EDUCATION REFORMS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1990, 21 February 1914, Page 7

EDUCATION REFORMS.

Sir,—A few days ago in a leading article you called tho attention-of the public to somo shortcomings of our.education .system. The transcendent importance of tho subject leads me to hope that a-few words more on the' subject may-npt be out of place. You, sir, call attention to the large sum New Zealand is annually spending-on its schools,-and-to tho very just complaints of tax-payers-if -they do not find that results are-.commensurate with that great expenditure. If this, indeed, can bo established,, the public will, have an even Btrongor ground for complaint than of money-spent to little' purpose I mean tho loss of timo and opportunity to our. young people, the opportunity to obtain-a. good mental-training, which, if not obtained in-youth,- may never bo obtained at-all. Now, sir, whilo I am quite .with you in maintaining there-is much. need, for educational reform, I venture to think that some of the disappointment expressed at results is duo , -to too much being 'expected. You point out that, business men complain of the inferior handwriting and arithmetic of boys. You quote the Public Service Commissioner as lamenting tho carelessness and inaccuracy on the part of girls who seek to enter tho Public Service. Then again we have certain educationists who consider arithmetic and handwriting .comparatively small matters!, that the important thing is to develop intelligence, and teach children to observe the phenomena of Nature and what goes en around them. Then another class of persons plead that tho emotional ijart of tho children's minds must he attended to, and so they should bo trained" to appreciate poetry, and something of our best literature. And wo have also tho doctors urging that, in many ways, tho machinery of thd Bchools may bo used .to promote tho public health, and they warn'us against eye-strain on tho part of the scholars, and warn us earnestly against putting too much Work on growing children. In the.leading article to which I refer, .you, sir, urgo that it is of vital importance, that our young people should be "taught to think clearly,' to weigh.nr-gumont,-"'and "to recognise the, duties of citizenship," though, us you say, ordinary elementary education must comefirst.' You also tell us that, after this Momentary education, we nco J domestio

training for our girls, and increased facilities.for agricultural instruction. All educationists will agree- that all these things I have spoken of are roocl, and that attention should bo paid to them, though ..these educationists may iiavp different ideas as to the. rolativo importance of tlioko matters. But taken altogether, these subjects, combined with geography, drawing, singing, physical eSercisps; diiil' other brnnclies of .constitute, (pardon the slang expression) "ii large order." For w> must pear in mind that the tiiiio that can bo dcVoted to instruction. 13 limited." Children have only a certain (iir.diint of strength; they cahhot bear too prolonged a strain; their minds' aro capablo of only a certain amount of attention. Many childrdii have work to do out of school hours: various things, frdni minding tho.bfitiy and milking.,Sohio of this work, if iiot too .prolonged, may act as a .relief from school work) it is .true, but flip samo cannot be said of piaiioplaying, jvhicli is generally considered ii sort of necessity-for girls. But all these take iij> some, of pur children's timbj. and bf their strength. Tho farreaching fefornis; wliicli you , speak of as so desirablo may produce better educational results; with less attain on the children. . But how.aro educational reforms .attained ? Tho proverb says' there is no royal road to learning, and it is not likely that 'tiny reform iii education will enable learning to bo obtained .without work. Neither is there any royal road to educational reform. Alterations are.being continually introduced, 1 but until thov arfe tested we caniipfc bo sure of their being hdvaiitigeous. Our educational ' authorities', af all Events, have been sufficiently alive to introduce into our sshools this year another new syllabus.' Tho public liave heard m'.oro. of this since your article appeared. One feature of this new-syl-labus goes in the direction you indicated as desirabjo for, our community—a knowledge of the-duties of citizenship. There-is libw a provision that a profit ciency certificate is-not to be issued to 'any pupil who has hot attended a class in which civics are efficiently taught. Other matters are discussed from time to time by inspectors,- teachers, and other educationists', and., as a result, reforms' are beiiig introduced. On the whole, as we look back, ten, twenty, thirty years, we! see that much lias been done,' while, of course, much iemains to be done. But suppose we succeed in obtaining a.large measure of this "farrcacliinu: reform," what will people say after tho jiew methods havo been in force for a few years? They will still find , that some. pupils are less careful,, less intelligent than others, and they, will conclude thai further'.'reforms aro necessary. On the whole, that is the right , attitude, for so further reforms are initiated. : There are, hdwever, one. or two hindrances to progress, but this letter is air Jady quite long onoujih without my seeking to trespass further on your space.—l am. etc., _™ . .'. CHAS. J. COOKE.. \Kelburne, February 18, 1914