The Dominion. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1918. EDUCATIONAL REFORMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 78, 27 December 1918, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1918. EDUCATIONAL REFORMS

All that is at present being done in the way of broadening and improving the educational facilities available in this country is preliminary to bigger things that must be taken in hand in the near future. In themselves, however, some of the departures lately made are of good promise and bear witness to a creditablc spirit of enterprise on the part of-the Minister or Education and his Departmental officials. Looking over the s measures of educational policy announced during the recent session and since Parliament adjourned it will bo seen that real progress has been - or is being made in various directions. The _ wellgrounded demand for a revision of teachers' salaries has been partly met—though admittedly far from adequately. A sum of £300,000 has been provided for the replacement and remodelling of school buildings. Within the' last few days a most important step has been taken in appointing a Superintendent of Technical Education for the Dominion—this' is a new office—and the Minister has announced that applications are to be called shortly ror a number of additional doctors and nurses to reinforce thoso now

engaged in the medical inspection of schools and for a medical officer to take charge of the school medical

and physical training branches. The care of school children's teeth

is also receiving attention, and it is 'proposed to make a beginning experimentally with a travelling dental clinic in one of the outlying country districts. In a smaller way the grants made to'school committees have been increased, and the Minister hopes that some of these bodies will now be enabled to make arrangements under which children who have to travel_ a long way to school will bo provided with a hot meal or refreshments in the middle of the day. This is a good idea, and committees in suitable localities should be very willing to give it a trial. . The list of _ reforms is shorter and of more limited scope than could be desired, but as it stands it promises in' several inspects a substantial improvement on existing conditions. The projected appointment of a medical officer to control both the medical and physical training branches of the Education Department looks like a hopeful step towards systematisihg theso all-important services. The coordination of all measures taken in the interests of the physical welfare of children ought to make equally for efficiency and economy. So far eis the future development of oducation in this country is concerned it may easily prove that the most progressive step recently taken by the educational authorities is that of appointing a Superintendent of Technical Education. Me. W. p. La Trobe'(lately director of the local Technical High School), who has been appointed to this office, is apparently to enjoy a wide discretion, and may he able to point the way to far-reaching reforms. Foreshadowing the appointment in his annual report, the Minister commented on the necessity of organising compulsory continuation classes on a national basis, and added that as a means to that end it had been decided to appoint a Superintendent of Technical Education "whose, duty it will be to ascertain the requirements of the Dominion, to examine the working of the present system, and to report on the bsst means of providing for future developments." The newSuperintendent, obviously, is invested with a broad commission, and it. certainly_ does not limit or circumscribe his working scope that prevailing .ideas in regard to the lir|es on which technical instruction should proceed and the distinction

to be drawn between vocational training and general secondary education are somewhat loose and ill-defined. As''_ Mr. Hanan has pointed out it is neccssary, 'while keeping in view the need for technical and vocational education, to guard against l undue and unduly early specialisation. and a limitation of the scope of studies with an eye to immediate industrial returns at the expense of the true and full development of children. Knotty problems are involved in carrying these broad principles into effect, and the new Superintendent of Technical Education should be in a position to contribute in a valuable degree to the solution of some of these problems. One thing .yery clear is that in the' matter of education _ beyond tho primary grade there is wide scope for profitably extending existing activities. The latest Denartment-al report shows that of tbe children who left New Zealand primary schools at the end of 1916 only 5489, or 37 per cent,, entered upon a course of secondary education. An additional 2276 children proceeded from primary schools to evening technical classes. Tho other side of the picture is depressing: . . nearly half of the pupils of primary schools reach the age.of fourteen and terminate theiv education without passing the sixth standard, while a large number do not even pass the fifth standard." Commenting on this state of affairs the Minister admits that it is not altogether due to lack of capacity on the part of the pupils whoso education is thus abbreviated, and that the fact, that most of them are able subsequently to become intelligent workers "indicates thnt in some way we have not provided the special form of education suited to their needs." Tho highly responsible task allotted to the new Superintendent of Technical Education is that of devising means of usefully continuing the education of a large proportion of such children as now

pass into working life with no better educational equipment than is provided in a primary course good of its kind, but a mere beginning of the education which should bo available to any New Zealand-bom child. It is a task evidently which is worthy of his best endeavours. While the Minister and his Department arc to be commended upon the progressive steps they are taking it should not for a moment be overlooked that there are sonic features of our educational system which rank net as inevitable defects and shortcomings to be gradually overcome, but as glaring abuses which call for speedy remedy. This is particularly true of the state of some primary school buildings, and

probably no worse examples are to be found in any part of the Dominion than exist in this city. In some educational matters we must be content with {gradual progress, and this applies in a degree even to overcrowding and the reduction of the size of classes. But there can be no question of regarding in this tolerant spirit the continued existence and use of such school buildings as are to be found in the most thickly-populated parts of Wellington. The minimum and elementary requisites of a school building arc that it should be airy, well lighted, and sanitary.- The I buildings in question fall consideri ably short of these simple standards and ought to be destroyed and replaced with as little loss of time as possible. A sum of £.300,000 was provided last session for new school buildings and additions! The amount probably will not go very far against the demands to bo met, but there cannot be any cases which more urgently demand consideration than those which have been mentioned in Wellington. In announcing tho allocation just mentioned the Minister of Finance stated that an endeavour had been made, so far as funds allowed, to alleviate the worst cases. Setting this standard, the Government should have no difficulty in announcing that early steps will be taken to replace some at least of the older schools in Wellington.