The New School Syllabus

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLV, Issue 264, 23 December 1903, Page 4

The New School Syllabus

. : (Gtago Daily TJn»s.) The more closely we look into the tew school syllabus the less- favourttbly impressed are we with its provision*. The Inspector-General of Education, who Is mainly, responsible for the proposed curriculum, has presented by far too ambitious a scheme —one which, be found, when the endeavour is made to introduce it m tJttp sohpols, willprove impracticable. For more than two years the public school teachers have been patiently waiting for the promised new syllabus, which was expected to be the result of the conference of inspectors held in Wellington in January, 1901. Dut, after taking over two years to consider the matter, Mr Hogben has gone far beyond the scope of the suggestions agreed t.i at the conference. Instead of simplifying the whale programme of public school education, the Inspector-General has produced a curriculum still more complicated than that which it is intended to replace. So indubitably is this the case that we think the scheme ought to be withdrawn, pending a further Conference of inspectors, which will bo held shortly. Otherwise aonfusion mill reign supreme in the public schools ; the teachers will be driven to distraction in the vain effort to comply with the mandate of the Department, and the children will be Ibewildcred by the multiplicity of fcufojecUs If Mr Hogpen 'jnsisfcs on foisting his crude and ill-conceived idt-ns upon the public schools, the Hew syllabus will prove an infliction Buch as may "drive all young men of fcnergy and spirit out of the service. tMrHogben probably contemplates feome such eventuality, and forecasts ihe future by framing a code of instructions in methods which cannot >be regarded as very flattering to Jtrained teachej