CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3813, 18 May 1891, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Teachers' Frogr&mmo of Examination for Classification. (To the Editor.) g lß) —With your kind permission Idesiieto place before the public through the columns of your widely circulatd papei, a few remarks on the subjects that constitute the above programme. According to the latest revised edition, a teacher presenting himself at the annual examination for class E must possess a good knowledge of the following :—Reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, and composition, including punctuation, arithmetic, geography, Eng-

Hah history, elementary science as defined, Vocal Music, drawing, and the art of teaching and school management. The knowledge of science, as may be seen below, requires to be pretty extensive. The following synopsis will clearly show this: — Fundamental ideas of master and energy, conditions of matter, gravitation, mechanical powers, sound, sight, heat, magnetism, electricity, chemistry, physiology and health. Now, sir, you can see that a teacher presenting himself for examination in order to obtain an E certificate must acquire a knowledge of science—l may say from the various revolutions of the mariners' compass to the labyrinthine intricacios of the many constitutions of the human frame. The programme of examination for Inspectorship of Bchools in Great Britain and Ireland does not contain such a complexity of items aa far as science is concerned. What was the object of the fraraers of this programme in excluding the two important subjects geometry and algebra ?It is an indisputable fact that a teacher or pupil can never acquire a sound and perfest knowledge of arithmetic, until he is familiarly acquainted with at least the elementary parts of geometry and algebra. In fact these two important subjects seem to be very much neglected in New Zealand. Geometry may be termed the inexhaustible source of all mathematical information and algebra a useful science when a teacher or pupil intends solving a veiy difficult question in arithmetic. Hence I would suggest the exclusion of science from the programme and those two important subjects inserted instead. No education can be said to be perfect without a thorough knowledge of arithmetic, both theoretically and practically, and this cannot be acquired ' unless assisted by a fair knowledge of geometry and algebra. The remainder of the programme being well framed requires no further remarks from me. I hope attention is paid to these few hints and the necessary alterations above indicated cannot fail to prove beneficial to both teachers and pupils of this colony. I am thoroughly convinced also that a knowledge of agriculture, as contained in Professor Baldwin's Agricultural Class Book or any test book on the subject would be preferable to science. By inserting this you will oblige "Negative Indices."