STUDY OF GEOGRAPHY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2150, 16 May 1914, Page 6

STUDY OF GEOGRAPHY.

ITS- PLACE IN EDUCATION. Professor W. M. oayi.s, lately Pro- : fessar of Geology at Harvard 'University, ajid a- wc'H-kiionn {jeograjjber, delivered a- leetiire last night to 150 tea" chefs and ottrc-rs interested on "Tho Teaching of Piiysical Geography." In flidkiiig a plea for a fliofo hojwur'ed place in fhe school cvirriculum for the subject ef geography, Professor I Davis admitted that the subject was S not iiow a favourite with , teackers, for the i-easoM, pTobsblyj that the niatter they were required to tveach.was mostly stupid, a-nd'not of a sort to ins.pjro any great enthusiasml .The essentiato of a goad subject educationally Wfire that it should , jifovide « ; se-fel iiifM-nial-imij and also ititellcetunl tlisfcipline. Geography cortftiniy provk'led useful mformation, tab wiuler Mje present itic-th-ods of teadiing tlio discipliiw derived, from it was extremely small. On-p of the tests of inteTleetonl disei;)>l.*ne a-f----fordett by the study of a subject svas as to whether, some kn.o-wledgo of i* inculcated a desire for lirorH knowkdßo. f'h.e reading of good iiteraturo in yottth gai'e to tho pupil a taste f#r good literature tiirougiwut all his life, and so .gave him an" inimenso field from wlvicl) t<s draw his pleasures. Ho felt safe that if geography, anil tnore especially physically goograriliy, wefo more ratienally treated., it would give to those who hail isome knowledge of it infinite pleasure right through life. At present tho mcie cijipMoal teaching of items of facti without the itetiis b.o.i.iiß 1 United vtp in some casual sfequertec, did net eiicourafie oksemtioß or anything I that <:ould possibly §iyo pleasure." Briefiyi the scctpe of physiea! .geoßrafthy • ecraiil bo brought under four heads: (1) Tito earth as a gloho; (2) the aimesphero which suttomids. it; (3) the oceans which ■cover three-feurths of tho SHifaco ef tho globe; (4) an<) the .land which is by for tlie -most itiiportant. Disensshig iii detail .wiiiit shoiild he. and more ospcerally frh-at sliwld not be taught, ho criticisfltl the gengraphj - s.vHalivia ' proscribed for tfcft higher grades of Now Zealand teachers. Ho cflndenvned as useless, or- cufiibfous and impossible, raueli of the difficult mathcTOatioa.!' wfipgraphy in tiro' sy'Habus, rtiid urged tliiftt a great deal m.oro nttetttion should be paid te' ebserTational mettods where p'ossiMe to the ngendes at ts-ork in sltep-iiijr t}u> coin- : -moulv _Been features' of the laiid. In eonclnsioii, lie urged tlj(*fc" rnrttdj moro' imp.ortaii.eo ouglit te hoflttaelietl to gw- : graphy hi the scheme of hiEhor etlticnimih ' U was remarkable in simb a worM-wide Ewjnro as ttm Rritisb Eli** . (lire, that ficosr.iphy should bp so lraich ) neglected. "I can't hcip thinkinp;." ' he s«id, "that fifty years Ivphco tiwvo will be- somn emieflcjtionce- , —T don't ktiow what—>of t-lws -fl«ri«rtis Haiti to geography in the β-fttfsh Km.pjse., iiiid iiv c^traordiimrj , onHivation of the study of E;eoj*ta:nhy ii? the Gorman Kinptr-e, I dnn't liko to predict tor, and 1 hope it frill not M.kw, f.wt it v-aiM seem to bfl ceiirl'Hip; disnstoito iHjgktst a- stwyly qf enmh hniwrtaticn." Ho added tliat lie would very mnpii lilvo to'see cncoiimcod iii ttiis .wviiiin- n more soriotis tlisciplinary stadv of ftpnprnphy iJiiin kh> (VmvofivKoMi niethods p-haractei'tstie of lUnglish tcaehing.