas it should be the aim of schools to tench the elements of chemistry, physics, and biology, as applied to agriculture. University work should bo specialised in vocation courses, and students should b» allowed'to clioo.w subjects for which thoy' had faculty and use. Secondary school work should nlso be specialised,' and fit in with tho requirements of university classes. To secure solid groundwork in the essentials of primary schoolwork (reading, writing, com- 1 position, and arithmetic), all pupils in Standard IV should Im> examined in these subjects by an inspector, and passed by him before being promoted to ' ■ higher grade work. In the, examinations for free places, proficiency in selected subjects—selected by tho jmp.il—should ba accepted .19 a test. Tho witness nlso considered that development of tho freeplace, system and thq establishment of district high schools reduced tho necessity for the maintenance of the scholarship system. Higher efficiency was required in secondary schools, and a more efficient system of. inspection wns neeess&ry—inspectors specially qualified for this special work should visit the high schools together, and confer with the head teacher with regard to tho classification of the pupils, and methods of class teaching. Also, tljere should lje bettor provision for tho training of secondare schoo\ teachers.

Training and Appointments. ■ In Tcply to questions by Mr. * Davidson, Mr. Lee Eaid that in some subjects tho education system,.was less efficient than formerly. Arithmetic required modification in tho direction of simpler methods. So far as the training of teachers had gono under the training college system," Mr. Leo thought that good work had been done. Opportunity should bo given for training college students to practise in small schools near at hand, and less time should bo taken up in preparation i'o' examination. Ho had on impression that brainy young men did not find tho teachins profession a congenial one—thoy 6aw better opportunities for advancement in other professions. ' H ' Is canvassing for appointment common among teachers in your board? "No—l hope not;" replied Mr. Leo. Are you in favour of a Dominion scheme of classification? Mr; Leo replied that ho could not see any particular reason for a national scheme. Mr. raised tho question of systematic training for secondary school, teachers, Mr. Loo.? Mr. Leo: Yes. I think that provision should be. made to ensure that all secondary school teachers are carefully trained for the practice of teaching. At present this is not tho case. A secondary school teacher should be a'trained teacher, not simply a man who has graduated at a unive-rstiy college. Ho would consider a graduate with primary school cxperiejico to bo a trained teacher. "However," ho ■said, "we should offer opportunities, for secondary school training in our training colleges."

A Serious Leakage. Mr. Kirk: Takinj* into account the serious leakage that takes place in our public schools between tlio fourth and sixth standards, do you think tliat continuation clashes would provide an adequate corrective? ■ . Mr. Lee: If there is, as you Kay, a leakage Tho chairman: The leakage, Mr. Leo, is 40 per cent, -between the fourth find sixth standards and 20 pw cent, between Standards 111 and IV. •Mr. Leo aflreed that tlio pnnciplojot continuation, classes was a good one. A Plea for the Country Teacher. Mr. T. 11. Fleming, M.A., LL.B., Chief Inspector under the Wellington Board, also gavo evidence. Referring to the salaries of teachers, tho witness said thai tho solo taicher in a.country school was especially deserving of consideration—tho schools of Grade 0. 1, and 2. These reactors -should bo better paid, and provided with comfortable residences, which might l>o partly furnished. More liberal provision for'the staffing of schools should also bo made. As- to tho education syllabus, lie was of opinion that it was a good eyllabus, although it had been discredited in certain quarters through misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Good work could be done- if tho syllabus woto intclli-ge-'itiy interpreted. "Are yon in favour of consqlidntinp small schools in the country?" inquired Mr. Davidson. ■ • Mr. Fleming replied that thatdepondo'l on circnmst'ATMWs. "I don't think," he said, "that we would get as much from the consolidation of these schools as tho advocates v of consolidation seem to expect." Hi? own inspectors, too, hud in certain circumstances recommended consolidation to tlio Wellington Board, but their recommendations had not beon In rep'lv to a question, Mr. Fleming said that the'minimum salary for a country teacher should bn the minimum at present fixed for fir.idft 1. liv regard to Uio w.linol* of Tirade 0. (he psonle of the districts in which Ihesc were situated should lif oxnecij'd lo make pome sacrifice which would make flic circumstances equivalent |.i rhn«i> eniovi-d by the teacher in tho Grade 1 'oliool. . Tμ vonly fn another finestion, witness Bst,>« ™..B9t fe Isr?^,*. 1 !*?

Dominion scheme of classification of teachers.

Tho Burden of Arithmetic, Mr. JY H. Bakpwell, M.A., wos the nc -t\ witness. His evidence in. chief, read out to tho Commission, contained interesting matter. Hofcrring to the- public school syllabus, Mr. Bakewoll said that llisru could bo no question of its high merit — it marked , nn epoch, as yet unrealised li.v tho public, in tho educational history n£ New Zealand. The- eyllobus had been adversely afl'ected by an insufficioncv i>l properly trained teachers to euablo" its provisions to bo efficiently administered, and it had been strained by tho force of public opinion to meet tho requirements of nn unintelligent system of examinations quite foreign to tho pnirit of the new education, it was partly owing to this crnzo for examinations that although the syllabus fravo enecial discretion for a rational treatment of the subject, .so much valuable time was being wasted in schools in unprofitable work in arithmetic Timo which should be given to subjects in tho syllabus which were of vastly more importance- was now taken up in laborious effort to inntiter useless processes and to solve problems of ridiculous complexity ijuito beyond the average child's power of comprehension. Hβ would suggest:— 1. Eliminating from school examinations the unnecessarily complex and-grotesque "problem," which in reality was an obstacle to any rational treatment of the subject;

2. Bringing tho ordinary commercial rales more into lino with practical business requirements;

3, Substituting simple algobraical and graph methods For .many of tho cumbort soiiio methods now in uso.

And Examination Incubus. "Our whole oducational 'system," said Mr. Bakovcll, "suffers from the examination incubus. Towards tho end of the year ovory educational institution in the Dominion, from the university downwards, is in a perfect lever and turmoil of examination. Apart altogether from. tho physical injury which may ro6Ult to young children from tho sevoro mental strain that the system entails, infinite harm is done to tho interests of: true education by this endless preparation for stereotyped and rigid examinations, and simultaneous examinations on paper or largo numbers of candidates cannot help being stereotyped and rigid. As an example of tho way in which the system may press on tho primary pupil, tal;o the case of a' Sixth btandard boy in this district. In November, eaj'j niter inost probably several trial tests by .his clnsn teacher, ho is taken for his final term examination by tho headmaster; within n week or two ho is again examined by " tho inspector for a proficiency certificate which will qualify him for a free place; later on, if he is a possiblo scholarship winner, or if his parents desiro that ho should qualify on tho junior national scholarship or junior free place list, ho is again examined by tho Department, tho examination on this occasion taking two . i days. AH this examination, in tho same subjects and the same- work for tho purpose of determining tho boy's fitness for a secondary courso, or for awarding a scholarship! With tho institution of freeplaces and tho extension of the district high school system, scholarships aro, in my opinion,'no longer necessary. ,

An Extraordinary Craving. Tho examination- evil is tho result of tho extraordinary craving of tho public for tho examination imprimatur. An cxamplo of this was experienced in this dis-. trict two years ago. The board decided .to adopt the Department's rural course in the country-district high school; but' because there was a possible chance of its jeopardising the interests of Junior Civil; Service and Matriculation, candidates, the course met with Strang opposition from! local committees. ,1 The course is specially' designed to meet'one of tho most pressing educational needs of this country, and yet sbme committees were quite prepared, for the snko of Junior Civil Service and Matriculation examinations, to forego all tho benefits of .a vocational training in the agricultural and pastoral occupa. tious or. which the very existence of th« country depends.

Teachers' Certificates. ; Mr. Bakcwell went on. to Bay that h« favoured ouo scheme of grading for all public school teachers in tho Dominion, "A 9 a preliminary to this," ho said, "them should be a -complete reform in, tho matter of teachers' certificates. At present there existed five classes of cer-tifieates-A, B, C, D, and E—and though tho inst-niuned is no. longer awarded, there are hlill a considerable numbor of teachers iii this class. Kadi of those classes lins five divisions, so that, even omitting tho ]•! dnss, tliero nro kUH twenty differ- 1 cut divisions under , which the teacher of the Dominion nfoy lie classified. There should surely he no necessity for the complex system of classification for teachers than 'there would for, say, engineers, lawyers, or any other professional , class. Tho C and ]) certificates are awarded, on tho results of the Department's examinations. The A and B on additional university qualifications, so that a. teacher who graduates not only has his ■university degree, which in itself should carry sufficient educational woight, but he also gains a higher c'lassificalion in his teacher's certificate, tho result being that lie gets a double advantage over a largo number of experienced teachers of approved efficiency, whoso circumstances have pro-, vented them from taking up a university course. ' "Adventitious Qualifications." ■j. ''Moreover, this undue prominence atteched to what auay be purely iidvpntitious university qualifications has had tho distinctly mischievous effect of en-', courngiiip teachers to look to their aca-J demio distinction ae a weans of promotion rather than to professional studios and-practical teaching, efficiency, and ex-, porieiice. AVer© those higher cernhcateif even granted for- some prescribed and' specialised university course in education,. say for a degree in pedagogy, somethingy might be said in their favour; but in, reality they arc absolutely no criteria' of teaching power or aptitude, professional knowledge, or experience. I would not for a moment' say, Mr. Bakewcll oudeti in conclusion, "that tho requirements of, the C and D certificates should fix the highest standard of education and knowledge necessary for the primary teacher. Lot him tdro a university course by a 1 means, but the chief factors in tho grading of his teaching certificate should) surely be his knowledge of education, hi" tencliing ability, nud liis personality aui< character."

■ Many Reforms but no System. , The Principal of (ho Teachers'- Trainiiift Collco, Mr. J. S.. Tonnant, declared that training college -authorities -should have power to extend. the* period of trainin-j to threw years' fov those students who showed special 'aptitude for (eacluns. There should be wine restriction on the powers of ROvernioß bedics ol .secondary schools in tho'matter of appointing untrained teachers. The present system, of classification . was unduly complex. 1 lie syllabus was the best >.ew Zealand, had ever posswrod, ■ 'By'means of a-simplifica-tion of aritlimotic, the adoption of. tho meti-ic system, and some measure or Milling reform, practically one-third of tho school tiino would bo made nvailablo for more important .subjects. The .money now spout in scholarships and free books might with more advantage bo c-pont in providing boardinpt allowances for children from the back-Mocks. Tho provision of stationery ' and suitable 'school libraries wn-s, to his mind, of more pressing importance than the providing of actual class books, which should, he thought, bo tho personal property, of (lin child.

In tho matter of secondary training, tho idea that direct vocational training could end at 14 years of tige was Iho cnuso of moro. prolific waste tlinn any. other difficulty fn our so-called syMcm. Our youth wore being, compelled to un< dcrgo military training, while i!n> more important disciplinary mentnl wfls being, left lo elinnce.

The Cdmiiiission adjourned at G p.m. until 9.31) a.m. to-day. Owing to pressure on our spnro (lie enuolndiug part of tho evidence has been lick) over.