DIRECTOR’S. ADVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1930, Page 6

DIRECTOR’S. ADVICE

.MO)HE WORK E(MI PKIMAUY SCHOOLS.

(Jly Tdegraph--Per Press Association.'

WELLINGTON, June Id

'i'iie view, tliiit the progress in the lower classes in the New Zealand primary schools way much too leisurely was put forward by Dr T. PStrong, Director of Education, in uii address to the Council of Education to-day. In Australia, he said, the syllabus was much more comprehensive than ours. Tie thought, however, that considerable advance had been made in New Zealand in the direction of giving the primary .school ieachets greater liberty in making the instruction more practical and less formal, and iu giving due emphasis to the cultural side. In one aspect, however, it failed. Tie had been wed to that conclusion because his observations in Australia had confirmed the opinion that he had hold for some years. It was probably one of the most important results of his visit abroad, lue primary school syllabus appeared to fail because it did not: provide A, rapid enough advance, from stage to stage. While some of the-, classes'.had a reasonable amount of wyrk to do, others were almost marking, time for some time during: the school ;.,year The mint, he said,. wasta’(leliitable one. 'Fhe progress ,iti the loiveT classes in the New Zealand schools Vp-much too leisurely. Sonic knew it; was. I his was a, view which lie had brought forward before, and which had met' witli. considerable opposition. His own-ef-forts to put • more work on to the lower classes, and so make room for •a greater advance ,in the higher classes, reaching a higher standard ol attainment in Standard VI. had been opposed, and he had had to give way. In comparing the syllabus of to-oay with the syllabus of the past, lie always noted there was a tendency to take something out y rather than to put something in* He knew that there was a popular opinion that the syllabus was overcrowded. He did not think it. was overcrowded, and ho was led to the conclusion -that more could- be done, '• particularly in the lower , part of the. school. It was a very serious matter, and one that . affected all branches of education in New Zealand; from the* primary to the university; and he thought that it demanded very close investigation. He was forced to the conclusion, from his observations in New South Wales and Victoria, that they did reach a higher standard of education in- less time than we did.

■ He was well aware, he said, that this was unpleasant, criticism Irom him, for, a s a,New Zealander, he wap proud of oiit'h'Systdm. Tty was- on©ypf i.lie weaknesses ; of the system,,, and'we had to see to it. He proposed, next • week, when all 'the Inspectors of the Dominion met in conference, \<l take h,p this matter .very seriously v.’th Hicim He hail "Hie subject in mind for. a number of years pastj-hut yet had had no definite basis on wlm-li lo found an opinion.-*; He was lucre ;,cqu- . -wiiiced,... Jio.we.vcih fi'cin; his visitf<> Australia that there was some ground j for" the criticism he made. 11 had-, he.coriie. Jlie, fashion with raie ml i Homilists' in- New Zealand u> ueerv | * without ceasing our education system, he '.said. ,'Vv One. -of these at n recent meeting- in" Wellington was repm-ted as saving: “Wo can pay too mu-li for a system of education that is out of date, such as ours is, as being unsuited to the needs oi New Zealand.” W? j),- Strong continued: “Professor' Condlifie, in his recently puhlisheo l>*-ok “New Zenl'ind in the Making,” is'- so • ignorant of the New Zealand cduerifiou svstem -as to say -that :.i,-,,-e has been Praotica-lly no charnio .iav- pgr..school s;J(inee..,lß7l. Statements . ■ lifce‘ Hbpg. ar<r *l' absurd, -ms-■ to carry •'their 6,vt-n-*reptitation. T am m.n. go j.L t „ suggcsl that -the Xmy, Ze»la;id,H!.' utip'll •. svstem- cannot ,be improved. Judging bv what 1. saw recontlv '" Un'stfciinV and by. - what -1 have rru of - systems in others .countries., our own Can he -unproved, and il tupeoplo of New'; Zealand, will povnle ..money, they Cal. have improvements'. ;