EDUCATION AT HOME

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 126, 21 February 1919, Page 6

EDUCATION AT HOME

THE PRIMARY SYSTEM IN LONDON tc in A COUNTY COUNCIL'S GOOD se ORGANISATION <" lo be T No. 11. t' (By Fred. Pirani.) " One "i the functions if a good eystcui of national oducation is 10 creato an aristocracy of ability-no people is ever advantaged by being governed t," by fools. si A system of public education, if it is to be effective, must bo an educa- , tion oi' the whole man-epiritual, £ uioral, intellectual, and physical. si At present the rich leofii and the fc poor earn. Ido not wish to deprive e' the poor of their earnings or the rich 0 | of tneir Icariniiß, but I wish to make j. ( il possible for the poor to learn as t] well as earn. r< The education of our teachers should not end with the securing o£ « a certificate. , t D —Hon. H. A. L. Fisher, Jf.P. n I often smile at my first experience, fi of the educational branch of the Lon- P don' County Council. The offices are ij situate in a magnificent pilo ot build- ■ ings on tlio Thames Embankment, front- a ed by a garden of flowers and trees which g gave it quite an aesthetic appearance, } and as there are 1200 officers on the stall J ai idea of the accommodation required ® may be gathered. With some difficulty, « after being passed on from the hands -l of an old gentleman of some seventy a summers to several sprightly young ladies (in turr) of 11 years oi age or, s thereabouts, 1 was deposited at the in- d quiry office. There I handed in my im- « posing letter of introduction from the Minister -of Education Mr. Fisher) to t Mr. It. Blair, chief of the staff. The c inquiry staff employed by the council e comprises half a dozen units of both a sexes, between 12 and 14 years of age, L were all busy making and enjoying office- n made afternoon tea, and wero not disposed c to trouble much about a stranger, cspeci- - ally one whose proportions were in in- t verse ratio to his idea of his own im- a portance. However, a sallow-faced yout c of about 12 condescended to hold out s his hand for the letter,-and to my as- t tonishment calmly opened and read it altu'id to. the "ladies" he was associated with. Then, ignoring the letter, or probably to avoid being taken task for opening it, he sent me along with a guide to P X office of Mr. C. I'. Turner, who j seemed to be the pivot. of the uhole establishment, but, judging by appear ances, which are sometimes deceptive, not one of the well-paid ones. Here, after • explaining my requirements, I wasi treat- - ed like an honoured guest, ever} iacility placed at my disposal, letters to teachers of particular schools, to inspectors, and ] to architects supplied, books and pamph- > lets ordered, and cordial.invitations given ; me to return as frequently as I could if my wants were not all provided. It is impossible for me to speak too highly of the considerate and kindly manner in which-Mr. Turner treated me throughout my somewhat irksome inquiries he s a brick. sy S t C m of Control. The administration of education is entrusted by the London County Council-to a'n Education Committee of fitty members (including, nine women),-ot whom thirty-eight are members of the council and'twelve co-opted members, and the meetings (open to s the public) arc held weekly, under the chairmanship of Mi. John W. Gilbert. Its powers and duties are distributed among nine sub-com-mittees. It is assisted in tie administration. of elementary education 184 statutory , bodies of managers for prodded" schools,.add 351 for "non-provid-cd" schools, and in the management ot its own -secondary schools, training colleges, technical institutes, and schools of" art bv. advisory sub-committees. Hie council also appoints representatives to servo upon the governing bodies ot all .schools ami .institutions to which it makes grants. The council spends jcfl noo 000 annually on education SBm on primary, and .C 1,000,000 on secondary education. I.he Government contributes about £2,000,000 of this and the balance is provided by a rote ot is. lid. in the £. There are 117 inspectors 1 and school organisers on the statt. • There are 563 "Provided, schools, namely, schools built and controlled b> :■ the council, with an' attendance ot i 5(13,024 pupils and an average attendance 06 510.796. In these schools the Bible i is read and explanations and instruction ■ in the Christian religion, (with a conscience clause), suited. to the capacities i of the children, are given by the teach- ■ ers Tho age of compulsory attendance ; H from 5 to 14 years, but children are ) allowed to stay at the elementary schools i till the end of tho schgol year in which ' tliey attain the age of 15. Children un-

| der 5 but over 3 years may be admitted to the schools/ There are 348 attenrance officer who visited the_ school; and the absentees' homes, and if necessary, prosecute the parents. As a rule '•the Size of a school-either infant or senior-does not exceed 350. the a"e number of pupils to a teacher is '40 for senior departments and 48 for infants. \ Subjocts of Instruction, The subjects of instruction! are very much on the same lines as ours, although the central schools—with which I will deal with later-are worthy of imitation in our larger centres. Domestic economy—cookery, housewifery, and laundry-manual training, nature study, physical exorcises, organised' games', and swimming all find a place in the curriculum. 'While Standard VI ' pupils are eligible for the domestic economy and handicraft lessons, pupils who have attained, the 'age of 1J years and nine months (girls) .or 12 (boys) are eligible. To further nature study head-teachers arc allowed small sums of money for purchasing material to' illustrate science and object : lessons. Aquaria, boUui.y scheines, aiul school gar-

dens are all utilised. Visits to places of educational interest, like museums, factories etc., are made, while school journeys lasting a week or more to the country' or seaside are quite common. Generally speaking the tendency Of the last few years has been to diminish the • number of examinations and to give more freedom to teachers in framing their curricula. Children s Welfare, ; The schools are made the centre of ■ much social activity. Play centres/, happy evenings, vacation schools, and , organised vacation playgrounds'are provided by •voluntary agencies, and assistance is' given -by. the council /to these a"encies under' certain conditions. In ' addition, theicouncil itself conducts play " centres during the summer lioli- ■ days. The school buildings are also ' US ed as meeting-places for old scholars' clubs, working boys' and girls' clubs. , Scout companies, bands of hope, and " other similar organisations, and there has been no complaint of any injury io or t interference wijli the school pro'pgHy. A system of medical inspection was j in* vogue before the Act of 1907 made it s compulsory. Whenever the pupils arc . found to require medical attention the n parents are informed of the fact. The council has tntered into arrangements with ninny, of the London hospitals, and [i certain local committees for providing i medical treatment for school childrenwho' are sufforing from ailments of the ■e eyes,-* cars nose, or throat, and from i, rino'worm.' Arrangements for dental treatment have also been made. The Act ; provides that the council may make u charge to parents for any children for I whom medical treatment is provide,d. 1 T), e work of medical inspection is under the supervision of .the council's medical officer of health, assisted-by a staff of four assistant medical officers, 30 tull,,i time and 5 quarter-time doctors, and 91 p» school nurses. Ther* are a number of children's care committees' who taken an active uiirt in influencing parents co havn the ailments of their children al.tealcd

At one time a certain number of meals are provided for school children nlvoiiSiry agencies, 'nit "iu'"r thi A elof I!tofi (he council itself spends J'lOO.flCO (i. year in that direction. Children who appear to the teacher to he necessitous are provided with meals as n matter of livgeney, but enrefiil tmnnvy is made into t'ie home pirpiimstaiv.es of the oliildreu heforo. they are nlnci-d tin' the offilist for the receipt of free penis. These inquiries arc made by the chil-'.i-nns f-ivp committees, u C"e of which Irs been formed in connection ' with ench school. These care-committees also keeji n general supervision over the nxlfare.of tho children in the schools to which tiiev are attached. I No child under 12 years of age is nl-

lowed to bo employed, the half-time employment system, having been abolished by lust year's Act, and attendance at school is compulsory from five years up to tlio age of'fourteen years. A conn lnittee known as the London Juvenile Advisory Committee has been established by the Board of .Trade with a view ot securing co-operation between the schools and the juvenile labour exchanges, while local juvenile advisory committees have been established through the countiy. These committees deal with the industrial as distinct from the educational side of the work. Supply of Books. I made it one of iny tasks to ascej* tain particulars in connection with- the supply of school requisites to pupils, and visited a number of wholesale merchants to make-inquiries and ascertain the possibility of getting regular supplies. I found that it was. quite impossible to even discuss prices during the prevalence of war conditions, but they were all ready to make proposals as 60011 as normal trade was resumed. The London Counjy Council has a central store in Clerkenwell which was well stocked ..with everything for their schools at the time of my visit. Under the system adopted, nt fixed times requisitions are made by the principals or headmasters or mistresses for the books and materials required for the ensuing terms. These _ requisitions are considered in Connection with a graded scale of limits, the amount varying according to the higlier_ classes. Teachers have a free ohoice in _ their selections from lists issued, and, in exceptional circumstances, applications for books and material not included in the approved requisition lists aro considered. These lists arc kept up to date and a special committee oonsiders all new books, 1 new additions, and specimens with

a viow to their inclusion. As in the AVanganui district, an education library has been formed at <ne Education' Office, containing books for reference and circulation. All teachers who are in the service are entitled to borrow books- The library has bee.n in full operation for about two years—the AVanganni one has been formed for some sis years —and considerable advantage has been taken of it by the teachers. The council also works in co-operation with tho ivarious -local libraries, and encourages the schools to make tlio fullest possible uso of tliem. Salaries of Teachers. The pre-war scale.of salaries was: — Ordinary elemental schools-Headmasters, ,£l5O to <£400; headmistresses, .£125 to .£300; assistant masters, =£100 to .£2OO ,\ assistant mistresses, X9O. to ,£l5O. Central schools —Headmasters, <£200 (rising by increments of ,£10) to SCWO; headmistresses, j .£l5O (rising by increments of i.B) to ,£3OO. Assistants .with qualifications for special subjects, ilO a venr extra._ A promotion list to continue in force for two years is formed, from which head teachers are selected, man candidates with over 10 years' experience and women with over 8 years. On the averago a teacher spends 17i years in the service before being appointed a head teacher. ("The next article will deal with my visits to elementary, .central,'' and openair schools, the methods of "roping-in" teacher to assist in the work cf government, teachers' appeals, the superannuation scheme, inspectors' duties and school buildings. Before this series of articles jis completed it is proposed to devote some space, to li- criticism of educational methods in New Zcalnnd.]