THE EDUCATION VOTE.
MR JENNINGS' REPLY TO OTKES'S' COMMITTEE A few days ago we published the text of a letter sent to Mr W. T. M.P- by the secretary/of the committee appointed at a recent meeting held to consider tttie education question. We now publish Mr Jennings' reply, which is as follows:—* November 14, 'l9lß. W. Nash, Esq., Secretary Citizens' Meeting, New Plymouth.
Dear Sir.—On my return to Wellington I found your letter awaiting me. Re my remark that 1 thought £5,000,000 was a telegraphic error in your telegram, I was not alone in that opinion, for I showed youi - telegram to other members. All other educational centres, in letters to M.P.'s, iliave asked for £3,000,000. Now. John Euneiman and Matthew Arnold some years back, when advocating reform in elementary education, said that there was such a drench of talk about education throughout the country that when they analysed the hundreds of speeches and articles on the subject they were struck with the vagueness shown by the writers and speakers. May I say there is no vagueness in the demand of tihe public meet-, ing at New Plymouth, nor is there any in your letter to me,, While i ani not being drawn into any academical discussion on tlhis important question (as one of the founders and promoters of the technical school in Auckland some time ago, a number of years a member of the Auckland Grammar School Board of Governors, Taranaki School Commissioners, and also dealing with the Auckland, Taranaki and Wanganui Education Boards for 15 years), I claim to have some knowledge of educational requirements. I join issue pit!' you cn some points in your letter. The need of better classification, training, »d emolument to our teaching profession is imperative. The whole future of this young country ia bound up in the inculcation of national formation of character of mind, and of resolution in action and thinking, apart from that given by the sdhool syllabus. Therefore I favor money ibeing voted for the better education and training of teachers, with a corresponding increase of salaries to them, and I understand a fairly large sum will be placed on this year's Estimates. A \veak link in connection with the teaching profession in this Dominion is the large number of uncertificated I teachers. Some years back, in outlying districts, I was not impressed with some of tihese uncertificated teachers, nor ! were the heads of families. Continuation Schools.—The great majority of bojo attending our elementary schools are sons of working people, and they cannot afford to keep them after 14. Now, what can be done by the State to provide facilities for the great number of the children of the working classes wlho cannot proceed to develop the latent abilities they possess ? Our enemies the Germans have nearly a solution of this problem by an organisation of continuation schools on lines adapted to special trades. Those who wish to read "The School and the Nation," by the Director of Education, Munidlx, and "The Problem of the Con-; tinuation School," by Messrs Beßstand Ogden. Let me pass from this subject by stating that Birmingham, with 830,000 peoplo, spends £777,000 a year on its schoolsj that 'boys attending continuation schools In London make an average attendance of 50 hours per session _the German iwy makes 240 hours. In case of wearying you I must come to a conclusion. The uubject you so fully wrot to me is an engrossing one; and it is pleasant Co find enthusiasm in Taranaki over yduc&tiou. if tlbat enthusiasm J J tempered tfitli judgment, then good vill como to all; and what Arnold called "inaptitude lor new Ideas" will not be a general defect ir> this! Dominion, <w it aw fe) his England, wfcen he was struggling <or reform In education. , Yours faithfully, WM. JENNINGS.
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Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1918, Page 7
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637THE EDUCATION VOTE. Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1918, Page 7
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