The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1886. ART TEACHING IN STATE SCHOOLS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2411, 28 September 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1886. ART TEACHING IN STATE SCHOOLS.

Me Riley, the art master of the Education Board.has recently delivered the firat three of ut pedes of lectures to the teachers of the Wairarapa schools, and wo understand that at the ruqnost of thoao who have attended his class, be has consented to postpone the remainder of his course to a more convenient, season, when the approaching annual examination will be over and the somewhat severe strain which ia now experienced becomes « little relaxed, It is becoming tolerably apparent that both teachers and schools are now working ut high pressure, and it is an open question whether the game is worth the candle It bus been the fashion of late to crowd extra subjects into the school syllabus, all of thein, no doubt, , very excellent in themselves, but pie6entiug«i roasss a strong doso for children and for teacliera. Originally tbo primary school courso comprised the three Ra and another triplet in the shape of grammar, geography, and history. These m subjects aro almost sufficient to tusk the ordinary capacity of an average colonial school teacher and an average colonial child, but the Education Board of Wellington btivo launched out at least half a dozen other subjects which have been mote or less assimilated by our schools. First a chemistry lecturer was sent up amongst us, and children wero dosed with hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen; then cuuiii a professor of calisthenics, to teach oiir offspring extension movements and muscular exercises; and lastly, a drawing master has appeared on the scene as an art missionary. Wa not know what the next venture of the Board will be, but we are pietty well satisfied that our. primary school education is being overdone, There is, of course, no objection to art, calisthenics, or chemistry boing taught in our schools if we can afford these luxuries. The Bill for our national education is getting somewhat beyond our means and as wo aro threatened with local taxation to make the revenue balance the expenditure it vonld be as well if a little restriction were put on a somewhat too rapid development of educational facilties. The money part of the question is not hltogethrr the firat consideration. The bulk of the children ir, the colony do not require an extensive education, They have home duties to perform an well as school obligations. Boys or, girls who put in five hours Work per diem at school and have to render some service in the domestic circle, find their tirile pretty well filled' up, and if, in addition, they have'.to devote one or two hours in the .evening to home lessons, they are simply overworked and overtasked. They jhave not leisure for theplayand relaxation which is essential to the physical and mental health of childhood, We notico that] a Wair|rapa Teachers Association is being formed and we trust that this new organisation may Jo good service by exerting an influence to restrict iiudu'B pressure on children. A line ought to be drawu between primary and secondary education. As we are going on now secondary education will hi soon altogether absorbed in the primary course. Sir Robert Stout, the

present Minister of Education, is- an, enthusiast as far as school (trogr-ss goes. There appears to'he no limit to. his demands on teachera and children." Though schoolboys, under his sysiemY are to become living cyclopedias of all the arts and sciences he yet allows his Government to appoint Justices of the Peace who cannot rend or write. Education in theory and in practice is viewed from different standing points by our great educational projector.