TEACHING REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1543, 12 September 1912, Page 5

TEACHING REFORM.

IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. MR, Cr. 11. ARCHIBALD'S VISIT. "Education I begins with liio infant mind, not with the book, or the teacher, or (ho Church, or with dogma,—Hint is the foundation of our gospel," said Mr. G. H. Archibald, director of (lie llournevillc Training Institute, England, a man with u mission and a message to educationists and Hie public generallv, when interviewed hy a representative of iin; Dominion on his arrival in Wellington by the Mooraki from Sydney yesterday. Mr. Archibald, who i< accompanied by Mrs. Archibald, Miss Ethel Archibald, and .Miss Daekhouse, is visiting New Zealand under tho auspices of the Sunday School Union, :uml during the next few days will deliver a series of lectures touching upon the religious and moral education of the young. The Modern Ideal. I The trend of modern ideas in Sunday I school teaching is to get away from the haphazard methods of amateiir teachers who, though inspired by the highest motives in volunteering their services for I Sunday school work, sometimes fail by reason of their ignoranice of tho elementary principles of teaching, and of teaching methods. They, many of them, are not practical teachers, and'in recent vears tho Sunday School Union has turned its attention to the question of placing tho art of religious teaching in Sunday schools upon a more scientific basis, as an art to be systematically studied, and one calling for special aptitude and ability. A good deal of valuable work in this direction has been accomplished by extension lectures organised by the Sunday School Union, and delivered by specially trained teachers. Mr. Archibald's mission to New Zealand is to enlighten "tho public generally, and tho Sunday school authorities particularlv, upon tho development of modem thought in this branch of the art of teaching, by means of extension lectures. Mr. Archibald is a pioneer of new ideas in child education, and during his recent tour in Australia, which was a very successful one, greatly impressed educationists and tho public generally with his methods, Child Psychology. "All education," said Mr. Archibald, ''mot begin with the child, not with the book. We belong to a school of men who have been scientifically trained in the study of the child, who believe in the religious education of the child, but feel that its progress educationally must bo guided by principles and methods. All education rests upon an intelligent understanding of child psychology—the Stanley Hall School of Thought as it is called in America, which, however, rests upon tho teachings of Froebel, Hcrbart, and other great reformers. The value of Montcssori's work in this connection is very great, and we think very highly of this remarkable woman's methods so far as they go. What we are trying now to do is to bring all that is best in education into practical use in the Sunday School and in the religious education of children generally. The Sunday School of to-morrow is going to use the enthusiasm of adolescence as its teaching energy—we believe in the value of adolescents as young teachers." The Opening' Lecture. Mr. Archibald delivered;his first lectnro at tho Wesley Hall, Taranaki Street, last evening. Mr. G. Hogbeu (InspectorGeneral of Schools) presided. Mr. K. A. Wright, on behalf of tho Sunday School Union, extended a warm welcome to tho visitors. Mr. Hogben, ■in formally introducing the lecturer to his first New Zealand audience, dwelt at some length on the history of the Sunday'school, and pointed out the importance of Mr. Archibald's work out here, which he felt sure would bo a great help to tho New Zealand Union. He hoped that tho Sunday school and other teachers would come regularly to the lectures. I Mr. Archibald, who received a most attentive hearing, discussed the various aspects of educational psychology, with special reference to the training and development of tho child mind, and was accorded a hearty vote of thanks at (he close. The subjects of Mr. Archibald's lectures in Wesley Hall are announced in another column. Special attention is called to nn alteration in the date of the demonstrations to lie given by Miss Archibald and Miss Backhouse. It has been found possible to giyo these on Saturday afternoon, and as this will suit most people better than Monday it has been decided to give tlicm on Saturday.