ENGLISH SCHOOLS’ INSPECTOR

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 August 1924, Page 15

ENGLISH SCHOOLS’ INSPECTOR

EXCHANGE WITH NEW ZEALAND.

Mi;. G. W. Buckle, H.At.I., of the English Education Department, who has been on a six months visit to New Zealand under a scheme for an exchange of inspectors between the Departments of Education in the two countries, spent last week-end in New Plymouth. Mr. Buckle has exchanged positions with Dr. M’llwraith, of the New Zealand department, and has spent most of his time in the Auckland education district, though he has visited other parts of the Dominion, including the South Island, where he has worked in schools in the Canterbury and Otago districts. He proceed, ed to Stratford with Mr. J. A. Valentine, senior inspector for Taranaki, and from there he goes to Wellington, leaving in a few days on the return to England, travelling via Sydney. He told a Herald representative that he had greatly enjoyed his visit to New Zealand and was much impressed with the beauties of the Dominion a s far as he had seen them. A comparison between the education systems of the two countries was, he said, scarcely possible, and in any case would serve little good, as the conditions were so widely different that no true basis could be found on which to make a useful comparison. Further, Mr. Buckle said he did not think it would be right for him to offer any opinions he might have formed from his observations, which had been made principally in the Auckland province, as lie was merely an officer of the department of one country loaned to that of another for a. short period. He did say, however, that he had been impressed with the general standard of the teaching in the schools in which he had worked. A comment was made on the suggestion often heard that New Zealand children were inclined to develop an accent in their speech. Mr Buckle saying that he did not think there was anything in it. He did not say he had not heard any poor vowel sounds, but this did not worry him, and it was nothing in comparison with the language difficulty as it was presented in the different counties in England. Mr. Buckle’s work in England is principals in the industrial areas around Sheffield.