ROYAL ROAD TO LEARNING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 231, 9 March 1915, Page 5

ROYAL ROAD TO LEARNING.

To the Editor. Sir, —You have, no doubt, heard of ny youthful exploits and how I saved the world from drowning some years agi.. Since then, I have always taken a keen interest in matters educational. I wandered far and wide searching for a place where learning was thoroughly in keeping with that advocated at the time I built the ark, and, here I am, settled, as I hoped, in Taranaki. Alas, I fear 1 must quit; for n self-rospecting journal dares to suggest that an introduction of some teaching a la Montessori might prove beneficial. What rank stupidity! There have been others with revolutionary ideas—e.g. Locke, Spencer, Comenius and Herbert, but thank goodness, Taranaki alone has emerged scathlcss from the so-called reforms suggested by them. Talk of introducing psychology into our methods of teaching! ' 1 maintain that the right course is to compel the child who lias to tumble out and milk about half-a-dozen cows before coming to school, to learu all the stale, useless facts you ean possibly secure. His physical health is nothing compared with the honor and glory of passing'an examination. I hate tliis reform. Anyhow, there is really no need to worry, because, even fhnngh other boards have done, so, we need not abandon (lie practice, of making public per medium of the board's annual report, the downfall of any teacher who dares to introduce n. new system, or who refuses to be a devotee to strap and cram. —I am, etc., NOAH.