The Dominion FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1918. SCHOOL REFORM: NEED FOR CLEAR IDEAS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 293, 30 August 1918, Page 4

The Dominion FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1918. SCHOOL REFORM: NEED FOR CLEAR IDEAS

The New Zealand education ladder was the subject of an interesting discussion at the Education Conference, which is now. sitting at Christchurch. The conference-, which consists of delegates representing all the educational authorities in tho Christchurch district, has discussed many important phases of education. In opening tho proceedings, the chairman stated that there was material for twelve months' debate in tho reraits which had been forwarded for consideration. Tho purpose of tho conference is a general discussion of methods whereby our education system might bo reformed or improved. 'Never since tho establishment of our national schools has the. public interest in education been keener than at present. But it is , not nearly keen enough. The demand for reform is strong and widespread, but there is much uncertainty and difference of opinion among experts as to what, ought to be done. There is a consensus of opinion that teachers' salaries should bo increased, that the size of tho classes should be reduced, that' tho school buildings should be brought up to date; but thorc are many other problems pressing for solution. The stages of education, from the primary schools to tho university, do not join up satisfactorily. There is a confusion' of ideas as Regards the place the technical schools should occupy in tho education ladder. Their relation to the secondary schools requires to bo inoro clearly defined. The two systems at present overlap. Eoorganisation on a large scale is necessary in order to secure a greater degree of co-ordination than at present ex* ists. The Christchurch Conference is doing useful work. It has- thrown a good deal of light upon'tho woak points of our educational agencies. It has-made public many facts' which will help tho average man and woman to form sound opinions regarding tlie whole problem of education reform. The rate of propress depends ultimately upon public interest, and the community cannot be expected to tako a healthy interest in matters it docs not understand. The time is opportune for a campaign pf enlightenment. The conference unanimously adopted a remit urging "that provision bo made for closer co-ordination in the curricula/ and mothods of instruction of tho primary, secondary, and technical departments of tho education system." One speaker put the position in a, nutshell when ho declared that what is wanted is a really scientific and efficient reorganisation so that the whole system may be made a harmonious whole. Co-ordination is no doubt a very good thing, but it is possible to have too mqch i of it, or rather to apply it too rigidly. The primary depart mont must have a completeness of its own. Tho great majority of our children do not go beyond the primary schools, and yet they arc e.ntitlod to the degree of education necessary to fit them for an active, useful, and over-expanding life, Tbo mover of the. co-ordination remit pointed out that the education that waa demanded by a democratic society to-day was one that prepared a youth to overcome the difficulties that stood in tho way of his material and spiritual advancement; that promote'd his physical development; that opened his mind, and let the world in through .every natural power of observation and assimilation; that cultivated hand power as well as head power: that inculcated an appreciation of beauty in nature and art. Such a preparation at school is,necessary to enable a man or woman to livo a full and rich life, and if. it is to be given instruction cannot be strictly limited to the three R's, because the pupil must get acquainted "with his material and social environment in order that any avenue to knowledge may be ; open to him, and every incipient power may receive appropriate cultivation." Co-ordination must not be so rigid as to infringe upon the right of every child to a fair start in life. The primary school must be something more than a preparation for the secondary schooh A perusal of the debate on co-ordination provides food' for thought and makes one realise that change is not necessarily progress. Unless wo know exactly what we arc doing wo may deform nur education eysteni instead of reforming it. Hazy notions exist oven among experts as to the aims and scope of technical instruction. Its importance is recognised by all, bufthero is a great deal of uncertainty as to the best way of joining it up with 'he primary and secondary stages. The Department does not seem to know exactly what to do with it. The Assistant-Director of Education (Hit. Caiighley) did not throw much light on the subject in his speech on co-ordination at the conference, All he could say was that technical education would have to be considered_ in the schome as a whole, because it was a very valuable section of the system. He., went on to remark that at present ho feared that technical education had not quite found itself in New Zealand. But it should not be left to find itself. It is the business pf the Department to find it and establish it on linn foundations. If the authorities concerned had looked after it morn carefully, and prevented it from going astray, they would not have lost themselves in trying to find il. Tho sooner someone is made directly responsible for the planning

and administration of technical education the better from the point of view of both economy and efficiency, it was announced so.iie time ago that <i Dominion Director of Technical Education had been appointed, but it is now stated that this report is not correct. The appointment of a Dominion Director will not of itself place matters on a sound and satisfactory basis. A definite and well-thought-out policy is required, and before any real progress can ho expected the relations of technical schools to tho other branches of national education must be clearly defined. It is no use blundering blindly along, hoping that things will somehow. right themselves. A goahead policy is very desirable, but wo want to know where we are going. Mr. Caughley tells us that much of the work clone at technical schools is really the work of secondary schools, and a rather small proportion of technical school pupils are engaged in what is really the function of technical schools to teach, namely, the trades, arts, and manufactures. Much confusion seems to exist, even in the minds of experts, as regards the proper functions of secondary and technical schools. Is Mb. Caughley's definition of the functions of a technical school the correct one? This question needs to be thought out thoroughly. There is a serious lack of clear ideas as to tho purrjoso and scope of technical instruction, and until educationists have found a solution of the problem it will Iks impossible to bring order out of the existing chaos. Under present conditions technical education has not a fair chance of finding itself in New Zealand.