The Waipukurau Press. Tuesday, August 14, 1906. SCHOOL WORK.

Waipukurau Press, Volume I, 14 August 1906, Page 2

The Waipukurau Press. Tuesday, August 14, 1906. SCHOOL WORK.

The question of the excessive amount of home work which is imposed upon school children in New Zealand has from time to time attracted attention. In the course of an interview with a N.Z. Times reporter, Dr Truby King, an eminent authority, said it seemed the parents’ sole desire was to get their children into a high school, where they spent the day, and then were loaded with lessons at night, which could only tend to dwarf their growth ; and he contended that a child should not have more than an hour’s work at night. Instances were given of what had been done in Germany, where children did not go until completing the age of six years, and only then if physically fit, and children kept away from school under such condition increased 20 per cent, more in weight than strong children who had been at school, and 43 per more in height. The doctor contended that this over-work was going to knock the race out as much as anything.

It is invariably the case that the apt pupil is crammed with all the knowledge that is available, without any thought taken of the physical nature, and, if the child survives many years, it is with a heavy brain sapping the physical forces-

The cultivation of the brain should be simultaneous with the cultivation of body. The teachers of our .State School Service are an excellent body, but their work is under the control of examiners, who are axacting, and the standard of the school has to be maintained at the cost of the children. We say this advisedly. Parents in many cases are responsible for this by sending their children to school too young. When they once start they are continually moving forward in the standards, and children have frequently passed through the school at the early ages of thirteen or fourteen years. The brain has been crammed, and the greater portion of the knowledge acquired cannot be assimilated to be of any use. While a system of passes seems necessary to ensue the successful working of a school, we agree with the doctor when he says, “We are mad upon this system of education,” and a great deal of good would result were children given lessons more in accordance with their strength. -——- THE EXHIBITION. —o A correspondent in the N.Z. Times of Saturday last, wnitiug in reference to charges for accommodation at Christchurch, during the .Exhibition, says “ I wrote for a bedroom in a second-class hotel (ordinary tariff, from 30s to 40s a week). The reply came in due course, asking £lO. 10s per week, •or 30s a day.” Should demands of , this character be made by the hotel-keepers of Christchurch great loss will result to the Exhibition, for it is safe to say that persons of ordinary means could not possibly pay demands of this character. The Exhibition is a Governmentguaranteed one, and as such the people of New Zealand are interested in its success, and it is for the Government to see that an injustice is not caused to the exposition. Some time ago it was stated that an a bureau had been set up to deal with applications for accommodation, for which a small fee would be demanded. It would be far better to take advantage of this means of securing rooms than run the risk of paying exorbitant charges to hotel-keepers. There is no> doubt this matter will receive the attention of the proper authorities before the opening day arrives.

Those, in charge of the Exhibition accommodation bureau have not been slow to reply to the statement made by the correspondent, but while stating the amount of accommodation at their disposal make no reference to the exorbitant charges asked by hotel-keep-ers. It, therefore, seems quite clear that there are establishments over which the bureau have no control, and it is this information that intending visitors need. The authorities state that board and residence can be obtained from 255, and that the tariff generally has been advanced 25 per cent. Good hotei accommodation is obtainable at 10s a day. This statement should somewhat allay any alarm that has been created, but intending visitors should secure their lodgings beforehand.