EDUCATION SYSTEM

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10640, 22 May 1912, Page 3

EDUCATION SYSTEM

AS VIEWED BY A TEACHER. Mt (Reginald JPoss,. headmaster of the Fej-wridgo School, gave an-exhaus-tive and lucid address hcfcre the members of tlhe iWairaxapa Teacher's Instibute ait the /Mastentou Technical School! on Saturday last. "Air Foss' subject was "The three R's, Yesterday, Tb-day, and To-morrow," and he dealt comparatively with the methods lof instilling knowledge into the- young as used in the past and at the present time.

I>ea'!ing with reading, which he referred to as the most comprehensive and important subject in the schctl curriculum, Mr Fees .iJicccedcd to show the wide difference in the methods employed in teaching this suhject under present ilxxy conditions, and the man nor of teaching it twen-ty-five years ago. "The old time •reader," the speaker went <>-. i, "\va,s a c'ai.'cl'ism, a grammar, a l.»;ok of a-ienro, a geography, a hicbry, and a prr.mdtt'uous collection o'f literary ' (fragments, bound together under one cover and dubbed reading." Reading had now undergone a fundamental I change, and the .subjects embraced as ' one in the old style are i.»>w treated .' as separate studies. The lecutirer ■ pointed iout .that the. selection of reading matter was generally ■.beyond the grasp of the dhilcT, and .made little ct ! no appeal to' his instincts and (interests, and satisfying no felt need, were practically valueless* as materials of instruction. Then much of the literature and IreadaDg matter V>f the. past ■ taught no great truth, and were in (reality literary trash. The teaching of reading at present day .schools had undeirgone a great change, owing •partly to the- fact that 'literature had ibeen re-written an a form easily comprehended Iby the child, and heing seUeete,d 'witlli a view to the special fteedls arid wants of the child, while his imental ability is also considered. "For it is -well 'understood that only rthat instructio'n is education, has value for the child which appeals to his instinicts and interests, stinnilatC'S him ttfo action, and ,supplies him with iJhe .means of properly guiding and di-A-ecting his activities." At the present day the teaching of reading aims at 'telling the child -social Mid moral truths, that- a>re the .fundamental principles of iright personal living, and lhaslic in; tine life 'ef the social whole, and it ho suhject then ibe conies c'f .definite rise to tihe child. Another point tof difference between old and prespnt > day reading iis lint the selection of lit- . erary. matter. In the old reader the selections ,wero generally short or \ fragmentary, a child (being taught to . iread ascertain passage of a w'.>vk, while nothing was known of tho work ; as a. whole. The present'day aims at | the studying .of masterpieces as | wholes, and this is the only way in I which a child way grasp and appro- I ciate the power of the writer, and comprehend the truth taught in the I work.'

The methods of teac-L'ing; i*i the upper aiv &ij'il filly different, and reaci!ii<>; is no longer looked upon as a ni'ore unecihanical ipr&'ce.as, t!>'' ■• ; 'j ,: ! often nt>t understanding what v;• •

•being read. The new methods pre;- ;vr a great uotrast, and the firtt £.' L ;:<iy , is in the selection of literature, ~v.<\ \ every care is token to 'bring the- ciiii:! | to ifnlly understand the rrrntv. | Jii.TUght and ifcaling em'bedied in f-" > work. Heading ig. now hoing iai:.;:!. ■

with the definite object of cvC'.ivmil; a I taste. #>r and a reaepna.ble kr.o>v:----d;:;e I of good literature, tNid a; qi;;; :•!!■; ' through .it 'an insight into the ;-f.-:ai J and moral principles ■underlying i.ieid- i dual and .sctSai tiJs. ! In dealing with spelling, Mr !'>-■; pointed out that no special ;•»; i should be iset apart for ppellivig, ;•.'.■! j that no lesson, should he confined s;.i->-- ! ly to this -branch of EragEsOi, oxo. pi a i dictation lesson, and condudu> h\ \ showing 'that the aim in tcaelii:;g j spelling .should :he .to .secure for r-ach ! child ability to istpeM the words in ii.- , own vocabulary, while every i-i?-:n j sli'oii'kl be made to increase that v<.\.-:> ; (bulary. i In dealing with, dictation, the f.pea!:- j c\r pointed out that every assist a >e.v should l)e given to the ohiMrai (b;\\ !

tlhe exercises in. this branch of educ:>ition should ibe written as coifectiy a* -posisible. "It as not desirable to ;,rv to tach cor ret spelling jby letting t.v.' pupils spell words moorrectly, in order ■that-they may correct them." li>-ia-

tao'n .should be used, not as a test tor -spelling, ibut as practice in. writing phrases orally. •There is a great difference .between the teaching of' spelling of twenty-five year's ago and the present time. The iltormer sought .to give the timid as wide a range cf words as ipo&sible all the wc<rds in the English language —and for this reason did not represent practical education. The gpellng of the pres'snt itime has, chi the other hand, a-definite purpose, and contains only those 'words which tllie child understands and'wall fi'nd useful in- daily intercourse, and in ~he more common oecupatfoius. Ailli others are ignored, ■and the subject has isierved its purpose when the child has mastered the

necessary iwsordie. Mir Foss goes on to deal with writing, which has changed only in. style and methods of .teaching. The writing of tnir fathers was ori the whole kxrnate, .abounding in fine lines and flowing cu/rves, and while fine to the eye, was for purposes of daily pratioe of little, use, and when the pupil Heft school he soon lost the bid style and acquired a new hand more fitted to practical usage. In: contrast ! to the old style, in. the new, .everything has been' cut away that tends to interfere Wiitth simplicity 'legibility, fluency and speed, 'and giving a type of penman - ■ship which is adapted to present day (business needs, and ihe time spent in th'e. school on writing is being madfe •to count for something en Icfe. Touching on the teaching of the future,, Mn- Fees said that the old method cf driving .would he entirely done away with, and he jpbinted out that this method was 'always unsuccessful j a'nd never had any desirable effect on I a .boy or girl. The schools now are > aiming at an attempt to lead, inspire and . interest the jpujpiH, and shows i marked improvement dn. - the. results I gained. The speaker" deals at length j with the changes that continually take place in 'school work, and the consequent changes to he made in the discipline and methods. In concluding, 'Miv Foss mentioned the following leading changes in, the school wdrk of Uhe present day, and which imight be expected in the fut-j we:— In ireadiing, more insistence in intelligence, and (widening the .scope of literature; writing, emphasis of clearness, but less on the regularity of "copy Ibook" writing, and more individuiality; speifmg, more examination of the principles of etymology, and lessi memory work, and attention, to the spelling of one',s own vocabulary; arithmetic, analysis of principles as against the learning of rules, concrete I examples. ]