WHAT WE TEACH

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3000, 10 February 1917, Page 15

WHAT WE TEACH

; NEEDED REFORMS. Sir, —In The Dominion, the best daily in New Zealand, you write, recently, on our high schools and. colleges. The article should waken lip the public to the poor specimens that they turn koto yearly notwithstanding the enormous cost to the country. If you watch the behaviour of some of thera in trains and trains, and,.worse still,.in their own homes, you would almost think it would have been better for the world if they had ncv.er been born. Ignorant of all the little courtesies of everyday life; why is. not this taught in the collegesP Why is it utterly ignored? "Why is not some timo dovoted to high ideals of life, building up what is now not taught in tho homes or oven in the' churches: character, truth,, unselfishness, honesty, tho building up of men and' women absolutely incapable of stooping to get what they' cannot pay for, to gratify some selfish, useless pleasure at some one else's expense. I see there aro two mistresses of games. What are these two women paid, a year by the State? Does any young thing need to bo taught games. It comes,- as natural and as useless to pay a nurse to teach an infant to suck its mother's breast. It needs no teaching! It'is natural. I was in town five weeks ago and noticed a lad from the college walking with ail old -woman, who I.supposed was his grandmother. Ho bad . a ball and ho flung it in tho air, caught it, ■ and repeated liis ignorant performance, to tho old woman's annoyance, as she stopped each time j,o threw it to tho very end of the footpath, in real fear of being knocked over. She spoko, evidently asking liim to pocket it, but tho young cub soeraed to enjoy the nervous state of mind he was making her endure. Would it not i be better to dispense with the two ■ game teachers' services, or give them i a moro important subject to teacli. Games are indulged in for a few years : of life only, but r the little decencies and courtesies of'life Are useful and

[ liooossary every hour, and in every f walk of life; Lot- two lads apply to your offieo for a billet, in every way equal. Tlio ono who has a nico, geutlonianly manner gets the position, oven though tho other has tlio best roforenco. So it is in evory business of any kind. No emploj'er asks if ho or she is proficient in. any game, "piou why wasto money or timo teaohiiiK what will bo a liindranco in later life? A nico manner, strict truthfulness, honesty, justice,' all theso not alono win but command lovo and respect. Iheso are tho qualities that should bo taught in tho timo givon to any and all games. Beliove ino an old woman who hates humbug,—l am, etc., ■•USEFUL, NOT USELESS.