EDUCATION POLICY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2815, 5 July 1916, Page 7

EDUCATION POLICY

AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT WAR PROBLEMS MANY REFORMS SUGGESTED An important and interesting memoYanduni on educational question! ifl thoy present themselves in New Zealand Was presented to tho Hotiso of Bepresentotives yesterday by {be .Hon. J.'"A. Han an (Minister of Education).' The : memorandum contains' tho views of the Minister-on manv polioy matters. "I am ponvinoed," says Mr. Hanan, "that the education and training of tho 'present and' immediately following generations constitute tho greatest reconetructiva agencies at our for tho repair and reorganisation of national lifo after the rjpscnt destniotivo i-p----lieaval. Our eduoatiorifli system in Now "■JTealand niay justly claim a great share in the honour of Sanding forth thousands of our former scholars as volunteers in the great cause. Moreover, one of our training oollege principals, four inspectors, and over four hundred tcachers ■have enlisted with- the boys trained under them directly or indirectly in our schools. ■ • Need for .Organisation. : . '"However, our weakness in educational 'as in national affairs had been on overreliance on our resources, without appreciating the real need for Vjstem' and control; an extreme deference to individual and local considerations; and the entrusting: of expert .and professional, matters too much to lay administration. ' Wo could surely introduce nioro co-or-dination and economy of effort, dependent on a wholesome amount of social and 'national discipline, without approaching tho typo of regimentation and outoeraoy [against which wo are. fighting. Our edu'cational system;"must.lead the nay in-a ikeerier sense 'of national co-ordination ' and. efficiency. In a readiness to abandon -uselera forme and practices, in a. demand for . a higher•standard of work j and of life; in ; 6hort," in an application ! of ;tho simple axiom's that /A- straight line is the shortest distance between two points,' and.'The whole is greater than its part.' ... "All effort, must in future bo devoted. to. dealing with realities as ■contrasted with, abstractions, formalisms,' and pedantic studies. Modern kindergarten and Montessori methods at the one end, and the reformed methods' of teaching such subjects, as.practical' applied science and economics at the other; condemn a-great deal of , what lies between as mere beating of air. All- education must concern itself with. actualities and activities of life, arid '(in.-pro-.' portion to its advanced nature) must increasingly justify itself by,, what it does for the-community. This is not a utilitarian, materialistic standard. Wl'en a subject ceases to be Studied for use' it ceases, to be'of value for culture, language is for' the' development and' comJAnnication of thought arid knowledge; mathematics for calculation; scienoe for power to use the forcesi of nature as well as to -understand them; yet thousands of secondary scholars are spending a fifth of their, time at Latin, in which not 1' per cent., of them can ever read, or think, or express themselves. ..Thoy. spend- another fifth on mathematics, by .which not 5. per sent, of them, will ever . calculate ' .'or reckon. .. anything.; They spend about a tenth of their time, (o a study in science, which in .the form . adopted in many cases does not widen their personal interest in!nature, nor enrich their lives, ■nor render them of any service to the world of industry about them. This does not deny' that a small percentage of our secondary lirid university sbholars ,do cany the study to as fruitful an issue as the present somewhat academic instruction' permits them., The fact remains' that'the., great majority; of the scholars receiving • the most expansive education we can provide spond under these three headings" alone,: as: above .indicated, about half of-their .-time in- what is for them mere futile pedantry and study, of abstractions. ■ r . . - ■

Mental Discipline and Culture. :/'The claim for snch formal," abstract, unapplied study—that ,it provides good mental discipline and cnltiire^transferiiblo to otlior activitics--is now fighting- in the last ditch all tho'world over/ Such production of chaff for a grain- of-wheat lias as much justification as "would:.the pounding of the earth with fist for several hours a day to develop' miisclo when that : piirposej and "a ranch greater one.'could be-secured.by getting' a: blacksmith's Tiammer and ■ doing'; something. Surely if the proper 'methods of teaching lire used and'powers thought do'velpped an even mental discipline 'and culture can. I>6 secured by studying real things, in a' practical .manner. 1 There is no real, antithesis, between - culture and vocational .study.;.: That • '"false ■ disHriction' is merely .a relicof old class barriers and of an ago. when the best' educated people were npt 'eipectpii to bo anything outside a. very limited sphere.. ; ..'Secondary Education. ." "Secondary .education must be kopt free to all, and perhaps made compulsory for most, simply because "'-e^on-.- our , best primary education' relative, to -the multiplying requirements; of our modern civic life, our national responsibilities, - and even to .the needs of our skilled -.industries, leaves a boy or girl as comparatively under-educated as did- the . daigo'a Bchool in.,;relatiou to -, the needs /i a •generation - or., two- ago. ; . The r.. ? limitation :of general education:, primary school period, .with the growing',: demands referred to, are largely, the-causa of tho overcrowding-in our primary-syl-labus to which public attention is so frequently called. Admitting' that the old formal study was defective, there is no doubt that'the pendulum has swung too , far in the opposite direction,-, and that teaching often lacks the definitenesa and exactitude that a truer recognition of principles would demand. -The fact that tho present . traditional secondary school cannot in any adequate'sense meet the needs of the majority of onr freeplace pupils does,not prove that it is.unnecessary to provide free secondary education. The 1 whole situation. indicates that "our secondary school 6yste'm should be adjusted to the new conditions, so that, while encouraging and providing for the small minority of university aspirants, tho very larco majority should not be unfairly sacrificed on the altar of university preparation. Tho secondary school question becomes the pivot of the wholo education question. Its proper solution would simplify the primary cur< riculum, leaving time foramore natural education on kindergarten principles, -up lo tho age of 6even or eight years, a more thorough attention to' the broad cssen-tials-of general primary education, and tho- dovetailing of much of tho present higher primary and lower secondary stages. The problem of general secondary education arid tho problom of university education must be kept quite distinct.. It is the former.that' is the pressing problem of this generation, arid it must be dealt with in and. for itself. When we havo laid the foundations of a general secondary education system we shall roalise both tho reforms, which our elomentary schools require arid the true Talue of a university education. But nntil such a system has been created all educational endeavour on other lines would bo moro or Jess futile.

Types of Secondary Education. i "There are four types of secondary education which seem to bo necessary to meet the new requirements—(l) The university course leadin'g to tho skilled .professions; (2) the general secondary or general vocational course on modorn lines; (3) the continuation or special vocational course; (4). the country secondary course. The basis of selection of pupils for these courses should not necessarily be one of mere intellectual ability. Of course, only the really capablo pupils should bo allowed to take up tho first ocurse, and failure to realiso expectations should mean a transfer to one of the other groups. Yet equally bright pupils should find .full scope in any of the courses, and pupils in one course irould not necessarily . be of inferior calibre to thoso in any other. Further, a considerable portion of the course in all groups should bo of much the same nature, because all the pupils are to bo future citizens, and havo certain common human, possibilities and needs. Eng-

lish of a' -thoroughly literary type, history and civics of a. character calculated to give a sound basis lor patriotism and desire -.to serve one's country, practical geography, soine form of-applied science, and some form of manual work for all boys, with domostio education for all girls, must bb adequately taught in all seoondary schools. The difference would be largely in the material-on which the instruction would bo Based, and tho completeness to ' which tho requirements of the • course would permit the study to be carried. I-have found reason to complain of the sad neglect of these common though essential subjects (English, writing,- spelling, etc.) in high schools. A more thorough typo of secondary school Inspection will need to be instituted. ' Free Places. "The extension of facilities for free secondary education seems to demand that all who accept these ; privileges shall make adequate uso of them. Secondary education costs the State about three times as much per head as does primary education, yet attendance" at the secondary school may be spasmodic and broken oft at will.' 'It seems only just that when, a pupil accepts a 'free placo he shonld come under some effective obligation -to make a pioper use of the opportunities offered him and remain in attendance snfficiontly long to derive substantial profit from the instruction.. llow this may best bo done will be a riiatter 1 for further consideration. It may bo that the best. solution of tho whole' problem is ' to be found in_ the extension' of the compulsory provisions of the Education Act to an age limit of sixteen or seventeen years. The question has been raised whether, in, lieu of scholarships, which are often won by those who do not need them, provision might more profitably bo mado for conveying to or boarding at secondary schools those country pupils who at prej sent are out' of reach of suitable secondary education,\'thus overcoming tfye distance difficulty and putting all pupils on a moro equal footing. This )vill also require further consideration. Technical Education. . "Considerable changes seem to be necessary if we are to • secure that the large sum spent, on technical ; education ia really invested in-the improvement and efficiency of our industries and occupations. Tho only- direct technical education we have at present is provided by the 'evening or other classes attended by persons whoso trade or occupation is fixed. This should-bo developed, especially by trade continuation classes for all apprentices and those who go direct from tne primary school to a definite occupation. . "Technical high schools can scarcely Saim to have an appreciable effect on .our industries, except that they provide a mors rational, practical, and modern form of seoondary education than in the conservative high schools. If the latter were, reformed • in the manner suggested above, the general secondary education course therein outlined could be as well provided for in a modernised secondary 6chool as in what is known as a technical-high school. The latter is at present a protest to the existing secondary education, and, like all protests, tends to over-emphasise the point of distinction. Such a school should only bo broadly- vocational in the sense' of being related to tho activities of life and of 'lifting work and industrial interests ,into the interests of education. There would not need to -be a great variety, of .practical wort in a well-balanced technical high school. Until an occupation has tren selected the same broad, practical work-classes would, in the main, servo for all pupils. Work Would be dignified, shown t6 bo scientific, and worthy of the hlghest.'skill and intelligence. "Genteel" Occupations. . ;''i-hegreatest service'thnt all secondary schools, apart from their special university olaeses,. can render is to break down the, present absurd preferonoo for clerkships and so-called, genteel occupations. These have, come to bo regarded as "gen.tool" .because',: formerly- they were the oiily occupations for genteel and educated pw>p|e'. -. The far more skilful, scientific, ■manual-and trade,occupations of modern times would soon be equally "genteel,' it'that-be worth anything, if our eecond-aty-pupils-6aw the. wisdom of-investing their education and ■ intelligence in our skilled' occupations, trades, and industries,- where ample scope worthy of their advanced education would be found—nay, -where it ia demanded—if wo are to make progress in industry and-commerce. The main functions of a modern, practical education; -primary or secondary, is to foster a tasto. for..some form of definite work, for ■ some definite, trade or. skilled occupation, and to gain.the boy's interest through practical:activity whilo actually at school/ It-gives him-the taste for a trade: it does not teach him. a trade. It does not specialise for a trade, which, is often the mistaken ideal of a. school. It . gives, bim a. general,;practical, and technical .foundation which will be of service to hiin in any trade h'e may chance, to follow/ This'.is really the same principle an that set out when dealing with the rural secondary course. Tho general vo-cational-classes should awaken an inclina. tion for. skilled trades, for it i 3 a wellknown experience that boys who have received' good -and comprehensive instruction, even in drawing and general hand.work, or iri subjects related to practical affairs, do riot readily take up an unskilled occupation; or even prefer clerkships;.to constructive work. They would thus te led away from' those "blind atlev'- occupations '-frhicli constantly recriiiY'tlie.ranks of the future unemployed and uneiriployable. Not only would such modernised courses-as are here suggested help' to remove the undoserved stigma often placed upon manual labour, but they", would enable our schools to meet the.-uriivesal demand, 'Wanted, an in- ; teeligeht-boy.' - - - The-Classes.Taken. ... I ;■--The 1 returns, for .1915 show that of 42.3 secondary school science classes, receiving Manual grants,: 237 classes were for sci.csco- of' an-, academic.: type, very little lonnccted with practical life. Of those 423; manual classes only 70 were related to domestic training.- In technical high -schools, only--1C.7 per cent, of the girls la.attendance, (over 900)-took the domestic course, . Of. 18/217 non-technicnl liigh-Bijhool-students attending technical classes 12,009. were .following domestic, profesbfonai, or clerical-pursuits or were stu-dents;-that ii?,.; about 06 per cent, wero not connected. with any trade or industry. In technical high schools, out of 1955 pupils, 1021, or over-50 per cont., t->ok commercial ; and general subjects, whilo only 490, or about 25 per cent., took-, industrial' courses. i -•"As stated above, it is not desirable'to make technical high schools anything but generally vocational, but the above figures show that much clearer definition of aim is required. In many of tho technical wid lirt classes, "apart- from tho organised technical classes, the work' simply proi ules for tho teaching of accomplishments which, under present conditions, wo cannot att'oi'd lo pay for. "Arrangements liavo been made for bpcclal opportunities being provided for returned soldiers to receive technical instruction in cases wher<i a change ol work lias beou rendered nocossary. In addition, tho training colleges are arranging to receive disoharged soldiers who havo suHicieikt oducation, and to give thorn tho necessary training lo take up the work of teaching. "Wo must seo that every girl, both in hor secondary and primary education, Bhall havo such training in domestic affairs as will render her sreat future work a .source of interest and pleasure, and will onablo her to meet its demands with tho confidenco and succcss that a good training can give. "The need .of tho State to secure tho health and physical officienoy of our girls was never greater, moro impo"ntive. or more urgent than now, and we must see that they are given an allround practical education. Tho vital worth of child-lifo to tho well-being of tho state is being revealed in no uncertain manner by nrcsent- circumstances. To savo child-life is an axiom of State preservation; to remedy defect is an axiom of economy. Medical Inspection. ■ "Tho work of medical ispection carried out during tho past three years has more than justified tho policy established. I hope that ultimately it will bo possiblo to institute a travelling school hospital on similar lines to that in existence in New South Wales, where it is staffed by two doctors, one nurse, and one dentist, and follows the Medical Inspector of Schools iii isolated districts. ... I liopo tho time is not far distant when it will be possiblo for tho Department to establish dental clinics in various parts of the Dominion so as to mako some provision

for tho free" treatment of school children. Something moro than more inspection in this connection'is required. 'When free treatment is provided for, parents should bo' compolled,. where necessary, to see that their children receive the benefits of the facilities, offered. Htul there been si complete school medical and dentul system in operation in years gone by, it is certain that there would .not have been the largo number of military rejects on account of bodily defects, bad teeth, defective eyesight,' otc., which tho military medical examinations have recently rovenled." Medical inspect'ors| hav'e been instructed not only to inspect tho children,"but wherever possiblo to give lectures or lessons to parents or children on proper diet, caro of tho teeth, brush drill, and on general hygiene. "In view of the benefits dejived, especially by wpakly children, from open-air schools, I have made wide investigations concerning tho various ways of working the system.. I hope to arrange for further extensions of this type of school.' If moro money is made available, I hope to arrange for a moro complete staff of medical inspectors, and also to secure the services of school nurecs, who. could follow up tho work od' the school doctors so as to onsuje that proper remedial or preventive measures are taken on, the basis of the medical roport. Thoy would thus form .the link between the school and the home. Country Schools. "It is a source of continual regret that lo tho hardships nnd disabilities of the country <jettl6r, who is developing our richest uatural resources, there is added the lack of propel- facilities for the education of his children. There seems to be only one solution for many of the difficulties surrounding tho country-school problem. 'We need to group small schools wherever possible'. Instead of sotting up small, ineffective schools, generally tinder untrained, uncertificated teachers, we-.could have central schools well etfuippod and staffed, where inspectyrs, could give more than double, the tirno th«iy now find possible. Though oonvoyanc-o of the children has, in the past, presented . difficulties, the matter would be much simplified if tho whole of the children at a small school had to.be conveyed. Nuhibora would make the' syrtom payable. Economies, "Pending tho, more comprehensive system of m-ganis'atibn and financial management,' : several matters have already beou taken in hand. The purchase of supplies for all the special institutions, such as industrial schools, training farms, schools for the deaf, etc., have been put on an improved business footing, and already considerable saving lias resulted.. Arrangements have also been made that some of theso institutions shall prtiduco their own supplies, and, where' possible, provide for other institutions' out of their, surplus produce. Eurther savings are being made as the result of: (a) Tho plan for the gradual combination of inspection of Native and public schools;' (b) tho more economical system of inspection of special schools; (c) the method of direct negotiations for sites'; (d) alterations in the.' system of medical and physical inspection; (e) adjustment of . positions where salaries were over the scalo rate, (f)' Considerable saving has also been effected through tlie more systematic method of oollecting recoveries from' parents of children under the charge of the Department." ,