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Hokitika Guardian, 5 March 1925, Page 2

Locai, attention was turned to matters educational this week by the visit of the Minister of Education and the Director of Education from Victoria. Both Gentlemen are enthusiasts in regard to education, and it was at least interesting to see a fair attendance at- the Town Hall on Tuesday lietokening something more than a dormant interest in the subject on the part of the people. Sir James Parr was quits enthusiastic aWit tire volume of expenditure reached in the matter of education. It is the staggering sum of well over three millions, and it has a rising tendency still. It will be interesting to have Mr Tate’s critical survey of opr scheme later to see how far tlijs great es-

penditure is justified in the matter of reasonable return for the outlay. The Minister and .Director alike were agreed as to the scope of education—it should be limitless in the opportunity afforded to all to secure the value of : good education. Mr Tate’s interesting address went more into detail as to what might he done to improve the physical, mental and moral characteristics of the rising, generation, enlarging on the opportunities now offering as against those of other days, when the education system was eonlined primarily to an elementary course. At the same time there i.s ample evidence that the elemental course in those days was so thorough that many thousands of good men and women went out into the world and were able to hold their own in the battle of life. We take it. that Mr Tate himself was one of those who had his thirst for education and general knowledge, {grounded -solely on the elementary course—and :i very apt pupil he must have been. So may we regard the mothers and fathers o. | to-day, We regard the mothers and fathers of to-day products mainly of an elementary system whit h was not a had training ground at all. Take \ various walks of life to-day, whether industry, commone. hanking, public administration, the chiel positions held by A'ew Zealanders. —and there are in any Of them are filled by these whose chief education was derived from the elementary course. As far as this district is concerned it- might flatter Mr Tate to know that the first staff for the local public- schools came from Vietoiia and their good work was the grounding many teacheres of aftei days had, as also many• other pupils, who wlieu they went out into the world, took their place and held it against scholars from all parts of the world. The elementary course in those days was specialised in. It "as the only course, and therelore more attention paid to it. The consefniencc was that the knowledge imparted was thorough, and not scrappy, and out of the knowledge gained was the desire to a-cpiire greater understanding, for it appears there were clear ideas , inculcated to think individually—the , true aim of all education.

In tlie present system. it occurs to ns the sure grounding in ail olemeiitaiv course is often missing. The instructors are drawn from those with degrees some of which they have speci-

alised in anil ns n eonsequeme it it these extra subjects (not always o educational use in every day lile) whiel predominate. or are the most pressed The grounding in uselul daily subject:

the three It's in fact is too supe:lieial, I ecause it is glossed over to make way for extras which have heel introduced. All cannot he scientists or otlier advanced seholars. Many - the majority--must remain laymen a.nd beep the wheels of industry moving. A [metical education useful in such a purpose is the first consideration. Tt must he thorough .so a-s to abet th. appetite for a good mental and mo a outlook. An interesting test o! this would he an examination of wlmt pupils lead to-day (outside school hooks), compared with the times when the school library was a real feature ol the school life. We feel inclined to believe that a much superior class o! literature was circulating in the days of tho elementary ooir.vw. Perhaps there was mote time then, hut certainly it was better stuff, and it was the foundation of the mind, for a heltet class •of literature than finds its « into the average home nowadays.

In litcnituic as in um-ic. it is the jay./. nmvciiiciit which finds a phee•uni wo do not know Unit flint is lor the intellectual lienelit of the race. Recurring again to the lecture by Alt Tate, wo hope his advice to parents rcgniding attention to the education of their .barges will he home in mind. It is not sufficient to .send the children oil' to school and h-ave it at that. Parents have other responsibilities and their charge in the matter should induce them to take an intimate interest in the work of the (school as a wlr.de. TueioVntaXly they .should he told all about their school and what it does. Of late a secretive course has been followed by not publishing school results as revealed hy the inspector’s reports. We have opposed this secrecy in times past and regret to learn there is more occasion now than o\ei to oppose it. Through lack or publicity there is not the interest taken in the school record there should he, a.nd if the Minister of Education would have a. more interested public with him, he should see that their interest, in the .school is kept stimulated hy a close intimaev in what the school itself is doing. ‘ After all, it is the personal element which counts, and to ensure that, interest must he attracted and retained in the work carried on in the schools. Teacher and pupil alike must he kept in the forefront to maintain useful public interest in matters educational.