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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5390, 6 July 1878, Page 2

At the last general meeting of the Education Board it was announced that attempts were about to be ■ made to raise the salaries, and generally to improve the status of public school teachers throughout New Zealand. The question involved is of no little importance, and 'is undoubtedly one that demands the active attention of all those who take any interest in educational matters. . To lake a simple case, it may be alleged that no trained artisan will ever attempt to perform a piece of work without first seeing that the tools which he must necessarily employ are in such condition as to bo thoroughly fit for use. lit ter/nail we may not.unreasonably conclude that the State, before taking any measures to provide for the education of the masses, shall first be very careful to ascertain not only that the necessary amount of “teaching power ” is at hand, but that that which does present itself for use is of the highest possible quality. To some indeed it may. appear to bo somewhat of an exaggeration to say that till the competency of the masters employed is an assured fact no high results can reasonably bo expected. Yet by these same men it will be readily acknowledged that the best conceivable plan must prove a failure, if the attempt is made to carry it into effect by means of incompetent instructors. This indeed is self-evident, and may not be gainsaid. There was a time in the history of New Zealand when all that could be asked was, that every intelligent man should be ready to turn his hand to any work that presented itself, and was in any measure within his capacities. For only on these conditions was it possible that the essential needs of the community could be then supplied; Now, however, the time has past when unless young men and women took charge of schools while studying their professions there was danger that the children of the community would grow up totally illiterate. The population is becoming sufficiently dense to render permanency of occupation at once practicable and desirable. Moreover, knowledge and the science of teaching have so developed that the methods of instruction which could at one time be applied with some degree of efficiency by persons who turned to the occupation only as a last resource are now antiquated, and may be regarded as obsolete or useless. It does not indeed appear to us unnatural that the former conditions of this profession of teaching should continue to exercise some influence on its present state ; but in the interests of the community this must be done away with as rapidly as possible. Large numbers of men' are constantly and actively engaged, under the powerful incentive of self-interest, in efforts to develop and improve the applications of knowledge in every department of human exertion in which there may exist a possibility of pecuniary gain. Another group of men, small in number, but including much of the best intellectual' force of the world, is equally eager, under the influence of ambition and other less selfish motives, in the pursuit of pure science. Of such men—men whom to mention without praise is no easy task—we have in our midst some notable examples. Blit it is not with these that wo have now to deal. The subject to which it is necessary to direct attention is the astonishing progress which has resulted from the efforts of these two divisions of workers. And in as far as education may be regarded as a preparation for active life, Us methods also must constantly be improved if it is to keep its proper place in the social system. The same attainments which wore considered sufficient for a teacher half a century ago, will no more answer the requirements of his successor of to-day than would those of a mechanical engineer of fifty years since suffice for a. machine constructor of the: present time. The human mind indeed has not changed, neither have the properties of force and matter ; but the product in demand in both cases is very far from the. same. ' Now, we do think that we shall say anything that .is not already well known to a large section, of the public when we declare that a very: large number of the masters at present engaged in the public schools of .the colony are not perfectly fit for their work, and have no_ claim to bo regarded; as capable instructors, or as professional teachers at all. . In our

own district this was sufficiently illustrated in the report issued by Mr. Lee at the end of the last year. This re-port-caused not a little heart-burning at the time amongst the teachers of the district ; but there is room for hope that the ill feeling aroused may have been in some degree compensated for by the subsequent development of improvements in the staff employed. The same defects that were noticed by Mr. Lee'in his report have likewise been made the subject of remark by the inspectors of the districts of Canterbury and Otago. Mr. W. S. Fitzgerald, the rector of the Normal School in Dunedin, writing to the Secretary of the Education Board says: “Students who on “ joining us would readily have entered “ on. responsible situations without a “doubt as to their ability to discharge “ their duties, now, though holding third- “ class certificates, were most unwilling to “ undertake any work until the full course “ of preparation was completed. With the “ exception of those attending University’ “.classes, the seniors were arranged in the “ order of merit in the certificate exarni- “ nation, and appointments were offered “to them in turn, all except the “ lowest having the option of refusal, “and almost invariably the appoint- “ ments were left to the lowest.” In the face of such reports as these it would appear that, following the example of Ontario, of California, of Sweden, of Japan, and finally of England itself,"wo should adopt means for the establishment of extensive and thorough training institutions, through which should lead the only path to appointments in our public schools. There exist, indeed, at present, in some of the education districts of New Zealand, various well-conducted and model schools, and steps have lately been taken to start one of the same description here in Wellington ; but these attempts are too weak and unimportant to effect any permanently valuable result. What is really needed is that there should be one large institution for the whole colony, one head centre with which might rest the entire education and training of the whole requisite “ teaching power.” More than a month since We endeavored in these columns to institute a comparison in educational matters between our own district and that of Christchurch, and we then ventured to suggest to the Wellington Board that, by associating itself with the Board of Christchurch, it might give help for the attainment of the object in view, whilst securing at the same time efficient instruction for any persons in this district who may desire to qualify themselves for the work of teaching. Now, it will bo readily admitted that such a reform as we have suggested cannot bo carried out in a moment. It must be years at least before a truly competent body of school teachers can be gathered together. All the more then is it necessary that the required changes should bo begun without delay. An intelligent plan should be worked out, and confided to men whose ability and trustworthiness is unquestioned. There it should be left, free from those perturbations which so constantly jar the machinery of State, rendering much of it totally unfit for fine and careful work. A considerable increase of expenditure must be expected and endured. It is an accepted theory that all true civilisation is based upon universal education. This basis then must bo strengthened and perfected, or what will become of the superstructure.