EDUCATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 13, 22 April 1871, Page 11

EDUCATION.

Some words become obsolete, and others, in the course of time, lose their original meaning. The term educais seldom used in the sense it was formerly. It is now generally applied to instruction given at school, while that instruction does not extend over so wide a range as it used to do. There is no good reason why the term should not be restored to its original meaning, any why school instruction should be limited to the few subjects now taught. 'Education, in its broad signification, embraces a great variety of subjects ; and is, in fact, universal in its operation. Every house, in one sense, is a school; every adult,fhowever, unqualified for the office, a teacher ; and every child a willing or unwilling scholar. Education, in this sense, commences in the cradle, and is continued through life. It is of the utmost importance that rhis fact should be always borne in mind, alike by parents, by the public, and by Parliament. Por it follows that as education is general it does not require to be established, but improved; to be rendered less powerful for evil, and more powerful for good. Instruction, in the elementary arts of reading and writing, is not education. It is only a means of acquiring one kind of knowledge; and that is of a more limited nature than is generally assumed. Instruction, in its broadest and complete sense, is noi education. It is merely the intellectual training by means of which the mind acquires the power of discerning and correctly appreciating facts, and the power of reasoning on the facts observed. Such training does not necessarily imply the inculcation, bj precept and example, of that knowledge which is calculated to give a right direction to the energies of the mind ; or of such habits and views as are calculated to make a man a useful citizen of a free commonwealth. It may make him learned, but not of necessity good. It is, to say the least, open to question whether the facilities which are now afforded by means of the steam press, school book#, and improved apparatus for acquiring elementary information, and asmatter-

ing of knowledge, are not inimical to even intellectual training. Whether,' in fact, the mind is not weakened alike, by having too little solid food, and too much assistance in acquiring this sort of knowledge; just as the health is injured by high living, and the limbs weakened by having too little to do. The evil may not stop here; for the mental laziness thus, as it were, en-, couraged in the child may become habitual in the man. This danger it should be.observed is more imminent in this country where there are so few other agencies at present in operation to counteract this natural tendency of the mind, and the evils arising from this easy way of acquiring book-know-ledge. Thus, it will be seen, that school instruction, as now administered, is not education ; not even mental training; but simply the learning of the names and uses of some of the keys by which, if the scholar in after life should feel disposed to use them, some of the richest stores of knowledge may be unlocked. Let us not be misunderstood. "We do not wish to underestimate the advantages derived by the individual, by society, and by the State, from the general diffusion of a knowledge of reading, writing, and arithmetic; but we think that there is danger, particularly at the present time, of looking upon the elementary school as all important,, to the overlooking of other educational agencies for good or evil which are perhaps of equal importance. Let every child be taught to read and, write with facility; let the State place the means of such instruction within the reach of all; and let it at the same time make it compulsory for all to be thus taught; but do not let us confound such instruction with education —a means with the end. It is at best but an instrument by which, knowledge is acquired, and it is not so efficient and indispensable for this purpose as is generally supposed. Nor is it necessary that the subjects taught in our common' schools should be restricted to those now taught. We have said that school instruction does not now extend over so wide a range of subjects as formerly obtained. but we do not see any reason why it should not. Our fathers, were they to arise from their graves, would be astonished at the improvements which had taken place in. our educational machinery ; but they would not acknowledge that some of the changes which had been effected were improvements. In their day the girls Were taught sewing and knitting ; the boys initiated in habits of cleanliness, industry, order, and discipline ; while both boys and girls were impressed with the importance of good manners and obedience. Some of these things, we will venture to say, constitute no part of the instruction given in our common schools ; though we fail to see why the other lessons taught should necessitate these being wholly, or in a great measure, neglected. The introduction of sewing machines into girls' schools, as in Otago, would be a decided improvement; and the teaching of military drill and the use of arms to the boys, as in Switzerland, should be at once carried into operation. "We have said that education is universal, and that its character depends on what is taught. It is good or bad according to the circumstances with, which the scholar is surrounded, and the degree and nature of the instruction which he receives ; and hence it becomes as necessary to abolish all bad schools as to establish good ones; to discountenance all ageucies having an evil tendency, as to originate and foster those of an opposite character. The railway and the tavern are two most powerful educational institutions; the one for good the other for evil. The one is a means by which valuable instruction is acquired, and the most inveterate prejudices are annihilated. The other is a place where the worst lessons are learned, and all good ones obliterated. Whether the "principle of permissive compulsion" will be found in the end more effective in securing the abolition of " schools of vice" than it has been when applied to the main-, tenance of our highways and common schools, is, we think doubtful, but the very agitation of the subject, though it may not secure all that is anticipated cannot fail to prove beneficial. Information on a most important question

will be diffused, and the mind will get stirred up ; and these, in an educational point of view, are great objects gained, which will bring forth valuable fruit. The railway is one of the agencies to which we alluded as having a tendency to counteract that mental laziness which the easy road to knowledge constituted in our day induces, and which the habit of reading for mere amusement perpetuates. The tilling of the fields is neglected where food grows spontaneously; and the mind remains uncultivated when the contents of books are swallowed and not digested. But the habit of observing man and nature under new and varied aspects, which railway travelling promotes and satisfies; the enlargement of the field of observation which such travelling effects; the interchange of ideas which it causes; the strange facts which by this means become known; and the large store of information which is thus obtained; all singly and combined serve to indicate that railways are most important educational institutions, and that our educational system will not be complete without them.-