PRIMARY EDUCATION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 83, 27 March 1908, Page 4

PRIMARY EDUCATION

oi;>Ki;\ ATIHNs |SV " L.M.N " A few year- -in«e con-iderable unrest manitiSted it-elf in tlx- i-ducHtional world, and amount |.,rge section of the public, a*. to whether our priiuiry education was yn sound lines. The gre.it r«*\«ititi»n in educational methods that had eventuated in America and Germany Ji.td the ell'ecL of focussing the attention of the public on the matter in ihin colon*. and aUo in Australia, where it assumed the nature of a pronounced agitation tor educational reform. The r.-iilr wa> that in both CBaes. a new svllahuv after pas>ing through a severe critici-ni. wa- brought to fruition. It was not, recognised a* perfect: but it was an attempt to get away ironi the old traditional method to one more in accordance with nature. To point out wherein Jay at least one imperfection is the object" of this article.

I'nder the old order thy true object of education—tin* evolutionary unfoldiug of those "<»o'l-]ikti" 7 faculties inherent in the child was lost of, anil tJu* true functions of the teacher usurped I.v the yieri; informations. The study of psychology as a part of a teacher was not considered necOf-Niry to his art. and of course the informationut had no n>e for it. The teacher*, however, were not to blame, as they were more or less victims of a pernicious system, which forced a teacher to Income a st river after oxainination results at the expense fit' the natural growth and development of the child. Kducatioiialists are w-** agreed that education must not. proceed beyond the mental growth of the child: i that the true function of a teacher i- to j t direct the child to self-help l.v placing Miitabh- material before him. and guiding tini in his efforts to discover the trmii lor hini-e|f. Xou\ thy question arises, bow can a teacher who has to work for examination results carry out the function- of his office? 1s he to .sacrifice the mental growth, the natural development. and the be>t inierot.s of hi> pupil >n order i ■» meet the requirement<• of an examination''

(.olone! I'arker. one of the greatest authorities on primary education. ft av«, in liU hook. "Talks un Teifßing":- -'The teacher who -tiiuvs for examination results and promotion ean never reailv teach- He further \ uniform oxuiiimmiou c .f diseo Mm ,. u . a presents a teacher fioni exercising iih art." To come nearer home. Mr. >p-n cefj until recently thief Inspector under the Taranaki Kducitiou UoanL more or le&s endorsed this view bv treating examination results ;e & matter yf .jiiiti' a secondary importance. The teacher who works for examination result* does ii«t realisi> the iMHuv „i hi. oiVirr. I],. ifhouid lerin himself ;IU informatioiiist. Ihe 1.1 iii' I'Vu-her i hj«. grainier object and wider field 01 training tie- , b> help its..if tl,rough the natural channel of the s,- lh . s

It d'«es not i lIV teacher [o prepare « iiiltli'Mi f. a se t evauiinatcu-. 'io teach the four mechanical rides „f aiithiiH-tk l»y pun- imitation can be done U a few days; |„i t 1(l „ |lt t(l undeistand the nill signiiicim-e os' nuin ber and its V ari.-iy ~f coinbinai ioi;. ;i to gra-p principles mulerK iuu :!»-• operations of the rules, re.piirc-'lhe -kill of the teacher. ill 1 lie first ea-e the chiJd vvrks liy imitation with no iu mental growth: in fhe lath-r he ""discovers by e\ o'llt i"lia 1 \ (]„. tni;,, au«l ]»ror-e>s i,f reasoning VVi ||, j jrun( . IM , gaiji iu -e!{-reli■•rice ami d !, vei|o|>inent of his far-ultie-. And this appli.-at-le io all br.niches ni stutly in the curriculum. auiitotiu. s |m»]i| that if there .must I„. e\an:ina' ions they 'should be ! conducted :.y the t c;t < It' I 111 tile pres'-n c of the in *pce( I.r, uho-i- futit-rion «onld b<- liiiiit f ■> 1 to 1 i-iM'i-:n anil n| ; ., in; ii; n of metho.is :|s,'d by the ieai-her. I'.ui in order t«» do this it. U* for (he inspecfor a- well as ih,, t«M. j|, | l to be trained in modern methods. No| d'Mibt 'he teachers' jr.iinini: col!.-_-cS| inn est.il-jjshed in the larger meet t}.,, demand for traine.l tea'lt-I

fiis, who will ultimately become the iubpectors At the present time it i« quite possible for u teacher trained on ' modern lines to eome under the dominance of an untrained inspector. In other words, an old syllabus inspector to examine now -yllabus work-an ainmi'ly to l»o avoided. It is evident, then, tin! examination is a blot- on an otherwise excellent system, and one is tempted i«» think that il was adhered to merely a> a concession to public opinion. which estiniated. ami still doe* so U) a large extent. the ability of a teacher by file number of "passes" he is able lo attain, should be wiped oIV the -late and rele- ! gated to its ))roper |ibuv .a relic of the J system of "cram/' anil the teacher set , free to exercise his functions ;ind do | justice to hU art.