Standardising Education.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1923, Page 1

Standardising Education.

minister announces new SYSTEM. “Many teachers wotild lio as s hopelessly lost without a text--11 book as would a mariner without a compass; books are tools, however, and cannot replace good teaching. and dependence on a book is not wholly desirable.” The decision of the Government to standardise text-books led to the above announcement by the Hon. C. J. Parr, (Minister of Education), says the “Dominion”, in promulgating details of the new system, in the following statement : “Tim Education Department lias for some time had under consideration the question of a standard list of textbooks for use in secondary schools, technical high schools, and secondary departments of district high schools. Text-book adoptions exercise very groat strategic power for good or evil in education. The function of their choice cannot ho left in its present haphazard and somewhat inefficient state. As demonstrating the necessity for some action in connection with standardisation, the following numbers show the great variety of text-books at present in use in secondary schools alone, apart, from district high schools and technical schools, for which the list will be squally applicable. | “Tn English. Grammar and Composition there are fid different books at present in use: French Grammar and [•on,position, 80; Lain. 62: Mathematics 122: Geography 51; History and Civirs, I”; Agriculture 10; Botany i ; Chemist r.v, 10; Tlmnc Science M; Physiology and Hygiene 7: Physics 30. “Many teachers would be as hopelessly lost without a. text-hook as would : . mariner without a compass. Books pools, however, and cannot icplacc : .rood teaching, and dependence on a ■ . hook is not wholly desirable. Neither is il desirable to have too small a ' choice of text-books, since uniformity on such linos might mean stagnation. In adopting a standard list, the Dopar! incut has kept it broad and large 1 enough to accommodate the many tea- , lei's who are specialists in the sub-

jects they teach, and develop the stui (j,. 11 j s along different lines. On the 1 oilier hand, it is realised that «ith i 1,,. inireduel.ion of standard lists, il is advisable, particularly if the new Dalton plan is extensively adopted, to instit;;t" some faun of school libiar,v whore additional hooks may 1.0 con,l. which may treat some one aspt, q of the subject slightly Ldtcr o: move fully than one of the standard books adopted. With thi'- end I intend to a=k the Government during the coming session to provide a capitation 1 grant of. say Is. p"f pupil per annum to he used for the establishment of such ! libraries. “U msiderahle rare has been taken jin drawing up the hsi. D . Marsihn Mile new assistant directs, and manv • teaches s and experts have hi on cc> ;- J silj.led freely in the choice ol bool.-;, j Tlie schools "'ill md he compelled so 1 use l lie hook- oil 1 lie list uni d the j 1925 -e i 'll. nic- m 'li', t e\l -books at | nrf.s in in ii-e and po-dbly net on the * attaehed list, rover a two year's equr-e. ! Vurfhi’r, booksellers will thus be given !;i a onport unity to get rid of any i small stocks they may have on hand. Jit is anticipated, however, that praci tically all schools will lie using the j honks on i lie nffiei:'! list ill 192-1. j “A- regards future alterations to jibe list, the Director of Education will j add hooks at any time on the suggestion either of the inspectors or the Secondary Schools' Association. “Mil h regard to deleting hooks from the list as tlicv become ohl-iasliioned jor are superseded !y belter hooks. : two veal's’ notice "ill be given before '' the use of any book on the list \vd! |lc prohibited. i-.i, rega d has been taken ~f the cost of the various books and it is confidently anticipated that 111 eoiiseqneiiee of the introduction of the list the priees of many o! the hooks j will he still further reduced: in tact. | arrangements have already been made j wifh one of tlie publishers concerned i with this end in view.”

nr>.TPTX. ir. | l’J-cfrrrillj' i’it Hip I)op:il'fuu tit spl,p;iip ■ fn|- the* *hi]id;tnlisil ion ot sprnnd.'irv . v ; Imnl honks. Mr Murrell. m l"V of I Si 11iL r ■ 1 >ehnol. deeh'ired Hint Hi | pvKlinr; [msitiihi. s sot mil in Hip I)'

partment’s proposals, was mnch exaggerated. Changes of hooks were mostly made at the beginning of the year, when the scholars were purchasing new books, and the number of changes in the course of the year was not large, probably not more than ten. The number of books in cii'culatiton, as quoted by the Department, might be misunderstood by the public because at the same school different stages of study, and different books were employed in the instruction of clever boys. Ibe weeding-out could be done by inspectors, who, oil seeing an unsuitable hook in use, could drop a hint to a teacher. That method would be preferable to ore likely to suppress individual initiative by the weight of “Depaitment.ili u.” It was in the suppression A initiative that the danger lay. If tlm S'liemc were administered reasonatli: would probably do li/i barm, bill il v.as hardly to be expected that the Department. with a small staff, would coiil in experts capable of determining t .' • most suitable lav:' s for all subic-t----aud all conditions. Fersimallv, be wim not .satisfied with a number of worktbat bad been chosen. \dmilting tin t more imi urinitv w:iadvisablc, Air Morrell “w no reason wliy this should not be brought about by the action of the inspectors, and. where practicable, by conlerence oi teachers.