THE SCHOOL SYLLABUS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 102, 27 May 1909, Page 2

THE SCHOOL SYLLABUS

JS IT AX IXCUBI'S? By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland. Last Night. At this morning's meeting of the Auckland Education Board trte chairman (Mr. C. J. Parr) said he desired to see a conference of teachers and inspectors to go into the very important question of the school syllabus. The Minister for Education had recently said .that the inspectors were misinterpreting the syllabus. This might or might not be correct, but the conference be suggested holding could go .into the matter. At the present time history and geography were subjects very much in the background. and brush work and similar subjects seemed to occupy a more prominent position upon' the curriculum. If be might say so. they appeared to be emphasising the frills of education, in i his opinion it was desirable that they should hold a conference such as he j suggested during the midwinter holidays,; Mr. 11. J. Orecnslade, M.P., said the I matter was one of the greatest importance. ii nd he thought the chairman's suggestion would lead to a possible solution of the difficulties which undoubtedly existed. He further suggested that similar conferences should be held throughout the Dominion. Mr. Kdgecumbe contendedHhat the syllabus was overloaded, with Ihe result that no subject was properly taught. His ex* 1 perienee as a commercial man was that a thorough grounding in the three "H's ' was of more value than Latin and French. The latter were of no use to the average citizen of New Zealand. Nine-tenths of the people of New Zealand had to base their suctv*s on the grounding they had received in the three subjects he had mentioned. Mr. (J. J. Garland *aid that when the syllabus came out he expressed the opinion that it was hard to know which it was. a syllabus or an incubus, and he was in just as great doubt now. It was umnimouslv decided, on the motion of the chairman, to convene a conference of .members of the Board inspectors and teachers at an early date, to inquire into the working of the school syllabus.