AFTER THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2970, 6 January 1917, Page 8

AFTER THE WAR

THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION

TALKS BY LEADING EXPERTS

IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE. Education problems, especially as they may be expected to present themselves after the war, were discussed last night at a mooting in tho Town Hall, convened by the New. Zealand Educational Institute. Tho attendance was not largo, being confined almost wholly to tho teachers themselves. Tho president of the New Zealand Educational Institute (Mr. W. Eudoy) was in tho chair. Mr. Eudoy explained tho purposo of the meeting, saying that tho institute had doenied it wise to stimulate public thought concerning post-war problems, and their bearing on education, rather than to adopt a "wait-and-spo" policy. Tho Province of the University.

Sir ltobert Stout, Chaucellor of tho University of New Zealand; was the first speaker called upon. Tho question to which he was to address himself, ho said, was tho position of tho University of Now Zealand. The function of the University was limited —being confined to the conduct of cxaaminations, and the granting of degrees, certificates, and scholarships. It had no control over tho teaching colleges. For some years to come, he thought, this federal University must continue. The country had not tho population to support a number of separate Universities. Ho realised that federalism was foreign to tho British temperament, and there was a certain demand for tho break up cf the federal institution. Tho University was a secular institution. It could not- grant degrees in theology. If it had to do so, denominational colleges would have to be recognised, and there would follow as an. inevitable consequence a weakening of tho national system, and perhaps the sotting up of denominational education. This would bo a calamity, because history had evidence- of the failure of denominational systems of education.

Tho University had to deal with pure stidoiits. It must be recognised that there were many young people who were not fit to benefit by the highest education. Theso were lit for social and industrial work, but would derive no benefit from study in a University College. These unfit belonged! to all ranks of society—tho sons of rich niou and the sons of pcor men. How was it to bo determined whether a Man was lit to study at the University Colleges? Ho considered that the only way was by examination, and this had. ho claimed, been recognised! for hundreds of years. What Course of Training? Controversy ,was going on now as to tho relative merits of literary studies, of scientific studios, and of vocational training. It should always be remembered that the ideal of all education was to equip tho student for the servico of man. It was impossible, ho considered to determine what career ,a boy Was fitted for on his entry to a college, and this was tho great objection to tho early beginning of voea'tional training. It was a faot to be noted also that a man. with a sound literary or sciontific course of study hehind. him could more Jroadily acquire a vocational training than a man not so educated. The old idea of education was to Rlorify literary culture, and mako -it tho solo test of meritNowadays this idea was no longer held. Tho demand! was rather for a man of general culture, preferably with some knowledge of science as well as of j literature. The student must show cf- ' ficiency as a- person fitted to serve society, and so the student ought to exhibit a measure of common sense. It was a fact, unfortunately, that many people did gain high University distinctions who lacked common ( sense, but this the University could not present. Tho University must specialise. 1 It must leave the test of common sens© to bo mado by the university of experience, or, as an American had said it, by tho university of hard knocks. Ho did not admit, however, that the popular ide.i that University men had no common sense was generally well founded. . The supremo Aim. "Is tho task of the Univcrsity_ and its associated. colleges accomplished when a student may obtain its highest literary scientific or vocational education provided for university purposes in our Dominion?" said Sir Robert Stout, and he proceeded to answer his own nuestion. "An eminent professor in Cambridge has drawn attention to the motto of the Now Zealand University, 'Snpere Audo'—'Dare to be Wise'— and he ,has said that that should be the goal of every student. 'Die University has, therefore, not only to keep the torch of learning alight, but it has evor to proclaim the sovereignty of reason to aid in tho search for truth, and to' encourage tho getting of wisdom. These are tho things that count in the- life of a nation. The human race has journeyed a long road since the days of the cave men, and it has a. longer iournev yet to travel. It carries with it the burdens and ignorance of the past, and both inside and outside of our'Universitv Reason is not. yet installed as a ruler. . . .

Are we guided hy reason in our beliefs nr in'our actions? Who can say so? Do' wo reverence truth and exalt' it above nil things? Since the development of science during the past hundred years we have seen a great advance not only in the kiiowledao qf the universe, but in tho standard of human living. Science has taught us that truth must prevail. There is no room for falsehood in onr scientific laboratories. "The moral effect of science has heen great, and it will transcend even the effect of the study of the human ties. Truth is tho hnsis of morality, and it rests with the University so to exalt those, ideals of life thnt they may become the guides of our people." (Applause.) The Place of Science. Professor Easterfield said he did not pronose to refer to the University, but rather to the work of the primary and secondary schools. The war, ho said, had brought homo to the poonle to what an extent systematic scientific education Iliad hoen neglected. He was.ono of those who believed that British scientific men we_rp not surpassed or even equalled by the scientific men of any other country of tho world, hut he did olievc that there were countries in which tho standard of average knowledge of science wns higher. He spoke of the possibility rf teaching science in the primary schools. The object of ; any such teaching, he said, must be to enable a boy to take an intelligent interest in tho' natural processes going on round him. These scientific studies were often called vocational, to make them popular, although it was known very well that : they were not vocational at all. In the schools agriculture was\ taught, but necessarily onlv a very little of it. Agriculture- had been defined accurately as tho application of ehem'strv to the indnstrv of tilling the soiT. With great diffidence, lin would urge that chemistry. _ tho subject which had been his own life's work, was the. study which ought to bo much more widely

pursued even in the primary schools. Scituico study was not necessarily difficult. It need never bo complicated. Ho believed in tho truth of the saying that in simplicity was supremo excellence, and there could nover bo simplicity without thoroughness. Thoroughness could bo assured only by teaching slowly, and ho believed we had sacrificed thoroughness in teaching by trying to teach too many tilings. (Applause.) Ho had heard the other day thafc _ papers for tho Civil Service examinations had been set in seventy subjects! Perhaps that was an exaggeration, but if it were true it was surely an evidence that over-much importance was attached to examinations. After tho war there must he myro simplicity in teaching. Study of Agriculture. In Ibis country agriculture- ought to bo a study much pursued, because of tho importance of the industry to New Zealand. Tho school garden could bo used as a moans for tho teaching- of t/io study of scientific agriculture, hut to malcn tho study a really beneficial ono would require a groat deal of industry and care on the part of the teacher. The boy must bo taught to mako and record his own observations. After ho had como through the course ho would not bo skilled in agriculture, but ho should have acquired somo acquaintance with some elemcnt- | ary principles closely associated with agriculture. He urged the study of chemistry especially, as he had observed ! ovidenco that it was being followed I even less than formerly in tho schools, i Last of all he said that ho would Mice | to see a chair of Agriculture established at Victoria College. He thought Wellington was the proper centro for this, because Wellington was tho headquarters of; the Agricultural Department. If, scientific principles were more regularly' and generally applied to the practieo of agriculture, he thought it possiblo that tho production ol New Zealand from the soil might be doubled. (Applause.) Mr. L. F. dc Berry, president-elect of tho N.Z.E.1., read Sir James Wilson's paper on "Bural Education" (which is published elsewhere in this issue). Different Ideals. Dr. Anderson, Dircotor of Education, broko the ice (for nobody was very anxious to begin the discussion). Ho frankly stated that he had nothing very much to say. As to tho varying ideas as/to what tho finished product of a university ought 'to bo, ho retailed a passage be had read of a paper on tho subject. Tho writer summarised tho ideas of four countries somewhat in this wise: "In America a prospective employer will ask about a university man who comes to him socking work: 'What can ho do?' In Germany, tho question would be: 'What does the man know?' In -France, 'What' examinations has ho .passed?' And in England tho inquiry would ho: 'What sort of a follow is he?'" He applauded the manly qualities on which the English sot so much store, but ]io did make this reservation, that the education of a, manly young Public School boy might still be deficient in a great deal. Dr. Anderson went on to discuss the four standards of judgment ho had mentioned, following- in most particulars the ideas expressed in his speech to the N.Z.E.I. a fow days ago. He approved very specially of Professor Eastcrficld's emphasis of tho need for thoroughness, but ho did not admit that simplicity and thoroughness could ho necessarily ensured by greatly reducing the number of subjects studied. Regarding agriculture, he said that a great deal moro in tho way of agricultural education was being done by the Department of Agriculture, than tho general public knew. In fact, tho Department bad never before been so anxious to train 'farmers and farm experts as now. "Do Something!" Mr. W. B. Matheso'n, a farmer from Ekctahuna district, was the next speaker. He said that tho wholo trend of educational institutions was to fit hoys for professional and clerical pursuits, for a city life, and ho was glad to see the later realisation of the necessity for equipping men to go into' tho country. Ho did not profess to say whether there ought to be an agricultural college, or a chair of agriculture at a university college, or somo other kind- of institutions, but above all ho would urge upon that meeting of professional teachers tho need to "Do something."- (Applause.) Nor did he think it was a sensible proposal to defer the activity until after the war, especially as our pockets were full now, and they might not be full after the war. (Applause.)

Mr. ,G. Hogben, somotimo head of the Education Department, also spoke on a variety of tho topics that had been raised in tho papers.

A vote of thanks was accorded to the speakers for their addresses, . .