Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1897. School Teaching.

Manawatu Herald, 26 August 1897, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1897. School Teaching.

Wb were very glad to notice a leader in the Manawatu Standard the other day on the absurdity of Committee, parents, and teachers being so highly delighted when* at an eifamMuation the whole dumber presented, passed. We have always urged this view, and are thus well pleased to find a paper edited by a member of the ! Wanganui Education Board, speaking so strongly on the matter* as it shows that there is a chance that an Education Board will at last grasp this Question and award its praise and blame to teachers on a better system than that of passcß. To everyone who has anything to do with the working of our public schools one thin* must be Very evident} add that is the amnwnt of responsibility that rests upon the head teacher. He cannot always command succes3, for he may not have the material?) in assiatatttsj to do so* but with an average olas9 of assistants the school is entirely in his hands to make or mar. To him is left the initiative and upon him lies the duty of stirring or encouraging his staff to take part in, and teach the young ideas how to play as well as how to Work. He is, nominally, and very much so in many instances, supposed to oversee what goes on in the playground, but this is just an instance of the ohanoe a school has of having a teacher capable of fulfilling the whole duties of his position, A school, well taught in learning and in the playground could well afford to have only 75 per cent of passes and yet be reckoned one of the best schools in tbe district. To get such a school is the aim of every committee t but their efforts are thwarted by, at times, the power of • cram ' a master possesses, and at others by a sort of indifference ehown by the Board as to the best interests of soni9 of their schools. Referring again to the question of passes, we cannot help feeling that there is a great injustice shown to the bright and industrious scholars "by there being only an annual examination to enable them to move from Standard to Standard. It will be admitted that the average attendance on a sohool roll is nowhere up to 100 per cent., and thus in sohoo's which pass their 100 per cent there must have been many scholars who could have been removed before a year had passed. We fully understand that a head teacher has power to do so, but in how few oases is it ever exercised ? And the real reason why it is not bo exercised is to be found in this objectionable bogey of passes. No head teacher will lessen his hopes of future rewards simply to advance the present advantages to his scholars, so that we have children taking so many years to go through a school course in which one-third of them could accomplish in half the time. The inspection is at fault. Owing the press of work the Board's officer, the Inspector, only inspeota a sohool once a year t That is, he pays one flying visit, and also holds an ex* amination. We are sure this officer would admit that this is far too seldom and is thus unfair to everyone. As the new arrangements ot the Board treat the contents of the Inspector's reports on these visits as privileged communications, we say. that it makes the matter even more unfair to the parents of the scholars, as whatever he may have complained of may be perpetuated for another six months, that is until he is able to pay the school another visit. This may at first sight appear only a matter that affects the Board and the teachers, but closely looked into it effects most materially th.c hundred scholars or so of the school, as it is a matter of much moment to very many of the parents that their children should have reached the higher standards at a certain age, so that government positions may be open to them. This is not likely to be so when an Inspector is not satisfied with .the management of a head teacher and yet he is left so long without further testing. An Inspector also wants more than a day at a school to thoroughly appreciate its progress in what is now rightly considered all a part of an education, both work and play. We trust this matter of both tbe character of the education the scholars get at a publio sohool and the inspection the head teachers get from the Board will be closely watched by those who have children attending these schools. It would be an advantage if parents would display more real interest in their children's progress, and see to their attending regularly to take advantage of what is to their hand, but whilst doing this it would also be well if they conversed with their children about their school life for 41 out of the mouths of babes " much might be learnt which would very much astonish them, and thus lead to their making further inquiry. We are writing generally, making no distinctly local applications, for we

I are assured that the whole of oar i present system of State Education needs pome outside and unbiassed examination to check the unwarrantable pride the majority hold ie in.