EDUCATION AND SCARCITY OF TEACHERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1918, Page 7

EDUCATION AND SCARCITY OF TEACHERS.

To the Editor. Sir,—At such a time of stress as we have been through we cannot wonder that there is a shortage in any particular trade, or profession, more tlban another, but then again there seems to be a tendency of perpetual shortage respecting the occupation of school teaching, and one is at rather a loss to account for the fact. After reading J. Krisma-Murti's interesting and inspiring words regarding education, may I kindly be granted space for a few thoughts tlhat may at least lead to the solving, or part solving, of this most important matter. In the first place, the associations of school teaching are very liable to be fretfully tedious to any person. that has ,no natural liking for children, or for teaching. I maintain that a teacher must necessarily be born to the job, and to an extent an enthusiast regarding the welfare of children in general.. Further, that they must have an innate love of race, and tihe cultivation thereof, and, above all, untold stillness of nerve in dealing with tihe daily concerns of youth. Just how little, or how much attention is given to these basic principles in teacher promoting and training is in evidence in our best educational systems. The world moves on, and the great wheel of change is ever rolling past objectives along t!he roadway, and meeting new and fresh objectives, and because of this I trust my few ideas will not be discarded. Out of the mere inadaption of the soul in imparting knowledge, I am certainly sure that modern day psychic science is insufficiently regarded by those responsible foT the children's higher and even primary education. I can look back tlhirty years and remember the days of my school going, and to me it gives a mixed impression of good and evil. The most marked chapter in my school career is when under the control of a then up-to-date male teacher who controlled a class of eighty lads. He was a mixture of goodness and cruelty. Not unlike the greater part of our infanta to-day, I was an extremely nervous dhild, and, black was the sky with terror to me that foretold my success in passing into this individual class. As I reflect, I remember how infinitely I learned to enjoy this athletic teacher's stories, his manful elaboration of manly acts and deeds, but never will I forget the cowardice of his vicious strapping, more often for trifles than otherwise. On tltue one hand, it reveals to me how and where he could have led us had he but led instead of stopping by the way to drive. I know, Mr Editor, there are naughty boys who will ever need the persuasion of strap oil to give them keenness of observation, but I maintain tihat they are very considerably in the minority, and I also consider that when it has to be administered day by day there is something very wrong either with the system of control or with the teacher. One great objection to sdhool going to-day is the constant indoor life compelled upon parent's children from seven years of age upward, and the four to five hours daily mental concentration upon lessons which seem to be imparted in the most irksome form possible. Hay I suggest just here that no vital use of the moving picture invention is partoken whatever, rio healthy rambleteaching across field or glen is adhered to, no systematic in-between lessons of action are manifest in the least to relieve the stagnated desk-stooping daily ■practice of child life. We wonder why the prevalence of nervous breakdown in our young life is so manifest. On the top of all this we often have a clumsily trained, irrational man or woman earning Uheir capitation out of the worn out principle of "might is rather than by tact and wisdom. It is in this regard one feels a great need for reform. I believe there are hundreds of people sufficiently interested in children to become teachers and directors if there were some encouraging system inaugurated i to fit and train them for the particular work, but until the basis of training is founded on humanitarian principles rather than on principles of capitation no decent response will be made, and the matter of our social and natural education will ever be regarded as a duty inflicted rather than a blessing to people and children alike. —I am. etc.. "FORWARD." ; mglewood, Nov. 20.