EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Evening Star, Issue 23686, 20 September 1940, Page 8

EDUCATION SYSTEM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I wish to make an emphatic protest against the way the education of our children is being neglected in at least one of our schools. Day after day the teaching of the things which are essential for fitting the children to take their place in life are being set aside, and more and more time is given to games and handwork. History and geography are so neglected that during last year, in Standard HI., the books which we had to supply, were never really used, and at the beginning of the third term one of my children asked me, “ What is geography?’ Recently the teacher of Standard IV. was away for a. few days, and the only work given was a few sums and mental arithmetic; the rest of the day was spent in drawing and reading books from home, and, to add insult to injury, the children were told to write an essay on a detective story. Is this an example of'the new education? The position has become so bad that children I know of travel from town many miles daily so as to reap the benefit of a sound education in one of our country schools. I have already changed schools, hoping for better things, and spoken personally to a headmaster, and would do so again, hut find that any hint of criticism only tends to antagonise the teachers and the children suffer in consequence.—l am, etc., Anxious Parent. September 20. . ,