FADS IN TEACHING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 June 1943, Page 4

FADS IN TEACHING

NEW METHODS ADOPTED FUNDAMENTAL SUBJECTS. PURPOSE BEHIND MODERN SYSTEM. “Fads in Teaching” was the subject of an address given at today’s luncheon meeting of the Masterton Rotary Club, by Mr F. J. Gair, Acting-Principal of the Wairarapa College. Mr J. H. Cunningham, president of the Rotary Club, occupied the chair. Referring to changes that had taken place in the more fundamental subjects, Mi’ Gair said that they often heard the statement that pupils now-a-days could not write as well as pupils did years ago. Many people could remember the day when copperplate writing was demanded from pupils. As an increasing number of pupils went on to the secondary schools, the shortcomings of this method became apparent. The age demanded speed, whereas that method of teaching handwriting suited an easygoing age of comparative leisure. There naturally developed a new method of teaching handwriting—a method based on a free-arm movement, which produced speed. The free-arm system accepted as inevitable a very poor standard of writing in the early standards while the pupil was struggling to acquire speed. Probably, however, the typewriter had affected handwriting more than any other factor. Taking everything into consideration—the typewriter, machines of different kinds, and the pace at which it seemed that they had to accept as inevitable a lower standard of writing today. As to spelling, it was possibly to a certain extent true that young people could not spell as well as was formerly the case. But what was the price paid for a higher standard of spelling? Many teachers, a generation ago, adopted the practice of strapping for every error beyond, say, two. Pupils paid more heavily in this form of torture just before examinations and before the visit of inspectors. Thirdly, it was stated that young people of today were not so good at arithmetic. Possibly this was a fair statement. It must be remembered, however, that the subject of arithmetic used to take up what was now considered to be a disproportionate amount of the weekly timetablie. Recently, in order to meet with the approval of inspectors, primary school timetables had to limit arithmetic t'o four hours a week. It was obvious that a pupil spending seven and eight hours a week on arithmetic (as a boy did a generation ago) should be much more proficient than a pupil who spent three or four hours a week on the subject (as a pupil did today). The typical education of 70 or so years ago, said Mr Gair, was designed to turn out an automaton that could, by the comparatively early age of 13, spell, write and add up figures. Soon subjects like geography, history and drawing were introduced, but the emphasis continued to be placed 'on these bread and butter subjects. Educational theory, however, advancing slowly but surely, though not as rapidly as other branches of modern research, had pointed to the need for a fundamental revision of the whole approach to the problem of education. Teachers worthy of the name had for some time accepted as axiomatic that pupils should follow their own aptitudes, that they should learn through play or interest (wherever possible), and that they should not be brutally treated. It was in showing this consideration for pupils that modern teachers appeared to the layman to be too tolerant of the child’s ineffectualness in certain activities. But the layman should remember that the teacher was in a better position to understand the child's problems. If children were to receive consideration at the hands of their teacher, it was inevitable that a proportion of them would not progress at the same pace and would not reach the same standard of attainment in certain subjects. But the benefit that they otherwise received more than counterbalanced the loss. “The important point is this,” said Mr Gair, “that, behind the supposed fad of the teacher is a purpose. It may be a mistaken purpose, it may be an exaggerated purpose, but in every case I believe it is an honest purpose.” On the motion of Mr E. M. Hodder, Mr Gair was accorded a vote of thanks for his address.