WINTER SCHOOL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2280, 27 August 1908, Page 3

WINTER SCHOOL.

DAY SESSION

The session of the TVinter School was continued yesterday, all the lectures being well attended. In the morning Mr. Clark gave a mathematical demonstration graphically illustrating the proof of proposition 47 book I Euclid, also of certain .algebraical identities, such as the binominal cube. Mr. Grant .also continued his lectures on School Agriculture. In the afternoon Mr. Hamilton gave a lecture on the geological formation of the Poverty Bay flats. EVENING LECTURE.

Owing to the unfavorable weather, there was only a very small attendance in His Majesty’s Theatre in the evening, when Mr. _G. Hogben, M.A., Inspector-General or Schools, delivered an interesting lecture on “Impressions of Foreign Schools.” Mr. Hogben, who was received with applause, regretted the small attendance, but said that what was lacking in quantity was certainly made up in quality. He commenced his lecture by relating a humorous story of the first school he visited on his recent travels, at Port Said, where tho masters incessantly smoked cigarettes and inflicted corporal punishment of a rather severe nature upon their pupils. When he got to Italy he did not expect to see many good schools, except perhaps in Venice, Milan, or Turin, but o ne of the best elementary schools ho had seen was jn Rome. In Italy all elementary schools are managed by the municipalities, and by tho townships in the country districts, only one-twentieh of the cost being contributed by .the State. A large'elementary school visited was simple but extremely good, and with a total of 1900, was well staffed with 76 teachers. There lie went right through the school, and he detailed tile course of instruction. The first tiling-done was what was called the intuitional lesson, as practice of speech based on observation. Here he saw little girls of six years of age standing up and giving most intelligent accounts of something they had previously seen. This was only an example of what he had found all through Europe and America, and he held that the cultivation of oral speech of the mother tongue, based on observation, was one of the most important parts of education. V hat was wanted in New Zealand was not so much to make the system better as to acquire that living interest in the work which was essential to success. There was a great movement in Italy for the education of women, and foi their employment, which would go a great deal towards the advancement of that country. Tho weak point of Italian secondary schools, and nearly all of those in Germany, as compared with English and American schools, was their teaching of science, winch they did as if it were a matter oi information, and were content Math demonstration instead of individual experiment. After dealing shortly with German schools, the lecturer proceeded to .refer to the n,wiss system, which he said had attracted him more than that of any other place visited. The Swiss had an excellent idea of education, and believed in striking to the heart of things, and in a career for every citizen, the opportunity for which should be provided by the State. _ The many different schools in Switzerland, primary, secondary, household, technical, and university were enumerated, and Mr. Hogben pointed out that there were schools for every possible branch of life. Interesting figures were quoted by the lecturer rgarding the amount per head spent on education, comparatively between Now Zealand and Switzerland, and claiming, that the latter spent, more. In Switzerland they did this because they knew it was worth it. and he claimed that it was the most democratic country in the world, and a highly educated one. After reviewing the system existing in Englmd and America, and laying particular emphasis on the intensely practical nature of Aim teaching which wag the secret of success, the lecturer concluded by stating that they in New Zealand must he prepared to spend not less on primary schools and more on secondary schools, making the instruction real .and practical; more on the higher instruction and on university instruction, in order that their great democracy may not rest content with their present standing, hut become n thoroughly educated democracy, and thoroughly .aroused to the interests that concern them as citizens of a great country. On the motion of Mr. W. Morgan, seconded 1-v the Chairman, a hearty vote of thinks was passed to the lecturer at the conclusion of his address.