EDUCATION MATTERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81854, 1 October 1906, Page 2

EDUCATION MATTERS

IMPORTANT SPEECH BY HON. G. FQWLDS.

(Per Press Association.) I Wanganui, September 2g. Speaking at the opening of the new rooms at the Technical School on Saturday, the Hon. Charge Fowlds, Minister for Education, said New Zealand's educational system compared favourably with any in the world, despite tho fact that some countries paid more per head of population. The Minister said ho did not intend to be hound by any redlapcism. His whole temperament and constitution was to follow truth wherever it might lead. Ho was prepared to receive suggestions from every source, and asked for a little time to enable him to master the mechanism of his Department He laid it down as the first principle that before making a proposal, ho would understand it. He was going to 'o his best to understand the things and methods suggested to him, and when he understood, then he would approve that which he believed to be best and proceed without delay to apply it. Speaking of whnt had been done for education, he said that last year there was paid in teachers' salaries over £133.000 more than was paitj six years ago. He hoped for great benefit from tho training of teachers. He had got his colleagues to consent to the payment cf the University feos of students obtaining honours in junior university exams. This afforded opportunity for free tuition from the primary school to the university. He spoke strongly a.gftinst a return to the annual examination system, and said the Minister who proposed such a thing should be sent to gaol or a lunatic asylum. He defencM the new' syllabus, and said tl_\at the inspector who complained that it caused a breakdown "of teachers, should be sacked. It was the inspector's interpretation of tho syllabus that was responsible for breakdown of tho spirit of tho syllabus method, rather than tho matter. Ho spoke against universal school books, and was opposed to centralisation where equal results could bo obtained by decentralisation. He would always hesitato before endorsing any proposal that would minimise the interest of the people in their own localities.