The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, MAY 28,1890. HOME LESSONS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3521, 28 May 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, MAY 28,1890. HOME LESSONS.

The Carterton School Committee libb resolved that home lessons bo not given to tho children of parents who object to them, and our Carterton contemporary, while sympathising Kith the object which the Committoe has in view, ionrs that it hns exceeded its powers, and that the Boaid should bfi invited to lay down a rule so that one school might not be handicapped by abstaining from the benefits supposed to bo derivable from (he homelesson practice. Wo question whether Boards have any more jurisdiction than Committees on such a practice, School hours are clearly defined by regulation, and Boards, Committees, and teachers are alike without power to either Impose home-lessons or remit thoin, No other possible view of home-lessons can bo taken than that they aro optional on the part of children, subject, of course, to parental control, and any teacher who made them compulsory would clearly exceed his powers, and render himself liable to correction, Wo believe it is the opinion of the best members of the profession that an ordinary teacher ought to be able to pass ah ordinary pupil without having reconiuo to home-leßSons, If, therefore, such lessons are imposed, it follows that either the teacher is not up to his work, or the pupil has been negligent either in attendances or study. In Mastevton, some of tho most successful passes in higher standards have been obtained without having resort to the homo-lesson system, and from facts which have comb under our own notice, we have come to the conclusion that such lessons, when generally and indiscriminately applied ate a mistaken device on the part of weak teachers. Of course ambitious pupils who desire to distinguish themselves, will, without any encouragement from their teachers, devote a certain portion of their leisure evenings to working up subject* in which they feel tlioy are deficient. Voluntary efforts of this character are of course commendable, and are very different to the compulsory task which sometimes has been set by thoughtless teachers for weary children, Five hours a day are quite adequate for teaching an averngo child all that is necessary for him or her to learn, and all that the mental capacity of theohild is capable of absorbing, As a matter of fact, wo do not believe that nine children out of ten are mentally fitted for say three hours of real study per diem, Wo are not sorry that the Carterton Comraitteohas called attention to the question of home-lessonß, because we recognißO that it is a subject upon which considerable misconception exists, and a Committee has quite as much right astho Board to question it, The Act states that a school shall be kept open five days in each 'week for at least'four hours, two of which shall be in tho forenoon, and two in the afternoon, and that the school shall be conducted in accordance with this regulation, Evening studies are dearly excluded, and not, even an Education Board can, Sgainst the will of a parent, impose a home-lesson.