The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1886. COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2446, 6 November 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1886. COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

We do not altogether regret the slight falling-off in passes at the Master ton Public School this year, as it serves, to illustrate the weak points of ourjeducational system. For several years past Maaterton has been in the front rank with respect to passes, and during the past year there has no doubt been the usual struggle to seoure a premier jiosition among the larger schools of the Educational district. It is very possible that the anxious efforts of the staff to achieve this result may have contributed to the comparative want of success which has been realized. Then again the forcing of past years bears indiflerent fruit. Children now' of thirteen years, and even of still more tender, have been passed rapidly from class to class till thoy have to be presented for the final standard before they are old enough, as the Inspector pointed out, for such an ordeal. In education us in everything else •' making haste slowly" is an excellent motto, and the practice of' making, haste quickly, as illustrated in the Mas' terton school must ultimately end in a certain amount of disappointment. We referred some time ago to another drawbaok in our system. Give a teacher half a dozen subjeots to instil into »class and there is a reasonable prospaot of seouring a thorough knowledge of all (if them, but give the j teacher a dozen saujeots to work up in "

his class and it will he inevitable that quality of instruction must be sacrificed to quantity aud ut superficial .skimming over of a large area he substituted for thorough cultivation of a smaller one. Sir Robert Stout, as is well-known, is forcing extra subjects into the school syllabus and the result must necessarily bo that children and teachers will be i overtasked and cramming will take the place of teaching. It is time that the Education Boards of the Colony instructed their Inspectors that the ■ careful thorough teaching of ut reason- , able number of subjects will be more . valued than rapid passing. Of comae teachers under the present system i know that their buccoss with their em- - ployers at the Board depends very much on the percentage of passes which I they make and they aro compelled to adopt a comparatively valueless forcing Bystem and to discard a slower but fur i more valuable culture.