The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 1882.

Kumara Times, Issue 1744, 3 May 1882, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 1882.

The proceedings at the meeting of the local School Committee held on Monday evening last, was in many respects interesting. It must be admitted however that the report of the Visiting Committee is somewhat contradictory from beginning to end. It commences with an assertion that the work in the school is going on in a satisfactory manner, and then proceeds to show that the reverse is the case. The fact of children being engaged in sewing a lot of old rags together, when they might i>e employed in more rational manner, in being made acquainted with the rudiments of the occupation of a domestic sempstress, shows that no great amount of judgment is exercised in some directions. The recommendations of the committee upon the subject appear to be made in a right directionThe fact is, that the system of education throughout New Zealand in almost all schools, requires a very large amount of alteration and amendment. Children are taught all sorts of things which can be of no possible use to them in after life, while other matters which everyone should have at least some conception ofj are. left altogether in the back ground. For instance, what is being done in our schools in the direction of training girls to become good hous •- wives? Positively nothing. Girls merging into womanhood, are to be found in all directions, every one of whom are able to crochet an antimaccassar, hut who have not the remotest idea ot the simple art of m ikin" a pudding. They can thump away at the keys of a piano )o the admiration of their blood relations, and without tiring of the recreation, if such it may be termed, but that is a thing which, administered in excessive doses, is hardly calculated alum!, of itself, to make the home of a Working man a h.ippy one. Sweetmeats may be pleasant eating, but something more substantial is required f.»r culinary mortal sustenance. In old.-r countries than this, it is considered necessary to teach children in schools the art of cookery, and no possible reason or argument can be advanced against the adoption of such a course here. Many of the items which appear in the list of studies in New Zealand schools, might wed be omitted, and others inserted in their places. What is the use of indoctrina.

ting the infant mind with a thorough knowledge of the exact latitude and longtitude of Borrioboola Gha, when really useful questions are thrown on one side, and yet this kind of thing is going on day by day, while hardly a protest is raised against the perpetuation of a system which is radically wrong, and which must be known to be so by every thinking individual. In making these remarks, it must not be for a moment supposed that they are applied solely to the State Schools of the colony ; they have general application. With reference to a circular from the Central Board of Education, and read at the meeting of the School Committee, it can only be said that it was as preposterous as the rest of the circulars which emanate from the Board. They want to know the nature of the duties performed by pupil teachers. What is the use of a highly paid Inspector if he cannot define them. As for the idea of the local committee making recommendations for the curtailing of expenditure, that is absurd. When the head-quarters of the Central Board were removed to Greymonth, it was, for a time, fondly supposed that the bracing air of that locality would exercise a beneficial effect upon (hose gentlemen who resided in less salubiious spots, but this hope has died away, and we find that the old average of inconsistency, to use no stronger term, still survives. However, the Board have now received a slap in the face which they will not easily forget. The recommendations of the committee to reduce the expenses of the Board seem to be both fair and reasonable, and when next the “superior body,” meets, it will do well to consider most attentively, the suggestions made to it.