AN EDUCATION BORE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4209, 16 September 1874, Page 3

AN EDUCATION BORE.

TO THE EDITOR. g lKj —will you have the kindness to publish the enclosed letters in your journal for the information and benefit of local committees of advice. The first is a copy of a letter which I sent to the Board of Education “ Pahautanui, 24th August, 1874. “ Gentlemen,— l regret to say that I feel myself under the necessity of complaining of the treatment I received from Mr. Lee, the Inspector of Schools, upon the occasion of his last visit to this district. “ And in order that you may properly understand the matter,' I must relate the simple facts of the case; I had been informed by several of the settlors that their children were making no progress, and that they did not know the whole of the alphabet although they had been under Mr; Singer’s tuition for the last' eighteen mouths. I was also informed that Mr. Singer, did not teach the alphabet in the school. In consequence of this I put the question to Mr.. Singer, at a meeting of the Local Committee, and he said it was quite true, and that they did not teach it in any school now, but began with words of one syllable, and the children acquired a knowledge of it in that way by the sound of the words. He gave as an example that c-a-n spelt ‘ can,’ and g-o ‘ go,’ thereby destroying the natural sound of the letters. (Perhaps he forgot at the time that C had its natural sound in ‘ patience,’ and G in ‘exaggeration,’ and a great many other words .as well.) I told him it was my opinion that the old. system was the best, and I had always understood it was necessary that a child should be taught the alphabet as a first lesson, and made to acquire a perfect knowledge of all the letters before it was taught to spell words. • He replied that clever men had made education the study of a lifetime, and the system would not be adopted if it was not the best. I told him that ! did not put myself on a par with those men, and allowed the matter to drop. But meeting Mr. Lee at the school a week or two after; I thought I would ask his opinion on the subject. Accordingly I did so, and lie answered that the alphabet was taught. I told him I had been informed it was not, and that it was not, taught in this school. Mr. Singer interfered and said it was not a fair way of putting the question. With Mr. Lee’s permission I then called one of the children to be examined by him. He tried him with a few words of one syllable, and some of the letters on a tablet that the child had been learning for weeks past, which, of course, he knew. I suggested that he should be tried with the: whole of the alphabet. Mr. Lee,said that was quite sufficient for him, and that the child knew his letters. . “ He then told me (in a very offensive tone) that it was a great pity I could not work with Mr. Singer, that I. was injuring the school thereby, and it was as clear as noonday to him that I was throwing every obstacle in Mr. Singer’s way; that I ’was one of those sort of men who ought neVer to be appointed upon any committee, and accused me of making statements that I could not substantiate, and he should report me to the Board. I denied having made .a false, statement in any instance, and told him I thought it was necessary to report him to the Board also, and show them how he had treated the Committee. I then appealed to Mr.' Singer for the truth of what I had brought forward, hut he had trimmed his sails by the Inspector's, and told me he should not answer me.. “Now, I would like to know, gentlemen, of what use are your Local Committees if they are to be snubbed and put down in this manner. What can any Inspector (who comes once in six months and stops a few hours) know of tire wants and wishes of the settlers, if he "will not listen to those' appointed to watch the interests of the school. Mr. Lee never asked the Committee if the school was being conducted in a satisfactory manner, whether • there were any complaints of any sort to he made, or any suggestions which we' wished to offer for the consideration of the Board. “ If I may be allowed to offer an opinion, I must say that I think Mr. Toomath’s proposition that the Inspector should examine the schools by set rules, a very judicious and necessary one. . , “With regard to Mr;Lee’s remark (that I was one of those sort of men who ought never to be appointed upon any Committee) I beg to inform you that I have had the honor to be elected annually for six years as one of the Committee, and appointed as its chairman when the school was entirely under tho management of the Local Committee. —I have the honor to be, gentlemen, your obedient servant, “Eras. Bradey, “ Chairman of Local Committee.” “Since writing this.-letter I have been informed that Mr. Singer has this day for the first time chalked the alphabet on each side of the black board, and told the children to write it down and learn it.” . With reference to the above letter, wc are told by the report from the Board of Education, published in your issue of Tuesday, the Bth inst., that after some little discussion the Secretary was instructed to reply that the letter had been read and discussed, Mr. Lee being present and explaining matters to the Board; and the Board hoped that in future relations between the Committee, the Master, and the Inspector would proceed smoothly. Now, Sir, I cannot 1 see how we arc to proceed smoothly, when the Inspector is allowed to irsult the. Committee owith impunity. What Mr. Lee’s explanation was I do not know, but if tho case was reversed, and I had need the same insulting terms to .the Inspector, ns he used towards me, I fancy I should not have found the matter no easy of explanation. At all events, if I had so .far forgotten myself as to use such language, I should have felt it my duty to apologise for it.-, I shall be very glad of an answer, through the columns of your : paper, to the question which originated the dispute, viz., is it the best method to teach the alphabet as a first lesson, or to commence with words of one syllable,—l remain, yours, &c., Eras. Bradey. September 14.