MR T. E. TAYLOR ON EDUCATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10152, 31 January 1911, Page 6

MR T. E. TAYLOR ON EDUCATION.

Speaking at Christehurch last night, Mr T. E. Taylor, M.P., re-! marked that he did not pose as an educational expert, expressed his opinion that the root principles of the system were sound, and should not be tampered with. He believed that in making the system of education free, secular, and compulsory the country did an exceedingly wise thing. The system did not yet .serve, as it should do, the principal necessities of the everyday life of the boys and girls who, : passed through the schools. He believed that there was. too much overlapping as between the primary and secondary schools. ■ He held .strongly that the cost of education, as of justice, should be a charge upon the gross revenue of the country. The Her. P. B. Fraser, of Otago, had called attention to f the large number of country schools in charge of uncertificated teachers, and this would receive a larger amount of notice in the near future. With the use of the train, the travelling teacher, and the travelling equipment, an endeavour -should be made to give country children as good an education as they could, command if they were resident in a ] city. Referring to technical education, Mr Taylor expressed the opinion that the technical school was going to become a substitute for the system of apprenticeship which had hitherto existed. Probably the student would never qualify in the school for a trade, but the school woiild leave him so equipped as far as. elementary knowledge wa 4 s concerned that lie would be able to go into the trade, with very little experience, as an improver.

Coming to University education, Mr Taylor said that he agreed with the movement which was in favour of more encouragement being given to original research work. A very serious, question was: Why do so many of our students go to the Old Country for their "University training and degrees? The sons of •the Chancellor of the University (Sir Robert Stout) went to the Old Country. Either the New Zealand University was poorly equipped as far as appliances were concerned, or poorly equipped as far as professors were concerned; or the Chancellor was not as patriotic as he' ought to be. The University system ought to be such that there could be no legitimate excuse for a student .going to the other end of the world for his degree. It had been suggested that the functions of teaching and examining, which were divorced in the University, should be joined, and he was inclined to believe that it was a wise suggestion. There was a good deal of duplication in the four University colleges, and the result was that three or four professors were doing the work which ought. to be done by one. As far as the teaching of agriculture was concerned, he believed that it woidd have to be made. a loading subject at the technical classes, and there should also be farms where the pupils could apply what- they had learned at their classes. Lincoln College was, to some extent, a class institution, and woxild never solve the problem of agricultural education for the masses. In conclusion, Mr Taylor pointed out that the expenditure on education had increased from £519,000 in 1898 to £998,000 in 1910-10. He was satisfied that the country was .not getting the extent of practical education it should get, seeing the enormous increase in the cost of education A largo number of questions were asked, and over an hour was spent by those present discussing.,various questions raised in Mr I'aylor's address. At the close of the meeting, the principal speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.