EDUCATION OF THE YOUNG.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 164, 10 January 1914, Page 3

EDUCATION OF THE YOUNG.

J PIJ'.A Jr'Oll COMMOXSEKSE. f THE FJiIST ESSENTIALS. Auckland, January 7. '•The ilia 11 in the street who watches I lie round-shouldered, narrow-chested, juile and anaeiuie-lookii:<; boys who are certified as jirolicient going up Wellesley (Street to carry on tliiir work at the ) (Jrammar School is apt to shrug his shoulders and lon;,' for a new regime in which common-sense plays a part," said Mr 11. A. E. Milncs, I'rincipal of the Auckland Training College, in tin address on "Common-sen >e in Education;' which he delivered to the New Zealand Educational Institute to-day. f'ommonsense demands, lie continued, that the acquisition of a good physiuue should li" the very first essential of any system of education, instead of which it blinds up the rear, reeeiviit" onlv turdv recognition, because it is round Unit without a certain amount of health studio-; ire interfered with. (omnion-seii-;.' wants a totally dill'ernit attitude towards the care of the bodv, an attitude that will no limber In' content with the quarter of an hour per day devoted in physical culture, hut will put physical development first, even taking; precedence over that fearsome fetish' arithmetic with a capital/and it wants the enthusiasm both of teacher and taiudit to see children well developed, Weil nourished, full of energv and '"an," able to run and swim—children who understand that fresh air is gold fo; them find who will not breathe foul a' 7 either in the homo, the school, or the workshop. Arou-inj* public opinion is the only way by which those who proudly boast of (lie number of eertifii'.ite s of this and that examination shall b- disfounteimnl'cd, rtnd instead an aim made to turn out the greatest number of luippv, heaHiiy eliildren, sound in wind and limb.

Many schoolrooms, lie said. were overcrowded, imil tired' and li-tle.;s children required to "bo constantly spurred on to renewed ell'orts in an utli npt lo ward off tli" drowsiner.s brought on bv brcathiiijf vitiated nil. A remedy giigg!'st.«l by tlie sneaker was the f.doption of a new type of building, known as l!i> fresh air school. Wherever te.icTiimr In (lie open air hud lr.Mii trio:!, tho '.*e-;ilt was «hvavs tlie same: the inr-retHcd elTicioiioy of the work done. He v.'Eiit on lo speak of the value to hpslt'n of tuition in swimming and school gardrniuff. The average school desics, he fai.l, were ant to 1)3 instruments of torture to tlie unfortunate children who wer.' compelled to tit, at tlieai hour after hour, and a rust change might lie made for the better. The svst.em of teaching writing with the pen pointing towards the shoulder was strongly er'ticisel on tiip ground that it wns an liunatoral position and cno.v.ivagcd el"idfca to twist, their bodies. "<(ranted that roinnien sen ; o should bold sWiiv in our schools," hj«. continued, "then e. revolution in attitude town rd. education would folow. Instead of it being confined to the ncitmulation f facts, mostly of little valiio, attention ■rill be ""linly directed t'i tuning out healthy and happy children. The'standard of work now reached will not suffer, because tile ehidrpn. Wins in better lieallh and under better conditions, will be abe to keep no with their lessons witli les s effort than is now re<|uirod. Better health will mean more hau'iiness. more enjoyment of life, less of'life's shadows, and Bore of its snnsliine, and this will re-aet o!i parents, so that the whole world will be tiebrighter. Kach child will realise how important it is to keen in good health, lie will take a - vide in his'bod v air! he desirous id' making it a fit casket foi bis mind."

Mr Millies concluded his a-ldr-ss T>y explaining to the teachers certain apparatus which could be procured without much expense for the encouragement of chest expansion, and also produce,) desk and seat, the latter being so shaped that a child could not do other tlian sit lip straight in it.