The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1913. EDUCATION IN AMERICA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 30, 6 October 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1913. EDUCATION IN AMERICA.

An interesting lecture on education in Canada and America was recently delivered before the North Canterbury School Committees' Association by Mr John Studholme, in the course of which he claimed that the conditions in the countries named were very similar to those in-New Zealand. In 1900 he travelled from Vancouver d iun the western seaboard States, and along fhe Mexican border to New Orleans, and through the Southern States to Washington, Here he saw Mr Wilson, of the Federal Department of Agriculture, from whom he learned something of the methods adopted in connection with agrioul-, tural education. The information j coined during the week he was in Washington was a revelation to him.

Great impetus had been given to the ( study of agriculture, and af all the, universities he visited large numbers were taking the course in agriculture. V similar impetus was given to engineering and industrial education. In 1909, "hen ho revisited America, he found that this movement had greatly increased. After referring to the

ending educationists that he met in America, he said they had been dis-

satisfied with the old methods, con- _ sidering them too bookish, and giving ; an undue and mischievous value to book knowledge without giving the ' child the ability to apply that know- ' ledge to everyday life. Professor Henry had told him that the "three R's" were not thß fundamental 01 education: a man could be a good citizen without possessing any knowledge of them; the three fundamentals were, knowledge of one's environment, the power to give an industrial application of this knowledge, and efficiency in the management of the Lome. The newer education aimed at all-round development by training the eye and the head as well as the mind—by Nature study, by manual training, and by home science. The main justification of manual training was its educational value. Home, or domestic, science, was expected to do for girls what manual training did for boys. Referring to the Normal School founded by Sir William Macdonald, near Montreal, the lecturer said that Sir William considered that the ideal normal school should be in the country, close to and forming part" of the agricultural college.