THE SCHOOL JOURNAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2106, 14 June 1907, Page 3

THE SCHOOL JOURNAL.

Speaking to an Auckland Star reporter on tlio subject of the School Journal, tho Ministor of Education said that ho had rocoived many gratifying testimonials from teachers in difforont parts of tho colony regarding its usefulness. Ho had recently visited, in the South Island, a school where tho Journal was in use for tho first time.'and the amount of interest, and almost excitement, displayed in it by tho children was vory gratifying indeed, and wliilo tho interest in succeeding numbers was hardly likely to bo as great as that in the first, still ho behoved that each month a good deal of added interest to tho school work would bo found in tho Journal. Gonorally speaking, both tho press and tlio toachors throughout tho colony havo highly commonded tho stylo and tho matter of tho first issue. There were, of course, points open to criticism anil each succeeding number would probably bo an improvement on its predecessor. Some papers hail evidently misundorstooil tho function and the scope of tlio Journal. Perhaps the name liad to some extent

misled thorn. Wliat was aimed at was a really up-to-date school reader to tako tho place of all the supplementary reading books at present in use in tho schools, and in that way meeting tlio growing demand all over the colony for free books. The-Min-ister said that tho cost of tho Journal would not bo more than a third of tho cost that would bo involved in supply freo books to the children on the 'old plan, and the interest taken

in and the value of tlie'monthly publication would be much greater than that of the old stereotyped school readers. All educationalists are agreed that tho continual grinding at tho same reader, month after month, idles away with tho interest, and "s a drawback tq school work. As show-

ing how the Journal was appreciated, the Minister mentioned that requests’ had been received from private schools to be supplied with copies of the monthly issues, anil he was making inquiries with a view to supplying the Journal to such schools at cost prieo.