The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1874.

Evening Star, Issue 3625, 5 October 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1874.

We have received from the Education' Department a copy of the “Regulations of the Otage Education Board,” sanctioned on September 15, 1874. These regulations appear to be carefully drawn up, and no candid person could deny that they are calculated to give the public a high opinion of the zeal and ability of those who framed them. They may, we think, conveniently be' divided into three sections. The first section deals with the examination, classification, and payment of teachers and pupil-teachers. The second contains a syllabus, showing the course of instruction for each class in the District Schools, The third consists of direct i

tious atid recommendations in connection with the syllabus. With regard to the first of these sections, we may say that it would be difficult to speak of it too highly. To many it may seem that the standard is rather high, but this is surely a good fault. Anything that has a tendency to induce teachers to strive after the attainment of a high degree of literary culture must, we should think, prove beneficial to the cause of education. But while the standard is high, it is not too high—it is not an impossibility for any teacher who possesses average industry and ability to reach it. Great judgment has been shown, too, in the arrangement of subjects for the third and second class certificates respectively. For the lower testimonial it is required only that candidates should possess a thoroughly sound acquaintance with those subjects which may be considered as purely elementary, and a knowledge of which is absolutely essential to anyone who is to be an efficient district school teacher. For the lower division of the second class something more is required. Besides showing a sound knowledge of English and arithmetic, candidates are required to pass in any three of the following subjects: ■ Algebra, Euclid, Latin, French, Physics and Physiology, and History. Teachers who could pass the examination for the upper division of the second class, would be able to take a fair position in any University in the world. But mere literary ability by itself will give no certificate at all. In every case the final granting of this’ testimonial will depend on the teacher’s success as a teacher. Should a candidate who has passed’ his examination 1 prove to be what is vulgarly called a “ duffer ” in the school-room, he would get no certificate. The first or highest class certificate is to be granted only to those who have passed in the second class, and who have. been favorably reported on for five consecutive years by the Board’s inspector. On the whole, these particular regulations leave little to be desired. It is to be hoped that the time may soon come when no new teacher of lower grade than the second class shall be appointed as head-master in any main school. The second section, which deals with the instruction that is to be given in district schools, is also, nn the whole, quite satisfactory. There is however, in our opinion, somewhat too much prominence given to such matters as “ word-building,' especially prefixes and affixes, the analysis of sentences, and prosody,” Our objection to the introduction of these subjects into a. district school course is that'they are of little or no practical value : they are curious rather than useful. Of course, it, is maintained by those who| take delight in these trifles that they are! merely means, the end aimed at beinoto give those who learn them skill in English composition. The same thing is often said of Latin and Greek composition and verse-making. The reply to this is that if exercises of this kind are intended to make young people ready and accurate in writing English, they utterly fail to produce the desired The fact is undeniable that if we wiShto find writers Of “putt} English,; we must seek them rather amongst those who have not had a purely grammatical or a classical education than amongst: those who have. The Huxleys, the Tyndalls, the Spencers, the Corbetts, are . the men who write their mother tongue with elegance and propriety, And not Dr, Moberly, Matthew Arnold, and others that could be named, even though these have, hud to the very fullest extent the “ advantages” of a classical education. So too, as we have before now. pointed out, it is not those who can analyse, and parse, and derive that can write the best English, but just simply those who have had most practice in actual composition. We should have preferred, then, to see such matters as these put further into the background or ; excluded . altogether, their place being taken by some branch of elementary physical science. There is one part of the syllabus especially deserving of commeiidation. We allude to that which refers to needlework. It is not stated in a vague sort of way that girls will be required to shew proficiency in needlework, but the very operations they are to,'be required td perform are distinctly specified. Thus, for instance, in Class V. they must hem, seam, stitch, darn, work buttonholes, gather, and knit; and in Class VI. they must know how, to put work together, cut out, and do all plain needlework. We imagine that mothers of families will be highly pleased with this part of the programme. It was not to be expected that provision for teaching boys as well as girls some kind of industrial work should have been made in the present programme, but we hope the time is not very far • distant when boys shall be taught, in our schools to use the saw and axe, just as girls are now taught to use the needle. This sort of instruction is very commonly given to boys in France and other parts of Europe, and there can be no doubt that we shall eventually have to adopt the same plan also. All things considered, it would be difficult to improve the syllabus of instruction to any very great. extent.

The third section of these regulations, that which is made up of recommendations in connection with the syllabus, contains many excellent and practical suggestions on various matter’s connected with the Art of Teaching. These recommendations are evidently for the most part intended as a guide for those teachers who have not had much experience in the profession, and

to such persons they will be of very great use indeed—even veteran teachers may pOfesibly gather not a few useful hints from them. But the care which has been employed in framing the regulations for admitting persons to a definite position as State teachers, will have a great tendency to prevent those who do not understand their business from holding permanent positions in the Government service. We hope in a few years to see every district school in the Province provided with a thoroughly, qualified teacher j . when this is the case, of course the need for such recommendations as those before us will be done away with. A set of men who thoroughly understand their work, no matter what that work may be, will do it in the best possible way when they are entirely unhampered by restrictions of any kind. It gives us great pleasure to bear testimony to the general excellence of these regulations, and we venture to express a hope that all concerned in them—teachers, pupil-teachers, and inspectors —will do their best to carry them out, and to give them a fair trial. If they will do this we have no doubt that the result will be eminently satisfactory.