EDUCATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 34, 19 December 1879, Page 2

EDUCATION.

i'O THE EDITOR OF THE MANAWATU HERALD. Sib, — I have read your leading article on our present educational system with consilerable interest and Borne surprise. lam interested in wha^you say of the overtaxed oruins of our youthful Bchohrs, which is ;.»rob<ibly correct, and worthy of attention. I am surprised, however, at your saying .hat, "in many public schools Latin and •Jreek are prominent subjects," an 1 was under the impression that only a very littlo .atm and Greek were taught at a very few if them, and I Bhull bo glail if you can tell ti>; where those are to be found in which, as you think, so much time is wasted in reaching those neoessury branches of tt Liberal education. The general tenor of your leading article leadß one to suppose hat you are not speaking of uuch institutions as tho Wellington or Nelson Col•e^es, but of the free schools of the jolony ; and if Latin and Greek (as you seem to imply) are taught to any ippreci.ible extent in these latcer, I cauuot n»t think it a matter with regard to wh'ch ac general pablio need to be congratulated iit.her than warned. It is more. I admit, hnn they have any right to expect tho Hate to provide free of fees, but a benefit hey Bh'Uild all desire for their children. [t is true no doub', as you any. that Latin ud Greek are of little practical usu to non irofessional men, if you mean by practical i«e that such persons will have no need or ii.;linaiion to read them ; but ie nothing to >o said for the refining influences of such studies, which would probably do more than anything else to correct that tendency to the roughness and cool self-conceit which arc so painfully conspicuous in many of the youth of the colony ? •' Manners maky th man," and it is not without reason that Latin J.nd Greek have been called the •' Humanities." In learning Latin and GJreek, even if the pupil never gets beyond iie " Prhu'.ipia Latina " and " Initia iJrsßw'a," he will not merely be furnished with materials for bettei* uudersl anding and appreciating the Bullish language, but fanilijirijecl with beauties of thought and expression and a whole field of poetry, philosophy aud history, which probably other.viso remain a " teira incognita." In learning Latin and Greek grammar, too, he in at the same time learning English grammar ; md thero is no better practioo in English composition than that which is involved in translating these languages. It may be true enough, as Dr Angus says, that the careful study of English may be made as .rood a mental discipline as ihe study of the ilassical languageH, but Dr Angus only <.iys that it may be made so. He does not my I hat it is mado so, or is likely to be inude so, in the ordinary run of schools ; so chat what h% Hays (not to mention the wellkuown fact that English is the learned doc. tor's hobby, and that he may be riding it to -.loath) must be taken with a grain of salt which seriously modifies its flavor. I am, &c, Classic. Palmerston, December 12, 1879. [Our correspondent admits that for practical purposes Latin and Greek are of little •ise, as " uon-pi'ufessioual persons will have ao need or inclination to read them " That •vas the point of our arguinenl. The Colonial taxpayer objects to bleeding for the ■ireation of •♦ refining influences," and we hink rightly so. To give a Bound, suba antial education he has no objection, but "refining influences" — however desirable iv the individual — are not wiihin the range >f necessities to this. Latin and Greek aoubtless have a tendency to remove " cool self-conceit " from the minds of youth, but we doubt whether they would succeed to ■my great extent iv New Zealand ; in fact, ao far a 8 we have seeD, Colonial boys, whether belonging to tho top form of a college and learning ths classics, or simply <oiug through the ordinary work of a common school, are much the same, having the ■min9 pugnacious and independent manner ; ho that whatever may be the effect of the classics in tho direction indicated, observaiion does not confirm materially the argument. That Colonial boys have more " conceit " (to use our correspondent's word) than those at Home, is doubtless true, but the reason is altogether different from that urgued upon the classical education of Ihe former, as compared with the non-classical training of the latter. What is practical md useful should be taught by the State, and nothing more. That a healthy, stalwart physique is promoted by regular drill, is accepted as true, and accordingly it is taught in most fi-hools ; but to carry the jjoint further, and say that dancing should be taught because it promotes a graceful carriage, would be to allow "refining influences " greater sopo in our educational ■•ystem than most colnuists think desirable We simply make the remark in illustration of our position that nothing beyond what is necessary should be tnught. Wo would merely remark, in conclusion, that we in no wny undervalue the great advantages of classical knowledge. Our whole object i.-t to poiut out that it should not form a part of State education. — Eu M. Hkbald.]