Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 1898. School Writing.

Manawatu Herald, 26 April 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 1898. School Writing.

Thb Wanganui Education Board, a ; ts la^t meeting, did. wisely in di-fer •ing its decision as to the style of writing to be adopiH? in the B^ard'--chools in place of the Vere F.»rß ! ei <yßtem now in use. Wo vpntured to object very strongly on the writing •be Board in initted their liking for, hi»t of the upright style, and the objections we raised have been up held by the Inspectors. Mr VerikerBindon has always been an advocate of the Yere Forster system, but we do not like it very much on the same grounds that it is objected to by business men whose clerks havfe tha. hand, as though the formation of ib letters undoubtedly lead.* to th. obtaining of a free and quick sljl-j o writing, yet wiih careless writers th. letters are not clear, and th^ writing is apt to deteriorate very qnicklj\ These are patent facts, otherwise thore would not have bten such an outcry sufficient to have caused th* Board to adopt eorue other style rf wviiing in the schools und.-r" ilu-ir charge. When in Hawkes Bay the other day we made it our bu ine-s to inquire what manner cf writing? was taught there, and by tha couit, sy of tha headmaster oi the Dannevi.kc r uiool we have had a copy book sent us. The writing; is almost the style 4 hc Wanganui Education Board are desiring, as, far from being upiight, it has less slope than the Vere Forster, and more character. The books are called " The London Copy Books," and are published by Wm. Isbister of Ludgate Hill. There are twelve books, two for Standard I, giving elementary letters, and simple combinations, and short words in common use ; for Standard 11, th^ book contains simple geographical terms and definitions ; the books for Standard 111 give the geng aphical hoadlinps of England ; and f«>r S:an dards IV, V, and VI are also gno graphical head lines of Scotland, the Colonies, and Europe. We think that if the Board would procure a copy of this series they would b? pleased with the e!yle and would probably adopt it. We however would rather retain the present system than have the objectionable upright writing thru3fc upon our children.