OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 258, 19 July 1918, Page 6

OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM

SOME OP ITS DEFECTS. Sir—l have recently devoted some little time to a consideration of our N&w Zealand educational system, more especially ; to the syllabus of work in force in tho primary schools, and in endeavouring also to test its adequacy as the foundation upon which is built the mental equipment of our country's future citizens. Doubtless many other persons have also pursued this inquiry, but as to the' nature of tho impressions and convictions resulting therefrom, I know nothing. Speaking for myseif, I must say that not only did a careful consideration of. our educational system create in my mind a Strang impression as to its utter inadequacy, but also gave rise to serious misgivings as to the mischievous results likely to arise, -to the' injury of the State, by its further retention. In considering the matter of educational reform two fundamental questions rise up into view, and I venture to think that, if these two questions are carefully considered and tho logical answers to them adopted and followed in remoulding.aur system, we ehnll,' as a result, evolve a new and rational scheme which will prove beneficial to the individual students and thus, ultimately, to. the State. The two questions are: (1) What is meant by education? and (2) What is the purpose of education? The two questions may lw answered separately, though it would difficult to discuss either of them absolutely independently of the other.

A concise, yet ample, reply to the first question would lie that by tho word 'education" is meant "mental training," a drawing-out of tho dormant faculties of the intellect into a lively and intelligent stato of appreciation.' I am awaro that this is not a text-book definition, but 'twill iserve and fulfils nil of the essentials required to bo answered by tho question. I shall show, later on how our present syllabus utterly fails to provide for the education of' our children, the future citizens of the State. Turning now to tho second question, a proper anower would be "that the purpose of education is to cultivate the mind with that sort of mental equipment which will cnahle it to reason clearly and logically." However much more may be said on this second question, and u very great deal more can be said, tho residuum of all replies invariably takes form similar in effect to the definition here given. The meaning of the answer given to this question is clear and its importance cannot be well exaggerated. . In New Zealand the political franchise is very vrfde, ind tho destinies of the State are in the hands of the whole of the people, high and low, rich and poor, learned and ignorant. It is 'of tho greatest importance, therefore,, that those who will have the future decision as to the government of our country, that is, the children of the present day, should' lx>. properly educated in tho true 6ense of tho word. More, especially is this necessary in view of the complex questions which will arise for determination, in the future more frequently than in the past. Tho whole of our present political, economic, and social systems are even now in the melting-pot and the readjustment of theso systems upon logical, fair and equitable bases will be wellnigh impossible of accomplishment, without the imposition of unnecessary hardships and disasters, unless tho 'citizens to be have had a proper mental training based upon lines rendering them competent to think clearly and to reason accurately. In addition, thev should bo taught certain positive axiomatic rules and facts which, in after life, would be found useful in tho way of auxiliary general knowledge upon which to bns'o their deductions.

As the great m/ijority of children havo only some eight or nino years spent upon their school-training, it follows that the general knowledgo imparted should he reduced to the essentials. Common knowledge and human experience tell us that reading writing and arithmetic are absolutely necessary to all children for the reason that modern 'human activities, whatever shape or form they may take, demand a knowledge and use of those subjects. With the exception of arithmetic, . these subjects do little towards developing the mind except in (ho direction of training tlio memory. The other subjects of tlio primary syllabus might, with advantage, bo considerably curtailed, both as to range and extent, and the residuum taught in a vory much better and more useful way. ■' •

Take the subject of history, for example. This is, in many respects,' the most important subject, but its immens« potential value is totally ignored, and its priceless lessons to mankind in a large measure wasted, on account both of the actual range of evoate dealt with

and tho manner in which it is laughs In other words, it is taught from ths point of view that tho object, of the leasons is to enable the student to assimilate a variety of t'oncrcte ami positive facts, which themselves, as often as not, are of no practical use when known. Of course, the proper way in which to teacli history is to considerand examine with' tho student the outstanding events and facts which have occurred or existed in past ages, with a view to enabling tho student, firstly,«to comprehend them, and, secondly, to consider their effect upon tho peoples and institutions of those ages, or, conversely, the facts and. conditions that gave rise to such events, and, lastly, by reasoning and analogy, to deduce" therefrom what stato of affairs in the future would again give rise to similar events, or to what causes may reasonably bo ascribed existing conditions. When all is said and done, though Ihe accompanying mechanism of! society is to-day vastly different from that of only a hundred years ago, yet human nature has,not changed, nor have the motives and impulses from whicli human activities spring, during tho past threo thousand years. Again, oven under the present stilted system of leaching, full value is not extracted from tho variety of useful data available. By ,vay of illustration I will quote an instance that came under my notice lately. One of the Manawntu newspapers recently published a .'i-axling article dealing with the present jury system, which it condemned in unmeasured terms, advocating, at tho samo time, trial by a Judge, or Judges, only, as being much preferable, upon, tho grounds (a) that a Judge, trained in tho law, accustomed to weigh and sift evidence, expert in testing and estimating the reliability of witnesses, and uninfluenced by local or personal feeling, would bo more likely to do strict justice than a jury of laymen, ignorant of the law, susceptible to emotional appeal, unaccustomed to weighing conflicting evidence, and, perhaps, imbued with personal feelings for or against the parties. The paper also urged that a great saving of time and money to a numerous l>ody of tho public would be thereby effected. At first sight the arguments advanced by the newspaper appear to be sound and reasonable, and they would undoubtedly command a large share of public support if this question were submitted to a referendum of the people. Now the vital question arises: .wo tho people competent to judge of tho matter? Decidedly not, because they'have never been taught concerning the facts and events occurring in ' our past history which gave rise to our jury system, and which in succeeding centuries confirmed its advantages and justified its retention. Yet all of these facts are available ii} the past records of our race. Some of them, indeed, are actually mennot, however, with a view to illustrating the development and useful application of on important principle of our constitution, but only as dry facts to bo memorised as the incidents of some reign'or period. Consider again this jury question, for instance. Tho child should be taught, firstly, what a jury is> namely, an impartial tody, drawn from all ranks of society, of an accused person's countrymen, appointed to pronounce judgment upon him. Se-condly, that in the past the English jury system was preserved from Anglo-Saxon times, through the Norman conquest, and has repeatedly proved a bulwark of liberty to the people, against the oppression and evil influence of corrupt Judges,. Ministers, and Kings. ~*' A few historical examples were, in past times, a jury has stood between a British subject and a corrupt monarch' or Ministers of State, could be examined, as. for instance, the trial of tho seven bishops, and also Pushell's case concerning the trial of William Penn. Pc should also be clearly explained that for a period of our history the jury system was actually suspended, and trial by Judges only, . at least for offences against the State, took its place. These trials took place in the notorious Court of Star Chamber, and the cruelty, venality, and injustice shown and committed thero aroused such popular resentment and fury that this Court was afterwards abolished, in 1641, and trial by jury was I reverted to.

then, from these facts and events relating to the history of the jury system should be deduced the reasons for its retention. For example, though in our day tho people have nothing to fear in tho way of corrupt influences on the Judges," by the King or Ministers of! State, yet other agencies nowadays operate what were once the King's powers, and bureaucratic rule is becoming year by year more firmly established and more and more absolute in its nature. The question ,thus arises: Would it not be possiblo in tho future, under a bureaucratic form of government; for those in political power to again directly influence Judges (creatures of their own appointing) in the discharge of their duties? This system even to-day obtains in Germany ami many other foreign countries, and it is beyond question that, for political, State, and often social reasons, the chancelleries, of these countries have frequently directly influenced tho decisions of their venal, subservient, and dependent Judges. Supposing in a future decade a hignly anarchical Government were in power and appointed its own Judges, can anyone suppose that, in n case where tho interests of a person on trial ran counter to those of the Government or to tho class of porsons who supported it, such person would have a fair and impartial trial and unprejudiced verdict at tho hands of such a Judge? One thing, and one thing only, would save such person, and that would be the twelve good men and true, the common jury of his countrymen. Events akin to those suggested may vet come to pnss in this land, and at or before that time tho question of the abolition of trial by jury may be decided by tho people or their representatives, I ask, What knowledge of the evolution of and justification for the retention of the jury system have our people, or their representatives, got in order to enable them to safely decide the question ? Plenty of historical data exists, but our system of teaching history ignores it all. In ill place we are carefully taught. Unit tho Battle of Hastings was fought m UM and that. King Alfred burnt the scones that he was supposed to be cooking. It is impossible to mention all "t i»» defects in our teaching system and in our syllabus, but the outstanding evil is that the subjects taught arc not the best available for the purposes of mental training. For instance, why are not logic and mental science taught.in the secondare schools and Euclid m tho primary'schools? Our system, does nob develop initiative or the. analytical mind. The resuit is shown in the university, where practically none of, our students proceed to research. work m any of tn* faculties of law, science, medicine, ol arts. They are content with degrees which merely certify the possess ion ofa certain quantity of We knowledge I his will have a disastrous result on the pioercs of the race unless the system w recast from primary school to nnivmitjr. Again, would it not be most useful to teach tho elements of political econoin, to tho higher classes in I he 1 rin.nrj schools and a more advance.j-coi ir« w the secondary schools? By th sc mem* the citizen of the future would >M» n » clearer conception of he. naural 1. ws that, govern tho relationships lieUetn State and between the State an,tho " dividual, and would escape the influence of manv a vicious and uusoiuut doctrine the matter of educata.l reform apparently conceins.no one. Iho education boards and heir inspec os are concerned wholly with administratiu duties, tho Education Doparmo.it sle P soundly iiiioii the. original Act which lias long outlived its usefulness,a d tho Council of Education periodically dolivers oracular statements and then re'noses into its usual comatoso condition. Tin Minister of Education is reported to tako ah interest in his work and it h to be hoped that ho will shortly actively demonstrate that rumour is not alwajs n lvinr jade. Ho will certainly find a field tallow at the hands of his predecos. R ors in office ready for the plough and tho sowing.-I Stratford, July 16, 1018.