EDUCATION IN THE COLONY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4308, 11 January 1875, Page 3

EDUCATION IN THE COLONY.

(From the Canterbury Press, January 5.) The report of the Inspector of Schools in the province of Wellington has just been published, and we gladly refer to it in support of our recent plea for the establishment of a system of standards. The state of education in the North Island generally is admitted to be much less satisfactory than amongst ourselves. In the province of Wellington there appears to be a wide-spread desire for improvement, and a disposition to follow the lead of the provinces of the South Island. There is a talk of now school buildings, of more liberal payment to teachers, of the institution of a pupil teacher system, of bonuses to teachers holding high certificates, and of founding scholarships. Hitherto good intentions have been held in check by insufficiency of pecuniary means. But in one respect Wellington has already succeeded in setting us a. good example. Certain standards have been adopted for purposes of inspections, and the Inspector’s report bears testimony to the good effects of the innovation. We regret that our information does not enable us to make a statement with regard to the number and character of the standards. Only three standards are mentioned, and the Inspector remarks that Standard 111. is practically a hard standard to pass, and the thirtysix boys and nine girls who have obtained * * certificates * * possess an evidence of having obtained a good schooling. He also states that his last inspection was the first in which he had made use of the third standard. From this we infer that the third is the highest. We are of opinion that three standards are not sufficient, having regard to the due classification of children in an ordinary school. There should be at least six, or perhaps seven, corresponding to the six or seven years of school life from six or seven to thirteen or fourteen years of age. The report shows that 46 per cent, of all the children on the books of the schools have passed Standard I. and that 14 per cent, have passed Standard 11. In the third standard only I'4 per cent, could pass. We gather from the detailed statement of results at the various schools, that the 46 per cent, is inclusive of the 14 per cent, as that is of the smaller number, and that consequently 54 per cent, of the children have failed to attain to the lowest standard. Poor as this result is, it is a proof of progress, the percentage of success being higher than at the examination immediately preceding. There is, therefore, great reason to fear that the actual condition of the majority of schools to which the test of standards has not yet been applied is no better than may be fairly represented by the figures we have quoted from the report. The advantages of the new system have already become apparent. The Inspector takes no notice of one, important element of gain—the melancholy satisfaction of knowing the worst. But he clearly indicates two most beneficial effects of the method. The first we will give in his own words—“ The introduction of the system of standards has had a greater effect in creating a spirit of emulation in teachers and scholars than I anticipated. The table of figures, showing the results in the several schools and districts, should speak with an eloquence greater than words. There has been a clear increase of 15 per cent, in the number of children who have passed Standard 1., and an increase of 7 per cent, in the number who have passed Standard II.” The other good result appears in a more practical tone given to the schools. The teachers having the fear of the standards before their eyes work up to them, and abjure many of their old desultory ways. Catechisms are disappearing, the long sewing lessons, which passed away the time of the girls with so little trouble to the teacher, are curtailed; the gymnastics of spelling—the wonderful feats accomplished, in the acquisition of a knowledge of a. few difficult words—are not allowed to divert attention from the more ordinary and useful forms of language; where mensuration and algebra were taught for the mere name of the thing, and in advance of the pupil’s requirements and ability, they are now renounced, and generally the schools are settling down to a steady course of good, solid, .fundamental work. . The Inspector entertains the hope that it may become possible in some of the larger schools to give succesaful instruction in Latin and Algebra, and in other subjects beyond the ordinary routine of elementary education, and he warmly advocates the introduction of drawing into the elementary course. But he expresses a strong opinion against any attempt to set up a higher standard while only fortyfive children out of 3147 on the books can pass the third. On the face of it, this opinion appears reasonable enough. The only misgiving we have is about the application of it. It is possible to defeat one’s own end by narrowing the range of instruction. If in order to secure ability to read, write, and calculate, the school is tied down to the three R’s., the wearisome round may have a deadening effect upon the general intelligence of the children, and thus their progress even in these subjects at which they are kept grinding may he retarded. The three R’s. supply at the best only a negative test of the teacher’s success. No method of instruction under which these are; found to suffer can be a practical one. But wo believe it is possible to combine with instruction in these essentials the communication of other useful knowledge; which shall have such an effect on the development of general intelligence ae to promote rather than hinder their ready acquisition. It is here that the real value ot a well considered method of education will toll, and that the power ot a gifted teacher will make itself felt. Where teachers are ill-adapted to their work and untrained, it may be wise to insist upon their confining themselves to essentials until a certain measure of progress has been secured. But in the case of a horn teacher, with a really scientific method at his fingers’ ends, such restrictions would be positively injurious. Leave him to his own devices, and you may depend upon it that, however he may overpass the narrow limits sometimes necessary, the general waking up of the faculties by his teaching on many subjects will re-act upon the essential subjects in such a way that, even if the examination at inspections bo confined to the three R’s, his reputation will be in no danger. Such an examination will by no means show all that he has done with his pupils, but he will certainly not suffer by it.