The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3936, 6 October 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1875.

“Who shall inspect our inspectors!” This is a question which has been getting itself asked during the last few days in various quarters, and notably at last Saturday’s meeting of the “ Otago Schoolmasters’ Association.” At that meeting it was unequivocally shown that whatever may he the opinion of the public and of the educational authorities of the the Province with regard to school inspection, the teachers are fully convinced that the mode in which the examinations of their schools are at present conducted is calculated to produce results that are in no sense a fair index either of the attainments of the children or of the labors of the teacher. It is, of course, to be expected that such an impression will, sooner or later, produce, in addition, feelings . f dissatisfaction and even ot initation on the part of the teachers. JSow, whether this dissatisfaction is well grounded or not —and we, for our parts, do not feel called upon to express any opinion on the subject—it is quite plain that the state of things of which it is the outcome, is greatly to oe deplored. It is certain that unless there can be something like unity ot purpose on the part of teachers and inspector, the action of the latter can only be that of a drag on educational progress; if the teachers feel bound to put out their strength in one direction, while the inspectors are bent on making them work in another, the effective result will be the difference between the products of their respective energies instead of the sum of them, as it ought to he. * But though it is to be regretted that the teachers are not satisfied that Justice is being done to them and their efforts, it seems to us that there is after all, and according to their own showing, nothing so very much amiss as not to be easily remediable. The thing seems to lie in a nutshell. What is complained of, as far as we can gather, is that the examinations are conducted in such a way that a very large proportion of the children, somehow or another, fdl to pass them. We are inclined to think that this is the case, and tint the cause is not in the children. If one or two teachers had made statements to this effect, we might have been inclined to. believe that they had been wrong and the inspector right, but no one who carefully reads the opinions expiessed by the teachers at last. .Satinday’s meeting can fail to be convinced that they were quite unanimous on this

point, It is far mor? lik '.y that ouo inspector should bo wrong than that a largo number of experienced and skilful teachers should. Wc are, therefore, justified in believing that the complaint is not without some good foundation. But wo are not merely told that children are “ floored” by the examinations ; we are told how and why, or at least we are able from the many shots fired, directly and obliquely, at “ crotchets” to guess, without the chance of being very far wrong, that the main fault found with the examinations is that they are of what Sterne would call a “ hobby-horsical ” character. It would appear from the statements made and the hints given that it-is pretty generally felt that any teacher who wishes to be successful in passing ins children, must be not only well acquainted with las subjects, but must, above all things, be careful to “ get up ” the inspector thoroughly. Now, from what we know of children, we are quite sure that examinations of this kind would be worse than useless for the purpose of helping any inspector to gauge the efficiency of (heir teachers. He might indeed discover from t heir failing "to answer such questions that they were not acquainted with the particular dodge, catch, or puzzle involved in them, but he would learn little or nothing more. We have nothing to say against such questions ir they are given as a sort of examination for the purpose of testing the ingenuity of a select, few at the top ..f the sebool. But it they are to aflbid the materials for determining the meri'.s of the u aclu-r cr his scholars; if t- >.'S are to have their schools and their scholars reported on with reference to any such untrustworthy tests ; if their professional reputation is to depend on the per-centage of passes obtained by their scholars iu an examination of this character; ami if, moreover, the apparently dismal faiiur* s wlneh their schools must inevitably make under such circumstances are to be duly tabulated and published to the world, we can easily understand that teachers will object very strongly indeed to the process. They will, without doubt, feel that however necessary all these figures and tables may be, they should at any rate give a fail 1 idea of the actual efficiency of their fschools, and that their professional reputation ought not to be unjustly endangered by the publication of tables which give no true idea of what their pupils are actually capable of doing. It may be true that figures of any kind, properly arranged in tables, j look well in an annual report, bin it is i not tu be wondered at if teachers feel under these circumstances much as Jlr Pickwick did when Winkle insisted on carrying his gun under his arm with j the muzzle ’pointed towards him, ; because he had a notion that that was ; fbe sportsmanlike wav of doing things. | It will be remembered that the old genlle--1 man utterly failed to see that he ought to run the risk of being shot in a wlieelj barrow for the sake of appearances, i But, as we have said, even if the com- ' plaints of the teachers are well grounded, the remedy is easy to find,and not difficult of application. It seems to us that a liitle mutual forbearance, together with a proper understanding on the part of teachers and inspectors, should set matters quite right. It is . not to be supposed for a moment that the inspectors are determined, riurht or wrong, to carry out a system which can he shown to be unsatisfactory. What wo know of those gentlemen would lead us to believe that they are on the contrary by no means anxious to play , Sir Oracle, or to oppress or annoy the teachers in any way, but rather to do ! very best they can to act thoroughly in concert with litem. It-would" .qV pear as if a r,y.,te.m -f exumiii ,ti w; which should have for its oMect ilm fmaiug out of the <mount i knowledge possessed by the children, rathe'' than that of making it manifest that they arc v,-no rant about imk; rdfmant and obscure details of B various subjects taught, would quuu meet the views of the teachers.

If Dr Tkmiuu/s plan could i-.e adopted, all ground of complaint would be removed. Some of our readers may possibly reuv tuber tied at the presetilatfian ot the prig/' yiven by the College of Preceptors, the late Head Muster of Rugby said—“ Our mode of proceeding at these examinations is, not to say to the teachers, ‘There is our programme, you must accommodate your teaching to that,” but rather to ask, “ What has been taught at your schools, and vye will endeavor to frame our examinations according to that teaching ? ” We are persuaded that if this line of conduct could he adopted by our insjnetors we should hear uo more sound.-, ef discord front a quarter in which ii is ' ,iij least highly desirable that thorough hat mony should prevail,