The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] WEDNESDAY. MAY 20, 1901.

Waikato Argus, Volume X, Issue 957, 29 May 1901, Page 2

The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] WEDNESDAY. MAY 20, 1901.

To arrive afc a satisfactory f.J’Sfcctn of impafting tpohulsn.l insbruotion to tiifl rising . generation is admitt id to bo Olio of the problems of the day. This is more particularly the case in this colony with regard tQ subjects bearing upon aariwidturai purnuits. At the present time it may fairly bo said that such instruction is non* existent, that is so in ft largo degree because the teachers in our einnienlary schools have lifc'le or no knowledge on the subject to Impart. The? Agricultural Education Committee of England held a meeting in London on April 23rd. The report of the executive committee states that special courses of object lessons connected with rural life and industries had been prepared and had proved of groat assistance to the Board of Education. Efforts lied also been made to direct the attention of teachers in 'ho proper lines of rural instruc* tion by a widespread issue of nature knowledge and other leaflets. A circular letter had also boon issued to school associations urging on tho governing bodies I he advisability of devoting a portion of their Funds to the encouragement of subjects of rural instruction by ft system of peripatetic teachers or otherwise, It appears to us that tho peripatetic system is the only one capable of doing useful work in the colony, Tho first step must of course ho to secure competent teachers, and this can only he done by the offering of facilities for training. Tiiis entails a course of instruction in a training college under the direction of a competent man, We have no training schools in the colony, our teachers gain their experience in the art of teaching in the schools, their fitness to continue in the profession is tested by examination. There is an absolute want of co-ordination in our system and an iimncneo waste of resources and energy, which is little short of disgraceful. It is, we understand, the intention of the Government to establish an experimental farm in the Waikato. It appears to us that the services of the manager of this could ho utilised for profitable instruction of teachers and pupils of the schools in the district. To entrust instruction in any subject to men with only a superficial knowledge of the subjects taught, is and must always remain a waste of time, energy find money, and, under the existing system there is no reason to blame our teachers if they possess nothing more.