The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1885. THE EDUCATION QUESTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 91, 21 March 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1885. THE EDUCATION QUESTION

At '; a recent meeting of the North ; Center biiiy 'Education Board, one of 'th& rrirf'rnbfcrs brought, before, the Bonrd 'i'^bj^ct' Which ; is,; now attracting ranch i ittention, both atfSonieind m t;he co! ionics, viz., the amount of Honie . Lessons given to children at" tending : State Sohools. In mtroduc-

the case of a little girl who had recently died. He said she had been 'working, with all Her niign* for a. coming examination, but it was too much for her. Before the examination came she had to relinqnish her tasks ; she took ill, and JiJHSP ibj^braih Jav^r.^ "He^^alk, While; m delirium, ""wasf all abdnt her ta'skg/ 1 and no one who.icne'w the paticulars of the case enntd doubt ttiiat-her illness and its Said cpnclusipn was broright on by over- work. After having discussed the subject 'at "sbhie ! length h.e moved —>' That consequent, j upon thte pfenprar ooniplatnt. against | horne^lesspnis liy parents jand others, j "te^n%i; be' diiiected to confine such, work totdomriiittingC^o. memory tße multiplioatiori; .^iid 'other tables, weights and measures! rules- ;'<)f syntax, etc., or poetry to the more advanced cl{is#e«i inisjach'easyijportions as coedd neither injure not could be reasonably phjedted ' to." -As ? an amendment i|, was proposed^ — " ThM while tKe Bb^d' is of opinidniTthatva 'moderate^moiint tif home-work is necessa|y to enable children to make reaß^abje^rbgresß,^ ?it strongly disrr approves^ any : Excess mith^t |irec^tiofi^ and desires that :eaoh. teacher should exercise careful discrimination' so as to avoid over-wpyk. The amendment was carried. A'Sonthern contemporary appropriately remarks :■■ " this very wellj^ nut wlierer' is the line to be drawn ? The, schoolmaster knows that the Inspector » will visit his school, and .that unless he produces goo 4 results his reputation will suffer, and ne;wi|i eventually be dismissed." ytiit tiie' niaster^ who desires to retain his position apare the children at .the risk of ruining himself? Most undoubtedly he will not. Qja the jEsher hand indolent teachers wiU^ntserotth^nave'as an exense when their childreu fail m their examinations, that they were instructed by the^BoardiiTot- to. pove^-tax, jthera. To Bettl6'«ion matters as-tiiis 2By v Se t rules is impossible, and the less Boards of Educatiou meddle with" them JfrJtheV: better^ •SyerfciJmncbi, depends upon the InspeotorV H*d£i&£ be^d aelf-ppinionated, -austere, Vxactitag personage -who judges by results only. But results, lit pur experience, are often far from conclusive evidence ' of catt>£al teaching. What teacher; has not proved ItUe I fact that iesrilts' '«W ( -by HO meail^ittv fallible, ><■ andj indeed very frequently are quite misleading. A lad will be m many instances so anxious to acquit himself creditably . that his very ar^xietx practically militates against his chances of success. Wip believe too much importance is Httached to examinations, and that Inspectors are too prone to be guided entirely by results.. -.lt army. be said that they have no other means of arriving at. a decision. From this we difFer altogether. | !A,_schpol inspector.; who -is competent to (iischarge the" duties of that very responsible position, should hfi h msteri&\\y t aided, bnt nojt solely, aaided, hy the "results of periodical ! csaminationsc There are dtfeer' arid reliable tests and sources of information open to liini, provided lie Tenders, himself accessible to the teachers, whicli he. wllfr ifinil of ; Aat^rial .assistjl^ce,. .when acting m. t< his pfficial l j c^ga.ciiy i .r ,; jf .re^plts'alone^ave' tp .oe o x eperi3ea ' ' upon, " tiie cPnVcietitioW cL v orts of many a painS&king/ |>B'i'se\*ering.^^cher, ,wbo desires to. im,partr usefi^ knowledge pf &'' general v cliarayter bn'a sound basis-Vill be tb a great extent ' stulti fied and dis-, ic'puraj.r^sianil- education wi.ll become merely: .rou.tme and snperficia^ m its character. ' • * .■ •