A NEW PARLIAMENT
AND A NEW EDUCATION SYSTEM.
In addressing a mooting of the Women's Social Investigation League in tho Esperanto Hall lust evening upon educational matters, Miss Edith Howes drew an interesting picture of what might happon should New Zealand get a Ijarliamont in which men were dominatod by a passion for the future welfare of their country. Undoubtedly, Miss Howes considered, wo would get Eomo shocks , should that ever happen. It was cortain that there was a great deal of dissatisfaction in regard to educational methods in this country, and probably if wo had men in Parliament of this calibre education would be ono of the things in which they would tako an aotivo interest.
Turning to tho primary schools theso men would find in New Zealand tho largest classes given to one teacher of any country in the world. Throughout the Dominion they would see classes in which tho children numbered anything from forty up k> ninety. Because of the overwhelming number of subjects they would see teachers rushing to overtako the_ syllabus, and anythmg like mornl training and character forming was practically out of the question. The more the teacher, weary, nerve-wracked, and worn with tho tremendous struggle, saw the need of moral training tho more disheartened she became with the work that fell so far short of her ideal—all because sho was asked to do tho work of two or three people. On the niontal side of things as they so often are, children had no time to learn for themselves; they must bo taught —there was no time for finding out, for exploring for thomselvee, for ■correcting their failures. The tremendous'amount of mechanical work_ to be done in such large classes eliminated the self-expression of tho pupil. Instead of children being turned out alert, keen, ready to go on by themselves, they had been so lectured, so taught, so talked to, that their brains had been dulled, and they had lost all mental independence. From a physical point of view, because of theso large classes, children were crowded together, so that the teacher could have them under the control of her eyes and her voice in a very limited space. They were herded together in wicked little desks, in poisoned air, with dire physical results sometimes. It was these
results that medical inspectors had to
cope with very often. If this Parliament composed of men who were entirely dominated by their zeal for the wel-
fare of their country started work,
these abuses would be swept away, but the country would get many shocks. It would be found necosswy to double the staffs of tho schools and also to double the accommodation. They might even think it necessary that the profession of teaching should be raised by paying teachers salaries commensurate with their calling. Teachers should be drawn from the best type in the community; they should be trained before beginning to experiment-upon the delicate plastic material of childhood. These men who had such ideals would consider that souls were as valuable as bodies. . If people demanded it, continued Miss Howes, Parliament would be willing to take' that point of view of their duties. Unfortunately peoplo had not demanded it, although there was such great dissatisfaction. If a real old-time crusade were started and some fervid Peter told the people that their children were in hands that had no conception of the sacrodness of their duties, they would then realise that the
foundation of our education should bo utterly changed- by doubling the stalfing and doubling the accommodation of our schools.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 57, 30 November 1917, Page 3
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597A NEW PARLIAMENT Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 57, 30 November 1917, Page 3
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