EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 23, 22 October 1918, Page 8

EDUCATION

Sir,—Since I- have been in New Zealand I hnvo made inquiries into the standards of work done in your elementary ' and high schools respectively, and I think from what I have seen and heard that your work compares most favourably with what is done in Bng- ■ lish and Australian schools,. .which I have 'visited. In this country, as at Home.and in the Australian States, doubts aro expressed as to the thoroughness of instruction given in the threo R's. This criticism 1 do not think is justified. The boys and girls at school lo : day in the higher classes are younger, and not only have they a higher developed general intelligence, but their general knowledge is much greater. The same story is told by your Minister of Education as is heard' in England and Australia, viz., the dearth of competent men teachers and the absolute need for obtaining a better type of men- into the profession, men with personality, breadth of mind, knowledge of the world,, and professional ability. This is the outstanding reform which everywhere calls for action. . In. the past the best young men have turned their backs on this service, because of the low pay, poor prbspects of promotion, social status and modo of existence. The efficiency and devotion of tho' teaching staff are by far the most important factors in the welfare and usefulness of a school. As Professor Sadler h?.s pointed out ineffective or incompetent-teachers in fine up-to-date school buildings are as costly a form of waste as would be handsome trnmcars on expensive! lines of 'rails without electric power to move them. A first-rate teacher in a rough shed is worth whatever will secure and retain his services. If the Empire wants better education for its future citizens it must drop cheap labour methods and pay better salaries to obtain the best qualified educators, of the. young.- There is one other suggestion I would make, and that is that educationally, economically, morally, and socially, there is every warrant to make education compulsory beyond the age of 11 years for four years. On leaving the public elementary schools and entering an occupation many boys and girls forget much they have learned, and lose and never recover their capacity for learning-anything further. Their brains get out of gear. Compulsory technical education is absolutely necessary to fill the E-ap caused, by the decay of the apprentice system. Those countries which adopt compulsory continued education' will be those which will hold their own in the fierce commercial and industrial race between nations when the world returns to sanity and peace—l am, etc EDUCATIONALIST. October 19.'