THE SCHOOL SYLLABUS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 77, 27 April 1909, Page 3

THE SCHOOL SYLLABUS.

TOO MUCH "CHAM." The householders' meeting at, the Central School last night discussed the school syllabus, and roumll.r condemned it. The ball was opened by Mr. R. N. Kenaud, who said life r emar!cs were based on the experience of teachers in the Tnraiinki, Hawke's Bay and some South Island districts. Nowadays, lie said, the school system aimed at cramming a lot of useless stuff into the heads of the children, and the parents sTrould endeavor to have the teachers relieved of those subjects which had no practical ell'ect in building up the minds of the children. Cultivation was not cramming, but it was the cultivation of a beautiful mind, lie moved that the attention of the authorities be called to the over-burdening of the syllabus. Key. Osborne seconded. A merchant had told him that very afternoon, (hat the buy, that came to him as olh'ccJioys could not make out a simple invoice or correctly add a column of figures. He would like to see the children made more thoroughly conversant with the "three R's," which, he declared, were not being properly taught in any school in New Zealand. If a boy wanted to be a carpenter, let him be apprenticed to a carpenter; if a gardener, let him got to a gardener, and so on: but it was nonsense to expect to be taught those things at a primary school. Mr. Grant was afraid the resolution would be of little use. for the educational authorities in Wellington looked upon a householders' meeting as a meeting of people who didn't know what they were talking about. He thought the cadet system interfered with the work of the schools and it was looked on an slavery by the teachers. From tho very lime that the syllahus had first been over-loaded the standard of education had deteriorated.

Mr T. Frethcy thought it presumption for laymen to criticise experts. Mr. Rudd stated his experience that it was most difficult to secure a boy who could do any simple routine work of the office. The sixth standard boy of ten years ago was better than his prototype of to-day. Replying, Mr. Keiiand said he bad found that the overloading of the syllabus with thin useless matter was' the work of the Minister of Education working in conjunction with the inspectors. It was not the work of the teachers, who objected as far n s they could. The resolution was carried.