EDUCATION'S AIM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 11 July 1913, Page 4

EDUCATION'S AIM.

Mr T. D. Poarce, rector of the Southland Boys' HigjhSchodl, speaking at the old boys' dinner, said that he bad, great difficulty in keeping'bciys at the School for a period sufficiently long to equip them for a university career. This difficulty was caused by the strong and insatiable demand for boys for offices. In spite of this, it, was gratifying to him to tliink that about forty old\boys -ivere continuing their studies University. In no' matter did authorities express such a divergence of opinion than in that of education. A master [had just to make up this mind* what methods and subjects he intended to employ, and* to teach and adhere rigidly to his programme The revolt from the classics was getting stranger, and ha was convinced that tihe doom of Latin had been pronounced. A strange .circumstance was that there was a strong desire on the part of uneducated parents that;their boys Should be taught Latin. His own opinion was that even two years spent in, studying that subject was not time wasted. Latin developed .thought, exercised the logical* faculties, and broadened the comprehension. He did?" not . pay mtt6lv attention to the value of subjects such as bookkeeping and shorthand. Managers of mercantile houses had assured him that they preferred a boy who had never had a lesson in bookkeep- : ing. Personally, Ihe thought that | lie rudiments of that subject could asily be learnt. Unless shorthand .-as kept up after a boy left school, the time spent on its teaching was wasted. The aim of education was not so much the passing of examinations, but the development of character, to which the chief contributing factors were physique and, a strong mental calibre.