RURAL EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2519, 14 July 1915, Page 2

RURAL EDUCATION

AN INTERESTING PAPER. At the opening-session of the annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Conference, held in the Masonic Hall last evening,, the president (Mr. A. Erskine) read a most interesting paper dealing with the ■ expansion of tho school as a factor, in our civilisation. It had,, lie said,; become tho supremo aim of education in older lands to'foster sound arid, capable bodies to develop and train tho minds, and above all to build up well-balanced, self-reliant", characters. "Progressive new countries, such as New Zealand claimed to be, had not been slow to follow their . . . But the educational problem which tho State lias still to deal with is that of the small rural school. It must be admitted that the problem is an. exceedingly difficult one, but its proper solution is an especially important one to the country. There are about 2200 schools in the Dominion, and.of. these 1318 are solo teacher schools, with a school population of 24,239. If schools of an average attendance of under 50 be included, the number, reaches 1606, with an attendance of 36,162. : How are the thousands of-children attending ..the sole-teacher schools, and taught in many cases; by untrained teachers, to obtain educational advantages equal to those enjoyed by tho children of the town schools? If only on account, of their number tho State should "do its utmost to, secure their well-being, and .should do this not for the sake of the individual only, but for the benefit of the nation. "'But the rural school has other .claims on the bounty of the State.: The work in which it should be engaged, that of instilling into the minds of boys and girls a love of the country so that in due course they may be perfectly willing.'to undertake the duties of country life,: is an important one,, and merits favourable consideration. Again, the small rural school is closely; associated with tho settler in the backblocks, the maft who is doing in the face of many, difficulties the pioneering work of the community. Is. he not entitled to. demand and to obtain for his children tho best education that the State oan provide? But can much satisfactory work be done when, it is remembered that more than half the teachers in theso soleteacher schools have neither acadomic nor professional statu? ?. • It must be admitted that under such circumstances the country •youth does not enjoy the advantages which his town brothers enjoys, although ho is entitled to just as thorough a preparation for intelligent and thoughtful membership of the body politic as the latter is, . . One of the most serious drawbacks to the efficiency of such schools is the difficulty of securing teachers. . . vlf tho rural school is fortunate enough to secure tho services of a capable teacher it cannot expect to retain his services long, tor with his superior qualifications he can soon obtain a more lucrative position.' In endeavouring to arrive at a desired solution of the problem, Mr. lirslsiiio 'dwelt on the efficacy of tho travelling library idea, but gavo as a possible remedy the abandonment of n ™>"' bors of small schools and the'establish; mont in lieu thereof of centrally-situ-ated. well-graded schools to which may or may not be attached a complete secondary department, and gav® examples of what had been done in that regard in America —a system which had spread from State to State until it. was now oporativo in no fewer than tliirty-two States. Oil thia system lie elaborated most interestingly and llluminatuoly. At tho conclusion of tho reading of the paper. Mr. Erskine was, on tho motion ; of Mr. J. Caughley, warmly seconded by. Dr. Anderson, given a most cordial vote of thanks. . ,