AN EXPERT ON EDUCATION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 132, 28 October 1914, Page 4

AN EXPERT ON EDUCATION

NOTED AUSTRALIAN" VISJTOB. | INTERVIEW JiD IX WEL/UXGTOX.; By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. 1 ■Wellington, Last Night. $ An interesting visittr in Xew ZmUnty at the present iin;c is Mr. Thomas jlyafl,, president of the Kdmatiou Commission' of South Australia, v.'iio, oil behalf oi tlio Government of t'uit State, lias betaifc appointed to report on the eutu fttiofll! system of l]n» Dominion, la 11)10, op the motion of Mr. Ryan, who '.vim thj&j one of the Labor members, represent)® the district of Torren-i in the Soadl Auto tralian Parliam i i i .itiou Com*?' ! niis-sion was set un. w-ndt was.to de*si I especially w:fh Ii ir.-!.ie« in the place, but which ult;ißate..v had its 100 tions enla'r'pd. Jn the Labor Uorernment was defeated, and Mr. Ih-jg was un successful, after giving up his owjt i:cat to contest a eouirtr, scat, b.:i al ho ojipresied himself to a, reporter, "Tf *how the fine spint of on all i>it)e:i of tim Mouse i-l j-.i!; £U«. question of ei'manon, and not'.'ili:-.. aifi »' ull 1 \ I'll' i (IVeuiiei in| il.iu.-i.ii h.. J.nhi--iixm) was a prwS HOuiiH-d jir. Kyan wan allowed to ntain the position of President of the Commission, which was still sittingsit that time, and he njade visits to aS the Australian States in the intiicst* of the work in hand. "That. (.V< nissiott," f aid itr. Ryan, "made drastic re* commendations, dealing with prmnrjt education, secondary education, t.Yii ?r» sity education, technical on, homes for children, and reformatory education, and we have n» reason to doubt that the reeointaendations will form the basis of the p.nif. Bill to be introduced in the new Pari liameut." { lie explained that the Commission, ia its early stages, discussed tjlo qutitio* of examining the Neiv Zealand system, because it was entirely iliiknyjt friiffl' that of any _ of tlie Australia* States, and was probably one of tlie most lliffi* I cult, to understand on paper." ; "Have you noticed the controversy in New Zealand?" »ak«l4h* reporter. ''Y cs," was the reply. "I noticed a very old friend of mine itf that question of yours. It is niaajft years since I pot interested in that question, and just recently I have visited 'West Australia, Tasmania, New.. South Wales, and Queensland to vvatck' 1 the system in work. Wo in' fiblitii Auitoalia, and our neighbours in Victoria, have not adopted it. and ' ran commendations of our Education Conn mission do not include it, though it U likely to be the subject of some discussion at the next elections."

Questioned as to the position of teachers, Mr. Ryan, after pointing out that it was the personal equation whioh " counted in the education system, saidhe thought it was agreed in the educa- ■ tional world that tn'e woman teacher was the foundation on which the Aecessful expansion of the child's, Jacniliet lay. It had been a source of g;eafc regret to Liu to find that wnih/ their •>«-- vices were so highly appreciated,'' tit " reimuicration of women teadior.-. vas'fo' shockingly inadequate. liowevtr, lb» States -were gradually coining to io loff, tiie American system, under which ina irreducible niiiiiinittn wegv for any, woman teacher was £32 per motltlw. Special regard was b. ii.g pail in Ami tralia to the-question of mrd.'-a, {iicpe&i' tion. Ail the States now h.,K school doctors, and in many parts of tV Coin* monwealth there were btivff s of demist*' connected with the schools. Mr. Car* niiehael (Minister for Education in Xe<f, South Wales) had revolution'-.■! all the" methods hitherto existing ; .. th» Southern Hemisphere, by appoint ng g largo number of highly skilled . ■.,: well equipped medical officers, with ; "ciling'" hospitals, to look after the ii- :th of' the children in the back-block'.

Asked if lie would give any public ad* > dresses in New Zealand,' Mr. Ryan sail.' he had no such intention at pri'-.rir. Jo" conclusion, Mr. Ryan said that, all aU|'' efforts would he directed to v nil gefri, ting Adelaide to adopt someth n' f pj the system that the Labor Mm' m- haol introduced in New South Waif.-', by moans of which, in four years ;ul >i- til* introduction of the leaving ivriifieatoj ' there would be no fewer than -I il men and women in the Universities of Vw, South Wales who had come in tin from the homes of the workers.