TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1452, 12 May 1905, Page 2

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

ITS VALUE TO INDIVIDUAL AND EMPIRE.

The Theatre Boyal was well filled last evening with an appreciative audience, when Mr H. D. Bedford, M.H.8., gave a lecture on technical education. His Worship the Mayor (Mr Townley) oocupied the chair.

Mr Bedford, on rising, was well received. The subject for the evening, he said, was one of the most important that conld be brought forward. He instanced Japan in itß war with Bussia, and said it was an insignffioant feature of the smaller nation that it was recognising that more

important than viotory in war was viotory in commerce. At the St. Loois Exhibi- j tion one of the features of the show was that of the Japanese exhibition, which was finer, larger, and better than any other nation except Germany, while Bussia had a little space reserved, but empty. Japan was ready to commence a war of commerce, and to enable this to be carried out effectively technical schools were I springing up everywhere, preparing to | equip the people. He pointed out that I the coming strife of the futore would be I for industrial supremacy. England, [ United States, and Germany were strain- j ing every nerve to get supremacy of the I trading world. England held a vast | majority of the world’s shipping, but it I was recognised that she was not advanc- I ing as mueh as her adversaries were doing, f The speaker, when at St. Louis Exhibi- ( tion, had seen one great palace entirely I devoted to Education. It was recognised I that the only way of achieving greatness, I was by teaohing the children thoroughly, I to enable them to be properly equipped I for the battle of life. The United States 1 excels in eduoation, and all over tne ooun- I

try there were night schools, where hundreds of thousands of persons received instruction. The main feature of the system j was the art of man-building, it being fully recognised the value it was to the whole oountry. Where the scholar oould not go to school, it was recognised that the school should be made to go to the scholar and I so the system of teaching by mail came to I be inaugurated. Mr Bedford then referred I at length to the system of teaching by I mail, illustrating the advantages of the I

Scranton Correspondence Schools and their varied courses, by numerous telling anecdotes, that were thoroughly appreciated and reoognised by the interested audience, a special .illustration on tho point of expression given to all subjects illustrated by a verse from “ The Bridge of Sighs ” being recieved with considerable applause. | Mr Bedford, continuing, said tho special features of tho system of education by .mail of the Correspondence Schools of Scranton, U.S.A., were that it was specially adapted for individual scholars, the actual position of tho soholar being at once gleaned, and whether quick or slow, eaoh pupil progressed as soon as one subject laid down was thoroughly learnt and not until then was the next subject taken. The speaker instanced that in a class the quick pupil was held back to the average of the class while the very slow one was pushed on, and before a subject was thoroughly learnt another was brought forward. The system of education by mail made the nnnil rrive fixnrnsninn nf whp.fc wp.q laavnt

> and numerous illustrations wore given of | what was termed proper “ expression.” In concluding, the lecturer made a strong appeal to take advantage of the s ystem 1 of education by mail by the Scranton Correspondence Schools, pointing oat that as long as the scholar could read aDd write, the schools would do the rest, and that it was available in any locality where a letter could reach. By helping themselves they would also assist in upholding the supremacy of the colony and Empire, as by so doing they would utilise the men- I tal value of untold worth, that they now I allowed to run to waste simply by being I unused. With proper teaching and train-1 ing the British race would continue to lead I the world as it had done in the past, but | if proper use was not made of their mental | abilities then they would find that other | countries would have the advantage in the I race for supremacy. A hearty round of I applause was given when the speaker re- I sumed his seat. I

Mr C. P. Lindegreen, who is conducting I a window display on the promises of the I Dresden Piano Co., Gladstone road, will I be pleased to give any further information I re the Soranton Schools. He will enrol I any persons desirous thereof, and sup- I ply first instruction papers to those taking I ] up a course of study daring his present I c Visit to Gisborne. a \