THE CRAMMING EVIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 528, 21 December 1912, Page 5

THE CRAMMING EVIL.

STRAIN ON GROWING GIRLS

[llV TELK.ini.mi.—TRESS ASSOCIATION'.]

Auckland, This Day

The "cramming" evil, with special reference to its deplorable effects on yuung growing girls, was a subject touched upon by Miss Butler (headmistress of the Girls' Grammar School) in her annual report submitted at the prize giving ceremony on Thursday night. "To my mind," she said, "we are still overburdened with examinations in the Middle School, and the pressure exerted on young growing girls of from fourteen to six teen years of age is to bo deplored. But there is an evil of another kind which examinations bring in their train, unless special precautions are taken to avoid this evil, a judicious parent can give much help. Girls are allowed to sit up in the last term, and work far too late; letters are sent asking that they may bo excused from all subjects except those in which they are sitting for examination. Such requests seem to me to be in direct opposition to true education. Aa to the question of specialisation immediately before an examination, I think that it is a grievous mistake; a child should be taught that examinations are merely milestones on the road to knowledge, and that there is only one examination room, and that is the world, and one examination paper —life—and therefore while she is in the schoolroom, every subject is important, and she cannot afford to sacrifice any branch of knowledge. If this were insisted upon, I feel sure that a truer and fuller education would be the result."