The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1915. NOTES AND COMMENTS. CIVIC EDUCATION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 142, 18 February 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1915. NOTES AND COMMENTS. CIVIC EDUCATION.

(With which is' incorporated The Tub. hapo Post 'i.D 3 Waimarino News.)

Last Monday evening Mr. Fred Pirani, chairman of tin* Wanganui Education Board, addressed a public meeting bore in connection with the education of our youth, and in amplifying or adding to his words to some extent, we may profitaly quote from a pamphlet that has bon issued by the Moral Education League, of London. This pamphlet contains a syllabus of moral and civic instruction for elementary schools, and if will be interesting not only to school teachers but to all who wish to sec the youth of this country made good citizens. The writer of the pamphlet is Mr. F. ,T. Gould, the League's lecturer and demonstrator, and in it lie explains that the object of the organisation is to urge the introduction of systematic moral and civic teaching into all schools, and to make tlio formation of character the chief aim of education. Training in conduct and in the ethics of citizenship, is claimed to be the right of every child, and the League believes that the course as given, in. twenty pages of lesson .hints for the teacher, will “develop good feeling, excite the , imagination, train .the reason on the subject of conthe will." TllC Sylla-

Hu* conduct of life are given Tlu !iendings of the various stages suggest oil for the instruction of scholars rang-

ing from seven to fourteen years or ago, in die si to the character of the teaching. The first theme is self-government, in

which the qualities of courage, prudence. perseverance, self-control, cleanliness, order and obedience arc treated of in the simplest way, with woncroto illustrations in each case. Such sub-

jects as kindness, trustworthiness, fairness and social outlook follow, and it is remarked that the best results are achieved in maintaining the pupils’ interest by story-telling methods/ The Lyttelton Times says: In this form, as Mr. Gould states, a moral principal can he most easily realised, and the practical duties arising from those principles brought out by the stories are mentioned incidentally, and usually by the pupils themselves in their replies to questions. One excellent rule for teachers’ guidance is this: "Moralising and exhorting should be strictly abstained from, whether during the progress of the lesson or at its close.” The broad

idea is not to oppress with arbitrary rules of conduct, but rather to stir up tlre children’s minds, to inspire them with a natural love of truth and kindness and obedience, and other great principles, not by coercion but by unconsciously leading them to understand the laws that govern society The aims and methods of the League seem eminently practical, and the course is so simple that its introduction should not greatly embarrass any school curriculum. Teachers often complain that the Kew Zealand syllabus is overcrowded, but it is quite conceivable that this commonplace application of the ethics of life conduct could with profit displace some subjects that are quickly forgotten by young people when they pass out of the school doors for the last time.