SCHOOL WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 April 1922, Page 6

SCHOOL WORK.

TWO SYSTEMS COMPARED. NEW ZEALAND AND CANADA. AN INTERESTING ADDRESS. A comparison of the education methods in New Zealand and Canada was made by Miss H. Tracey, of the staff of the West End School, in an address given before a meeting of the Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute at New Plymouth on Saturday. Miss Tracey is one of the Canadians who came to New Zealand under the system of exchange of teachers, and the contrast which she drew between the work in t'he two Dominions showed that she has a keen perception of the best in education. Mr. H. A. Stratford presided over an attendance of about twenty teachers.

It was made quite clear by Miss Tracey that her remarks were merely a statement of facts, and if there were instances in which she did criticise the New Zealand system it would be in no carping spirit, but just the ideas as they appealed to an outsider. She explained at the outset that the Canadian system was provincial and that she would be speaking more particularly of the province of Manitoba. Provinces differed in their syllabus and methods and in progress and it was a notable thing that Quebec with a popu lation of 95.000 had only one public school, the rest 'being convent schools, ana there were a large proportion of young people who could not read or write. The circumstances were due to the French-Canadian difficulty. Manitoba led the way in school buildings; they were mostly three storeys high and generally constructed of brick, [containing 30 class-rooms, a huge as- • sembly hall, teachers’ rest room and dining-room fitted up with all conveniences. The corridors were very wide: they were used in the winter time for drilling classes and had space enough to accommodate two classes at a time. Miss Tracey mentioned that a special system of ventilation had to be adopted in the winter owing to the extreme cold, as the air could not com? direct from the outside. The halls and corridors were full of art pictures and the very best in statuary. The children were familiar with all the great artists, had an acquaintance with Rigoletto and 11 Trovatore and would save their money for months before the approach of an opera season. There was no provision for an infant mistress in Canadian schools, and nearly always there was just one man on the staff, which she was afraid was a great fault; but the men could not be got fO’tile profession. It would be a splendid thing, especially in the matter of sport, if more men were included on the staffs. Miss Tracey proceeded to deal separately with each subject of school work. She thought New Zealand schools were more thorough in arithmetic, probably for the reason that the syllabus was not so crowded. In elementary grammar New Zealand children were also better, and she was amazed at the results from some of the tiny children, but when it came to essay work she did not think that the scholars were as spontaneous or original as the Canadian classes; in fact, they seemed to be rather stilted. In writing Canadian schools went in for speed, which was apt to lead to carelessness. ■ “I am quite sure we develop more along music and art,” said Miss Tracey, who said that twenty minutes to half-an-hour was devoted daily to singing. They had regular music readers and had a supervisor for the singing classes. They aimed for clear tone production and the results in the classes were wonderful. She found the children’s voices in New Zealand wonderfully sweet and clear and thought it was a pity they did not get more training. Dancing was taught in the Canadian physical drill syllabus and the children enjoyed it. Miss Tracey intimated that she had become a convert to the toothbrush drill adopted in New Zealand. and said it was one thing she would try to introduce at home, for she thought the results were marvellous. In the course of her review Miss Tracey said color work was taught in the drawing classes, for which a supervisor was provided. As regards literature the Canadian scholars had studied eight books by good authors before they left the elementary schools. Miss Tracey thought that school was just giving the youngsters the key to the world, and the point lay in giving the right kind of key, as it was not so much what they learned at school as what they read afterwards. In New Zealand she understood the only literature was one text book. Canadian history was taught as well as English, and she had been surprised here that not at any time could she find anything of New Zealand history, for she wanted to take back such a book to Canada. The use. of the strap is absolutely ‘ taboo’’ in Canadian schools, according to Miss Tracey, the only strap allowed being in possession of the head teacher. It was expressly stipulated that the strap should not be given for such errors as disobedience, inattention, or lack of punctuality. Canadian teachers were judged by the number of times they did not strap; therefore other methods of discipline had to be. used. It was harder on the teachers who had objected, but she could now see what was being aimed t at. After all they did not want to turn out a child who could merely add up a row of figures, but a child’ who could control himself. The system aimed at getting the control from the inside and not from the outside.

Reference was made to the fact that in Canada school was brought to a close each day by the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer, and Miss Tracey said the absence of such a custom in New Zealand seemed most strange to her. They also had Bible readings. She thought people made too much fuss in this matter. as to how they were doing it, and not enough attention was paid to what they were doing.

Replying to questions. Miss Tracey ! said that the copies of artists’ works referred to were provided for by a grant from the school board. The system of discipline without corporal punishment was not easy, but she thought it attained its object eventually. New Zealand teachers received better opportunities in the matter of training and were more thorough. A system was being adopted by consolidating small country schools into a four or six-roomed briWc iS which Jdt* xsAt.

brought in vans, sometimes driven by the teacher or by a man paid for the purpose. This system was only coming in, but where it was adopted it was in great favor. At the conclusion, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Miss Tracey.