SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1847, 5 September 1913, Page 5

SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

» IN EDUCATION. SECONDARY TEACHERS CONFER. SOME STRIKINC REMARKS. The annual meeting of the Secondary School Teachers' Association was held yesterday at Wellington College, and was opened at ten o'clock, but in consequence of most of the members prosent forming a deputation to the Minister for Education business was adjourned until the afternoon. On resuming, Mr. A. Heine (Wellington College) presided, others present being: Miss M'Knight (Dunedm), Messrs. F. Martyn Renner, A. 0. Gifford, D. Mathieson. J. Hall, M. H. Dixon, T. Brodie, G. G. S. Robison, and J. N. Millard (Wellington College), Messrs. K. G. Fraser and E. W. Andrews (Napier), Mr! R. H. Rockel (New Plymouth), Mr. G. A. Lundio (Palmerston North), Mr. Robert M. Laing (Christchurch Boys' High School), Miss L. E. Bing (Christchurch Girls' High School), Miss F. J. Jacobsen (Auckland Girls' Grammar School), Miss E. M. Johnston and Miss F. W. Cooke (Wellington Girls' College), and • Miss E. G. Jones (Palmerston North High School). Education: Old and New. The president read a paper on "Old and New Methods'of Education." There was a time, ho stated, when the idea of duty played an important part in education, but that stern_ virtue had now lost its charm, and interest and pleasure were becoming the predominant motive forces of work. Or\ all sides they heard the advice: "Mako the work as interesting, as pleasant, and as easy as possible for the pupils ; do not use compulsion; see that their school life | may remain in their momories a joy for over." The cry of modern educationists was that gentleness, diversion, amusement, and sympathy should take the place of the stern er _ and severer methods of the days of their youth. The ultimate aim of all education was to build-up character, to make tlie child-. , rcn strong, mentally and morally, and not merely to imnart a certain amount of knowledge. The speaker then compared the old and new methods as applied to French, geography, and the studv of English, and expressed the opinion that the general result of the new method of teaching seemed to be thaMhe pupil-had vague and confused ideas about a great many things, that he had wasted a great many hours per week over what might be called "frill" subjects, which were supposed to .stimulate Ilia .power of observation. Undei the pressure of public opinion the school was inclined to lower its aims, and to reduce and lighten its work, but the pupil was supposed to have mastered the curriculum without effort on his part. Without home work and without expectations, he was expected to possess * all desirable knowledge on all necessary arts. Ono was almost tempt'ed to envy the children of to-day and to ' regret thrvt .their -own youth did not fall in the "century .of the child," in which the children were always right and parents and teachers always wrong: His counsel wasi to return to the stemor and severer training of former days, and to dismiss, once for all, the "theorists of over-work and coddling." Sensuous nature did , not love continued, long-sustained, and fired effort, but it did love casual and quicklyclmneing activityXot .rtll that they called'higher civilisation and 'culture, not only the civilisation of the outer world, but also the culturo of their own solves depended upon their'ability to bend and direct tlieir mental and bodily powers, free from momentary influences and inclinations, towards a definite and fixed goal. And if it was the aim of education to prepare the coming generations for the solution of the problems of life, surely the training of the will or the persistent and intensive ' exerciso of nil powers towards reaching a' certain end ; belonged to its very highest tasks. The road leading to that was physical, moral, and intellectual training. In those words lay all thero was in educational activity. Training meant the straining of one's powers, at times, even to the point of exhaustion. The watchwords of true education were therefore not* license, relaxation, and sympathy, but encouragement to effort and to untiring energy and exertion.-. Remedial Effect of tho Cane. Mr. Rcnner proposed a vote of thanks to the president for his, address, remarking that they wanted a little more sternness in .their methods of teaching. The idea was being overdone, and corporal punishment was considered by some misguided people to be a humiliation, whereas his opinion was that a jolly good licking might be the making of a boy. The very severity, of a licking brought out the good in a boy. Mr. Lundio remarked ironically that he had seen a boy flogged with one stroke of the cane after a tremendous fuss had been made. Thero Vas too much cuddling and not enough cane, in his opinion. Tho resolution was carried. Wellington as Meeting Place. A notice of motion from Auckland, proposed by .Miss Jacobsen, and seconded by Mr. Dixon, "That the next general meeting be held at some centre other than Wellington," was lost, it being pointed out that Wellington was more central and "the only place where the mooting could bo held.' It was then unanimously decided to hold the next conference at Wellington. The New Prosldent. Mr. F. Campbell (Dunedin High School) was elected president for the coming year, and Mr. Rcnner (Wellington College) was reappointed secretary. Proposed Changes. Mr. Laing (Christchurch) moved: "That graduate members of the staffs of technical day schools who were eligible for admission to the suporanuua- ■ tion fund bo admitted members," and this being opposed, Mr. Lundio remark- . Ed that they were accused of snobbishness and that if they were to got coordination from the nursery to tho professor's school they should not blackball these people. Tho resolution was carried. • Notice of Motion. Miss M'Knight (Dunedin) gave notice that she would move at-the next conference: "That members of , the staffs of secondary departments of district high eohools who aro eligible for admission .to the superannuation fund be. invited to become members of that association." „ The New Zealand Dialect. Mr. Renner then .read a very interesting paper .on "?hf;.. Dialect." ™ "• fStUfasy'S Ho pointed out that {.migrants from the Motherland brought their dialects to the colonies, a>nd provincialisms made thomselves apparent in their descendants. Climatic conditions, as well us mode of life, played their part in causing tho departure from originally distinct parental dialects and the dectopnent of-a characteristic and uniform dialect. That thero had k«n in New Zealand a marked growth of a distinct dialect, particularly within tho last 15 years, was explained by 'his statement, "always provided that tho type of immigrant remains the eame." Ho was convinced that the Bchool-childxen of New Zealand spoke badilv, and that tho tendency to do so had 'increased of late years. His opinion was that many teachers were not capable of undertaking the task of teaching

'children to talk and speak English according to tho standard of good English. Thoir first duty, as teachers, was to put

their own speech above reproach before they undertook tho very difficult task of remedying the defects in tho speedy of their pupils, Tho teaching of singing by n compotent instructor would do more good than, any thing else. The chief difficulties of reforming speech were: (1) Tho pronenoss of all colonial s]>cech to drift into dialect; (2) the inability of very many teachers to set a uniformly correct standard; and (3) the carelessness and sensitiveness of the pupil, living as lie or she did for half the time in surroundings inimical to correct instruction. Tho allegation that tho school teaohers were not capablo of teaching children to talk and speak English caused some comment, but Mr. Renner was warmly thanked for his paper. Some Ceneral Business. Oil tho motion of Mr. Laing, seconded by Mr. Renner, it was decided that the following resolution of the Secon- ' dary Schools' Conference be reaffirmed: —"The conference approves in general of the syllabus provided in physical and natural scienco for matriculation. The broadening of the subject by demanding from all students taking physical and natural scienco a practical knowlcdgo of elementary physical measurements was a necessity, and the demand for a. certificate of practical work in these subjects is in accord with modern ideas of educational method." Tho following motion was also carried, on the motion of Mr. Laing and Mr. Renner, "The conference respectfully begs the Senate to reduce tho volume bf work in chemistry required for tho entrance scholarship by omitting (1) cfualitative analysis, anil (2) the chemistry of the elements, manganese, chromium, gold, and platinum, with the exception of the manganates and permanganates of rodum and potassium of their chromates and dichromates." It was decided that phonetics should be included in the English paper far Junior University Entrance Scholarship. Inspector-Conoral Attacked. Mr. Renner moved: "That the association urge the Government to raise the standard of the Sixth Standard corticate of proficiency examination," and contended that the Government had wasted thousands of pounds by giving places in secondary schools to peoplo who did not in tho remotest degree deserve them. Ho had ill mind a school where there ivcre 200, boys, and fully 80 of them' ought not to be there. One of them, when asked the difference between "practico" and "practise," said one was feminine and the other masculine, v/hilJ another reply was ono was in the presont tense and tho other 1 in the past tense. AVhen he brought that question beforo the Inspector-General of Schools, he received the astounding reply, "You must not suppose that we are, going to teach so as to co-ordinate primary education and secondary. What was the Department there for but that? asked Mr. Renner, who contended that the whole superstructure of education depended on that co-ordin-ation. lie protested most strongly against anv suggestion to increase the scope, of the examination, instead of raising the standard of the subjects. . Mr. Rockel seconded, and the resolution wa3 carried. Mr. Andrews mcred: That the secretary bo instructed to write to tho Minister for Education with the object of securing reciprocity "with the Teachers' Superannuation in Australia." This was seconded by Mr. M&thieson, and carricd. On the motion of Mr. Andrew,'seconded by Mr. Rcnner, it was resolved: "That inasmuch as .the. Minister for Education lias review-tho whole amvuatioh system, "he bo asli'ed to' include a provision that secondary school teachers, who often do not begin teaching until the age of' 23, after a University 'course, may retire on full pension after 35 years' service in the case of men, and 25 in tho case of women, on the payment of a proportionally increased premium." ' ; It wos decided, on the motion of Mr. Laing, seconded by Mr. Andrews: "That the Government be urged to issue a regulation to tho effect that the average class should not contain more than 25 pupils." The following remits from Auckland were carried: —"That the Government be urged to ask the Defence Department to make tho military year for secondary school senior cadets coincide with the school year" ; "that ordinary and half-holiday parades and the firing of the musketry course bo carried out on working school days"; "that the Government be asked to pass legislation ro the training of secondary school masters and mistresses" ; and "that the, secretary circularise all members and ascertain the number who hold Education Department's certificates, and tho class of such certificates, the number of years thoy have been teaching, tho time that has elapsed since their last promotion in certificate, and all such information as may to deemed desirable." Where is the Inspector? Mr. Mathieson (Wellington College) remarked during the discussion that he bad been teaching eight years at Wellington, and had never seen an inspector. The conference terminated at eleven o'clock with the election of the executive. The Annual Roport. The annual report showed that whilst two years ago the credit balance was £17 and the membership 68, there was now a credit balance of £52, and tho membership was 136. The Court of Appeal Act.had been amended, so asto safeguard their interests against more or less arbitrary dismissal. Secondary school teachers were, in many cases, scandalously inadequate, and unless they fought hard they would be overlooked in the battle that was raging between the primary school teachers and the Government over the very same matter. Another matter of almost equal importance was that of superannuation, and the Inspector-General of Schools had told tho executive representatives that they would nover get equality of treatment with the Civil Servant.