SCHOOL MANAGEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 April 1924, Page 4

SCHOOL MANAGEMENT.

GOYEEXAFENf AND STSLF-

GOYERNAFENT

Witli the passing of years lrom early youth to adolescence, the method of effectively training our children continually changes. The young child needs direct control, an authority superimposed from without, in order that he may be kept from courses likely to he harmful, and be " trained in the formation ol good habits. The main requisite in a young child under training is obedience to rules—these rules ‘being made by wise parents and teachers, who have the confidence and affection of'their young charges, hud who must Insist; on prompt and unquestioning compliance with orders. Where it is possible, ol course, the reason for these rules should he made clear to the child ; but in other cases his duty is not to question. hut to obov, because “mother” or “teacher knows host.”

THE YEARS OF ADOLESCENCE. Rut years pass; the child grows in hotly and mind, and the way in which he should be handled requires modification. Tiie guardian looks forward to a time when the child will be ail adult, owning no parental control, personally responsible to the laws of the land and of society; and, therefore, the years of adolescence, when the youth feels within him the promptings of approaching manhood, must be a lime of transition from government to .self-go-vernment. AForc liberty must be given. to be used under wise guidance : the reasons for commands and prohibitions needs revealing.' We recognise that, in the family, if there is that bond of eonfulnee lietween parent and child which exists in every well-man-aged household, the unquestioning obedience of the young can pass by easy stages into the liberty of the youth who is oil the verge ol manhood. IN THE SCHOOL.

But can this be carried out in the school? It- is possible iii the upper classes of our primary schools and in our secondary schools to withdraw gradually the restraint of government, and to substitute therefore a system ol self-government? The experiment lias been tried, and has been pronounced a success even in unpromising circumstances. Various modifications ol sncli self-government have been adopted. In some American institutions in which are lads who have fallen into the hands of the law, the disciplinary control is practically handed over to the lads themselves, who make rules, choose their own school police, magistrates and other officials, indict punishment and reward merit, being merely super-

vised by the officials in charge. Recent reports toll of the experiment having been successfully tried amongst adults under restraint. And many schools have adopted similar plans with excellent results. THE VALUE OF THE SYSTEM. The peculiar merits of a good selfgoverning system are many. One outstanding feature is that rules are made

by the pupils themselves, and administered by officials chosen by themselves: the justice of punishment is evident, and the teacher’s work as an instrument of justice, becomes altogether subordinate to Hint of educator, director, and counsellor. And the training in legislation and administration thus gained in school is a valuable preparation for responsibility ill alter life. Tt. is a piece of practical training in ci vies.

NOME DETAILS AND RESULTS. Some inhumation as to how a selfgovernment scheme has worked in one secondary school may lie of interest. At the beginning-of the year a series of elections is carried out. Each class appoints, two prefects, a hoy and u girl. The scdiOol as a whole, voting according to sex, elects two school captains, a hoy and a girl. A weekly meeting of prefects is held, presided over by the hoy captain. At this meeting matters of interest to the school are discussed, suggestions as to details of school management are brought forward, to he presented or otherwise to the headmaster, and offenders against school rules are dealt with. Any suggestions as to new rules, etc., when approved hv the headmaster, are presented to the whole school for discussion in a school meeting, if sufficiently important to warrant such discussion. To the prefects and captains is entrusted the duty of maintaining order within school precincts before and after school, and between lessons, when teachers are changing over from class to class. The result of this delegating of discipline to officials other than teachers sets the latter free from much of the work of control except during lesson periods, when, of course, the selfgovernment is in abeyance. Equally of course, the right of interference in matters of discipline is reserved for teachers if occasion requires; lint the fitnff wisely limits its interference as far rs possible to the support of the prefects’ authority. THE NET RESULTS. The question arises, “llow does such a system make for order and discipline, as compared with the ordinary system V It may lie freely confessed that there is not, in the school under discussion, that strict discipline and military-like management that could be secured by making teachers responsible for nbso-

lute order. That is to say, tlie prefects are not as efficient as competent teachers would lie, and the pupils do not invariably “play the game,” by backing up those to whom they themselves have delegated authority over themselves. It is occasionally necessary to call upon a prefect to resign office because of incompetence or to withdraw temporarily from a class its self-governing privileges, placing it for a timo under the old order of government.

But- in spite of lack of perfection, the system justifies itself by securing those benefits of training in practical civics which were mentioned above; and the work of the schools, as shown by the results of official tests, is going on well, even if a death-like and deadening silence is net a feature ol the school.

One thing is quite certain —that the system is helping to maintain and increase that pride in “our school'’ which is so plainly in evidence as to he a matter for frequent local comment. And the one on whom devolves the duty of the maintenance of a standard of efficiency, and of a good school spirit—■ tiie Head —is quite satisfied that the system at worst in his school has justified its existence.