FIELD OF EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 82, 31 December 1920, Page 2

FIELD OF EDUCATION

SURVEY BY WOMAN TEACHER

POLITICAL POWEIi AND A NATION'S

KNOWLEDGE

The field of education and the many reforms that in tho eyes of teacher's are necessary, were suVveyed by Miss N. K Coad, M.A., in the course of her presidential address before the New Zealand Women Teachers' Association last evening. Miss Coad stated that in New Zealand the conservative of human nature were hard at work, and lew vital changes lwd vet cpme about. It was true that there had been certain changes in tho machinery of education, such as tho classification of, teachers, new salary schemc-s, and numerous Departmental regulations, both lor 'better and for worse; but there had been none that could be called vital. "One vance has been made very caut,ou6ly, she said. "The school age has ton raised.to 15 years, to take ettect in 19--, and that is something to be proud ot. hut it is no new thing, for it was on the way before the war began. .And after all it is « taino and tiraol '° f u ® form after what has been enacted in conservative England, and compared to what is being carried out by the London S 5 (SuScil and the Birmingham Education Committee. Ihero th« ganisation for continuation educat n classes is well on the way, and we problem of adoleseeirt education is b 8 seriously dealt with. c n irTt. Mies Coad mninmiTirf that the spirr tl,„t would make all things new had not s^MKSS i,ie nr'ietice on human liie ana n.it for teachers are sb egaideu ! every u\cli of the > mn tter lon old welhodb. . . rcturn i ng of l \ l6Cipl " ie '/ ®~ lathers. Discipline w to the rut; o departments of life; indispensable in a " J . ; 6 devclopand in our primary-rthcoteitM ed to a lngli an important cipline nre .^f" r iu i ary school' teacher, qualification in & 1 . tli divine »' To reconcile . education, but the central P™Mem ««'» fte hitherto we lia our woeSi Too pense of ireedo {rom without, much discipline l th<j cxtM . n al does not boUl B vwl _ {or instance, an compulsion i» w0 protlU cc a smarmy. 1" 1 I '] } population, unre ivile, untrustwoith) P 1 able and intlucnccd onlj J Uwt hag ers know well c " disciplined is often been too vigorously • external tho most troublesome wben tt compulsion has been w weU sent we restrain pi J of to"." 1 ,,«"».T1e aSrf 40)1 his lifo (bch\eei compulsory WC let him go. and aH < ® J lhcll s R&risu: 10 be found m theii» « ]wvo yst cent education, And tlut to Secure."; , j *" •

Girls' Secondary. Schools. meTon rolf'numbcr and in wmo «»•« a reduction in falling .threatened r nuent - chances. This was a very «- ious .thing for secondary 'schools, illion, again, tho salary scale offered lit tie inducement to women to enter the secondary department, for such Mork meant scouring good honours degius and undergoing post-graduate courses o training in teaching, 'ilie salaries.ottered to womep primary teachcrs were in many cases more gensrous. If JNow Zealand *is to have good, cflicient. secondary schools," said-Miss Coad, then, those who teach in'them must be recorcnlfed "as belonging to. an honomabla profession, and as entitled to salaries which bear some relation to the importance of the work they do. This is not so at present, for promotion is .slow and depends mostly on length of service. England and Scotland especially are more generous to women teachers than is New Zealand."

Continuation Classes. Continuation classes were needed because "a little knowledge was a dangerous thing," contended tho speaker. There wore certain things in which the teaching fraternity saw both sides cf tho game, 6ides that were hidden from the players. Continued education, would not make pcoplo unwilling to work; but tho present system of education would liavo that effect because 't mad<\ for that dangerous thing, a liltle knowledge. This was more likely to occur because tho centre of political power ras wanning. It was plain that politicnl power was slowly passing to tho masses, tli» working classes of all descriptions, 'i'lia aristocrat had had his day, the plutocrat was now going the same way, and tho day of tho democrat was ot hand." "The new, cUvs in power," she said, "will exhibit tho same virtues and the same vices of the preceding classes unless through our system of education we can imbuo them ' with a • new co-operativo spirit which the community so badly needs. This will not- b» dono if tlio only care of Governments is to build on the roof bf immediate c,ißh rotnrns upon national investments, instead of upon tho foundations of good eduoation. The latter course will undoubtedly" pay) for whero is there a community in which the popular will can make itself manifest inoro readily than in New Zealand? Adolescent and adult education am the only ways in which the popular will nan be directed, into safo channels. And .-£3,000,000 is not very much to spend upon education considering the sisnificance of tho servico."

Tho Montor's Responsibility,

"The crux of tho whole education situation lies in tho teacher," concluded ilisa Coad. "Tho practical teacher applies tho system and knows how it works, wid therefore ho or she is of some importance. Women teachers have a good ileal to work for, for instance, such aims s's u better kind of education for girls and a better community life. An education department where many matters must bo handled autocratically needs much good .idvice. Women in o'tlier walks of Ufa are at work organising iu tho interests of a better community life and women teachers can give a good lead. Shall wo therefore always passively acquiesce, or 6hall we iiavo our say in big things Insufficient education means inefficient politics, and these are tho greatest of publio influences. The prospects for securing improvement are bright, if only wo go to work in tho right spirit."