BETTER EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 214, 29 May 1918, Page 6

BETTER EDUCATION

IMPROVEMENT IN SYSTEM URGED

WEAK SPOTS INDICATED

Before the Central Chamber of Commerce lant evening Mr. Thomas l'orsytli (a member of the Wellington Education Hoard) expressed, in the course of a most interesting paper, his ideas oil the vast importance of education, how our system stands, and what arc its weaknesses. Ho called his paper "Improving our Education System so as to r j V 'm More , Economic, Scientific, and technical Training." l'orsytli commenced by alluding to the voiiy comprehensive resolution on national efficiency carried at the last conferenco of Chambers of Commerce and the comment thereon.

"In tho resolution referred to," said Mr. Forsyth, "there are eight clauses. Tho first three deal with saving money, the next four clauses deal with making more monoy and still more money, and the last clause is the subject I have selected to speak on. Why is it that this subject of education should have been placed as the last clause in the resolution? Is it the judgment of our Chamber that in placing it last it was considered relatively the least important? I sincerely hope not, and yet it ia a very_ significant fact that reference to the importance of more and better education was placed last instead of first, thus giving the editor of the 'Mercantile Gazette' a splendid opening to criticise. Tho improvement and enlargement of our educational system stands for the ideals that make for good citizenship. which is infinitely greater than tho saving or the making of money, although, in my opinion, it would undoubtedly also tend to increase material wealth.

Knowledge and .Still More Knowledge. "'Knowledge is Power' is an ideal slogan for theso momentous times, as without knowledge and still more knowledgo how are wo as individuals or as a Dominion and unit of tlio Empire to produce more and still more? We are being continually reminded by the lenders of our country that to save ourselves and the Empire after the war we must increase our productions, but if the final aim or ideal of our education is to end purely and simply in materialism, then I am afraid wo'shall never be empirebuilders. The world-wide tragedy now being enacted in Central Europe is the natural sequence of such ideals, and wo must avoid such a peril at all costs. As a Chamber of Commerce lur primary object is for the purpose of protecting, maintaining, and expanding the industries and commerce of the Dominion, but I want hero to suggest that if we as individuals or as a nation are to become truly groat there is another side— the intellectual side —which must be developed so that the spirit of true citizenship in its highest form may be encouraged and developed.

Weaknessss of Our Pri-wit System. "That thero are many weaknesses and defects in our present "system is apparent to all except 'the powcre that lie,' although in fairness to the present Miuister of Education it must be 6tated tie has outlined a policy for the improvement and development of the present system, but ha is as 'a voice crying in tho wilderness;' and I would like to urge every citizen to support him in his difficult task. This can be done by advocating the reforms and thus educating tho public, so that at next elections the matter of educational reform will bo forced into the foreground, and be made, as it ought to be, a leading and live plank in the platform of every seeker after political honours. There has been a tremendous amount of destructive 'criticism levelled, at the system and its administration, but it is always an easier mattoi to knock down than to build up, and I therefore propose now to briefly outline and suggest some constructive criticism.

Suggested Reforms. "(1) The foundation of our system is absolutely dependent on tho personnel of our teachers, and ths present acute shortage of males offering for the pfofession is a jwst judgment on the parsimonous manner in which the standard of remuneration has been lixed by oui statesmen.' It is therefore necessary and absolutely essential that this burning and vital question should be dealt with now, and not,' as our political leaders suggest, after the war. To delay tho matter will do irreparable injury to the system, and will deprive many of our children 'of their rightful heritage in the matter'of sound education. If the matter is to bo shelved means that the present inadequate facilities will continue. and as the child has but'one school life its life chances will be materially curtailed. Kecentiy the Government has announced that the rate of pay to probationers and training college . student is to bo increased, at the cost of some <£30,000 per annum, but that is 6imply tinkering with tho larger question, lhfc whole of ouir teachers are entitled to, and must receive, adequate remuneration if the best results iu'y to bo obtained. (2) Tho improvwns.lt and enlargement of our: school ,3i> as to give at least 12 square feet ot floor spacs pel child. (3) The sjze of classes to be induced to not more than 40 scholars. X 4.) Kental and medical inspeet'Oi: more systematically carried out. (5) A system of exchange or interchange of teachers between England and the Dominions, and also between the nchools in the different Dominions.

How to Win the War. "With a view to economising in the Education Department the Government has since tho war 'begun made siindij and vital alterations, and one ot tho first made was that, 'in order to help us win tho war; instructions were issued in October, 1915, that dunng the period of the war the recognised ilandurd of floor space per child was to Ik reduced from twelve square feet to ten square feet, which meant, to give a concrete example, a room in one of the citj schools built to accommodate tort} was, under the new regulations, to be converted by a process of paper, pen, and ink into a room to hold fifty, while as a matter of fact it lias accommodated over seventy pupils. Now just think for a moment on the facts J have just stated: One teacher to teach a class ot over seventy pupils, and those ot the highest standards. 'To prepare us tor complete living is the function which education lias to discharge, wrote Herbert Spencer many years ago and tho literal meaning of the woru edncacc 'to educe or draw out and expand the mental powers of, in other words, to lead and not to drive; and what cart lily chanco has a teacher of studying the temperaments of the individual scholars in order to draw out the best from each scholar in a class of, say, seventy s" To devote three or four minutes per (lay per scholar would more than occupy the (cachcr's time, and, please remember, this short space of time must be subdivided to cover several subjects. in America wo are told that on the largo poultry farms or ranches, tho young birds are rapidly developed, and their growth forced by a system of forcibly cramming them with food «it short niid regular intervals, and I think our present system of teaching, or, rather, of imparting knowledge, to our children is done very much on the same lines. Our education should aim at teaching our children the principle of duty and tho responsibilities of citizenship, in other words, its aim should bo lo train our young peoplo io reason, and think thiugs out for themselves, which would undoubtedly tend to make, life better and brighter for all. I frankly admit that the improvement of schools and reduction of classes cannot be done without a considerable outlay of money; but can we elVect any improvement in anything without spending money? The Prime Minister, and also the Minister of Finance, have repeatedly and publicly declared that there is enormous wealth in the country, and that money is very plentiful, and the pathetic disclosures now being made by the Defence Commission must convince the most sccptical that this is really so, when li»2diyds uf thousands of pounds sterling have, and are still, being wasted and squandered by our Defence Department. Gulf Between Primary and Secondary Schools. "Between our primary and secondary echools thero is at present a wide gilf,

there being absolutely 110 continuity of method or system such as ono would, naturally expect to find from schools: under the management of one Department. The result is that the first six months of a scholar passing from our primary to our secondary schools is a particularly trying one i'oi* the pupil, who has to unlearn former mcthodsjand grapple . »th tremendous dilhculties. Just r nt, reared in a glass-house, when into the open ground, receives ? severe sit-back, so through the' lack of (v -operation and co-ordination between .. public and secondary schools our c' Vren got a serious Bet-back which luig.' sily be avoided if there wsre that conti). iity of .instruction or method which ought to exist if tho best results are to be obtained.

The Technical School Scandal, "The value of technical education is - , becoming more and more appreciated by' masters and men, and I believe that if we are to maintain our position after tho war wo shall have to greatly improvo and extend the scope of our technical training, and now is the time to get busy in tho laying of ou» plans for the future, _It must bo apparent to all wlir* have given the su])j set any thought that considerable changes are necessary if wo are to get thai practical cfi'ecl or result from our technical colleges that we have a right to expect, in relation t<» our industries and the improvement and efficiency thereof. In this connection I believe the development should bo alow; the lino of trade continuaticM classes for all apprentices, especially for those who go direct from tho primary school to the Technical College with a definite occtijmtion in view. In Mr. W. S. la TrOb» we have one of the ablest technical directors in the Dominion, and he is supported by a very capable and enthusiastic, board of instructors, but the accommodation in the way of classrooms hasbecome a byword, and it is to be hoped, that the disgraceful conditions now oV will soon be a thing of the past, a 9 it is quite impossible to expect tho best results under the present deploKablo housing conditions of our Technical College.

Improvements in the System, "Time will not permit to go info de- 1 tails, but the Mowing are a few im-* provements which will go a long way to make more efficient our education system generally, and technical tion in particular. Assuming, that thffl primary course of education is completed by tho pupil at the age of thirteen years: (1) Pull daytime education, should be compulsory up to the age of fifteen years, a, id during that period full provision should bo made and con* sideration given to tho probablo futuro vocation of tho pupil. If any hardship is going to be inflicted on parents bjf this clause, provision should be mado by tho State to grant tho necessary re-* lief where it was proved to be a hardship to the patents. (2) That all boys and girls until they reach the ages of eighteen years shall be compelled to receive instruction in tlie daytime for noli less than, eight hours per week at continuation classti, and that all employers of persons under the ago of eighteea years be obliged to give them the necessary facilities for attendance at continuation classes for not less than eight hours per week. (3) That the Arbitration Act should be amended to recognise as port of apprenticeship the time spent; by Ijoys and girls in attending full time* day.technical courses; the first two years at school to. count as ono year of v apprenticeship, and after that time each year in the daytime classes to count as sis months of apprenticeship. (4) That the Government allocate sufficient funds to provide for the erection, equipment, and sustenance of technical schools on modem lines, 60 as to meet the increased demands that must over arise if our industries are to bo successfully developed."

At the conclusion of tho reading of his paper, Mr. Forsyth was given a hearty vote of thanks.