The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26th, 1923. EDUCATION METHODS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26th, 1923. EDUCATION METHODS.

Merit is heard nowadays about the conduct of education. Last week, Mr H. Amos giivo an address on ‘'The Business of Education” at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Ho said that education, like economies, dealt with matters which lay close to hand in everyday life, and employed tho terms and phraseology of everyday speech. Because of that everyone, however, unfitted, judged himself competent to express dogmatic beliefs it!on the subject, and. moreover, was ready always to proffer his opinion as more worthy of notice than that of the export. The field of education was life itself, but he desired to take as his standpoint that of the business map, whose criterion was efficiency as shown in an increased return for a given outlay. Education from that point of view wa.s an investment, a. strictly capital investment, and the worth of a system of education was to bo judged by the returns received from that investment. Ho did not suggest- tluit the worth of tli 0 "hole of the national investment in education was susceptible of estimation in pecuniary terms. Much that was pure gain was represented not in increased commodities or dec-ieased costs, hut in superior social valuation, in truer social perceptions, in broader points of view, in human tolerance, in sympathy, in good-will, and even iu self-sacrifice. Thes e might be gains more worthy than those more material. “A survey of our education system

in New Zealand.” continued Mr Amos, “must reveal that it is defective. in many serious aspects—defects which would at once be obvious to n business man if the problem rose in the eotii.se of his business.” In tho arithmetic of the upper standard-, of tho primary school there was still too much time wasted in impractical prolv lems. The average candidate for matriculation had to spend about half his time in obtaining a. very inadequate knowledge of a foreign language that was generally of little, use to him in New Zealand after passing the examination. If Is- bad that- time to devote to the study of English literature

admittedly the- greatest in the world - Imw much better equipped would a boy ■be for the business e.f life? Mr Amos also pointed out what seemed to him to be defects ill some professional examinations. and mentioned Hie didieniii'*s coni rout ing boy„ who endea voured to matriculate after leaving schorl. In lesperi to Hie latter, lie suggested that sectional passes should be .’.Hewed, -dr Amo-, said that if the schools were run more on business lines teachers would tie brought- mor tf into contact with business-men, a better appreciation ol their important duties would ies*ilt. and t!ie teacher would gain a stains at least, oil a. par with Ids oilier prol-M----sii.nal brethren.