THE AIMS AND NEEDS OF AN IDEAL SCHOOL.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1920, Page 4

THE AIMS AND NEEDS OF AN IDEAL SCHOOL.

(Com muhicated.)

It is interesting to note tho different forces which have been at work in the outer world of late years, causing us to change our ideas of child-nature. Hitherto we have looked upon tho child as an empty vessel waiting to be filled. Tho two instincts of activity and curiosity, common to all children, and by which they grow the most when wisely guided, we have repressed on all hands as leading the child into mischief. Then ive have approached him from the standpoint of the innate evil Avithin him.

Judge Lindsay of America, the founder of Children’s: Courts, has shoivu that even unfortunate children avlio have developed criminal tendencies, Avill respond to trust and respect. One of his methods Avas to send boys and men to prison without any escort. He told them frankly before leaving that there Avas nothing to prevent them running aAvay if they chose. No one would see them. But if they did, they would let down one av hose only aim was to help them. Hut of 700 men and boys thus sent, only 6 ran away, and 4 out of the 6 gave themselves up within 24 hours. When a child Avas brought before him charged with a criminal offence he Avent to that, child’s home, saw his environment, found out wlia-t' education he had had enquired into the state of . his bodil health, and also the nature of the offence witTTNvhich he was charged. Every case Avas considered from three points of view, the' sociological, the psychological, and tho physiological. Judges, he said, wanted justice, but they also Avanted love, and there could bo no justice without love. Under the old system 75 out of every 100 returned to prison in 5 years, under the ucav, less than 10 out of 100 returned in the same time.

At Homo, play-houses have been established Avlrere young people of all ages may go in the evening to find an outlet for their natural activity. Pott Ridge, the novelist, describes his regular visits to these play-houses. The interest of young people there never a v'a nes. Singing, dancing, billiards, dressmaking, cookery, manual instruction, games, etc., fill their lives Avitli joy. The children arc drawn from the lowest slums of our big cities. The benefit of sucli instruction is being felt all over England. The Kindergarten mo\ r ement of the present day wisely takes into account the activity of the child’s nature, and guides it into educational channel's. Lastly, Madame Montessori has revolutionised all education by sliOAving that growth comes from Avitliin, and is not imposed from rvithout. Wo must approach the child Irom an entirely new point of vicAV. The function of education is to foster groAvth. The end which the teacher should set before himself is the of t!ie latent poAvers of his pupils, the unfolding of their latent life. The Education Department requires its inspectors to examine the children in every school on a syllabus Avhicli is binding oil all schools alike. In doing tips they have driven their teachers in this direction, and that at their pleasure. The teacher is compelled to do the same to the child. Now, it is a fact that the process of growing must be done by the child himself, and by no one else. The one thing Avhicli no one may over delegate to another is the process of growing. It is also a fact that in most

schools the teacher does nearly everything for the child. He tells him in precise detail what he is to think, to feel, to act, to wish, to do, how he is to do whatever is to be done. Tire result is that the various vital faculties which Education might be supposed to train become starved and stunted in the over-educated child, till at last when the time comes for him to leave school, he is too often thrown out upon the world, helpless, listless, resourceless, without a single a ini or purpose in life. In every country’ which considers itself progressive -and up-to-date, the examination system controls education, and in doing so arrests the self-development of the child, and therefore strangles his inner growth. The teacher has so much miscellaneous information to impart that he has no time to find out what the bent of his pupil’s mind may be. The large classes and the miscellaneous character of our teaching are absolute bars to the unfolding of the child’s nature. Education to-day has become a memorising by the child of a certain amount of information imparted by the teacher at the instigation of the inspectors or the Education Department. Then, mental capacity is classified according to age. Tf the child is a certain'age, or has been a certain time at school, he ought to be in a certain class. It is generally admitted that mental capacity differs, yet-' very little notice is taken of this fact in our schools. The unfortunate child who docs not possess average intelligence suffers A life of pain and humiliation until released by reaching the age of fourteen. The sad look of resignation habitual to a sensitive child who is always at the foot of the class through lack of mental ability is painful for a sympathetic teacher to see. So many of our children are wronged in their school days, and they may never recover from the effects. Children who do not possess much mental ability generally have good hands. Little or no provision is made in our primary schools to meet the needs of such. There ought to bo an industrial school in connection with each primary school, where these children would be trained for their special work in the world, for we must always have artisans, carpenters, bricklayers, dressmakers, cookery teachers, etc. A child will learn villingly the technical part of a subject in whTeii he is interested, but to drive him along mercilessly into mental paths unsuited to his natural capacities is cruel.

Much of the naughtiness attributed to children is due to the unnatural state of tension to which they are subjected in our schools. All their energies are drilled into complete quiesence. The spontaneous energies of the children when blocked in their natuial course will make new outlets for themselves, lawless outlets if no other arc available. In our schools it is the teacher who shows the activity and the initiative, the child is passive and receptive. The striking results shown to the world by Madame Montessori have

proved that hitherto we have .misunderstood the vital principles of childnature. A child’s growth, comes from within and is evolved by himself, tinder this new .system the child is supervised, not directed. lie is allowed to do the work which is most suited to his stage of development, and most congenial to him at that particular time. Each child works by and for himself. He is free to go on with what lie has taken in hand until he feels the need cither of a change of a rest. He really works, energises, gives his mind to what he is doing. The instinctive desire to overcome difficulties, as far as possible, unaided, is thus duly gintified, and perseverance and thoroughness are encouraged, in this atmosphere of freodonl and affection, the child develops amazingly, both * intellectually and spiritually. At present this system applies only to child]en up to seven years of age lint Madame Montessori has extended it to include children up to ton. Her principle of selfdevelopment through freedom and love can he applied all through life, where , teachers themselves are free to put into j practice their conceptions of the new ideas. This requires careful handling. Genius must show the way first, and perhaps the best that no can do is to become imitators filled with enthusiasm and love and understanding. It is certain that where understood when applied, no failure, even as the world counts failure, has been known under this system. The child’s powers of perception arc awakened first, and lie is trained to bo independent and to show initiative.