PRIZE-GIVING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2219, 23 December 1920, Page 2

PRIZE-GIVING.

A PROFESSOR, in presiding at a school prize-giving ceremony at Wellington recently, said: “There is one class .of boys in whom I take a special interest, (hose are the boys who have tried hard and failed lo win a prize. It is a fine thing to work hard and win, and then boar one’s honours meekly, but it is still finer lo strive and lose, ’renounce without becoming bitter, and try again. That is the type of boy that does most for himself and the world in later life.’’ The race is to the swift, but it strikes us that there is something wrong in (he method of awarding prizes. We don’t marvel at alO 1 1 ,i>. engine doing the standard of work of that required by an engine of half its motive’ capacity. Ho with children. Less kudos should be given to the child of abnormal menial capacity, and more encouragement to the comparatively subnormal child who has reached the standard of efficiency only after strenuous toil and application unknown to (lie quicker child. This is where the law of psychology comes hi which, by the way, is totally wanting in I lie qualifications of many of our teachers, A well qualified teacher should he able, within two or three months, to classify 25 to 30 scholars, and lo concentrate on the mental development of Ihe dull child. In the prize-giving many of the best workers are overlooked, whereas a little encouragement would inspire them to further efforts and greater menial development.