RUNABOUT USELESS TEACHING

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 80, 28 December 1921, Page 8

RUNABOUT

USELESS TEACHING

SECONDARY SYSTEM ASSAILED “ UNIVERSITY BONDAGE ” “We must break away from university bondage. Our syllabus is set by university people, and we are examined by university people, who have no more right to examine secondary pupils than I have to examine kindergarten pupils. I am going io sweep away these cloistered pedants and have our own intermediate certificate, and I have no doubt other schools and colleges will follow the example." In these words, Dr. Neil McQueen, principal of the Presbyterian Ladies’College, Croydon (Sydney), concluded a scathing criticism of the secondary system of education, which he uttered at the breaking-up ceremony of the college, states the “Sydney Morning Herald.” People who gave money for prizes, or for purposes of education, eaid Dr. McQueen, had the right to ask what was being done with it, or whethe" they were getting any value for U. It was very doubtful whether secondary schools had been giving much that was up to date, but they .had heen giving much that was of little use to the pupils. Those who had completed the secondary course had gone out crammed with a lot of useless knowledge. For this the examinations were to blame, and this could be seen by perusal of any of the text-books. He had learned much, himself that was absolutely usele'fc to him, unless it was as ballast. What, he asked, was the use of learning about unscrupulous people who called themselves kings or their genealogies? What was the use of perpetuating sectarian disputes or political" wars, as the Wa"s of the Roses? One of the questions asked e.L the intermedia**’ examination was: “'What were the military reforms of Marius?” Well. Marius lived pearly 2000 years ago. and who warted to know what the military system was then ? What was the use of learning that angles at the base of- an isosceles triangle were equal? They could see that by looking nt it.

At one time, proceeded Dr. McQueen, the educated man was he who could speak above the heads of his fellows. At one time, the question was “What has a man done?” Nnw it was "What has he to say ?” and “Will it make me any better?” It was not so very long ago that a Prime Minister of England and the Leader of .the Onno'-'tion wasted the time of the House of Commons hurling Latin quotations'at each other; here, he supnosed, tbev wasted the time of Parliament in hurling Australian profanity at each other.

While to be ignorant was a sin, to cram a lot of useless knowledge was a greater sin. Education shor’d he more practical, more frankly utilitarian, and three of the main requisites were a knowledge of food clothing, and. shelter. Nothing good could be expected from a badly-managed home, and gir’s should know how to prepare habv's milk as well as grandpa’s food. With this view ho was going to establish during the next form classes for dressmaking and scientific home management 1 . Tie was going to sween nway a lot of the present useless sphioots n’lTmorrh another teacher had called him a Bolshevik for wanting to do so. Another View. "Tn snito of the attacks on the examination system T have still enough respect for the intelligence of parents not to feel at all guilty of obtaining credit under false pretences when T produce examination results as a guarantee that the goods are being delivered.” said Brother Gerard, director of the Marist Brothers’ School. Darlinghnrst. in making his annual report, at the school speech day. "Parents and employers still believe that, exceptions aside, the bov who passes the nnb’ic. examinations with credit is an intelligent bnv. one who is more likely to succeed than nee who cannot nass those fests, and I believe they are r 1 ”’ 1 ! TTo claimed that evamin” A inns uh’ l " not on urmixed b’eseiee still rendered valuable service in defining the conrsf to bo covered, furnishing a real .at which to aim. pud ann’ving a stimnlu= to ondoavnnr ”-’th which we could ill afford to dispense.