21

1.—14b

H. HILL

would make them a part of our ordinary school training. We should have the right to drop out certain subjects under the syllabus. Take the syllabus as suggested here. Here is the work for Standard I.: English, reading, composition, writing, spelling, recitation, arithmetic, drawing, singing, physical instruction. Then, additional subjects are: A definite course of nature-study, handwork, needlework. These are additional subjects that may be taught. Now, the average child in Standard I. is, say, eight years. There are too many subjects. They are too various. What we want really are English as suggested and arithmetic, with nature-study. I approve of those, but any others should be optional on the part of a teacher. Y r ou should not compel a teacher who cannot do a thing to try to do it. 29. It would only be a prodigy who could grasp such instruction, 1 take it? —I am afraid it is done at the expense of the future intelligence of the child. 30. I do not wish to labour the point now, but it occurred to me. You previously stated that you thought it inadvisable to teach agricultural subjects earlier than the Seventh Standard - —Yes; agriculture as a science. 31. Nature-study is prior to that? —Yes. 32. Do you think that any considerable proportion of pupils would or could attend classes for agricultural instruction after they had passed the Sixth Standard? —I think so. I think you will find that the country children remain at school longer than the town children. The demands in town life are greater than they are in country life, and the children as a rule remain at school longer; and I consider those children should be trained in agricultural science. 33. You are speaking now of the larger centres? —Yes; but I might say, if you will allow me to amplify that, that I was asking for the various annual reports so as to make up a statement as to the pupils who pass the standards. I wanted to take a period and to hud out how many on an average out of every thousand drop out between the Fourth and the Fifth Standards, the Fifth and the Sixth, and the Sixth and the Seventh, because it would be very interesting to discover as to the time when the children really enter into the business of life. I have not made any tabulation, but I think you will find that between the Fourth and the Fiftli Standards more children leave school and enter upon the business of life—especially in the towns. 1 would like that inquiry to be followed. 34. Just one more question —to generalise. Am Ito draw this conclusion from your remarks, that it is largely your opinion that primary education to the Sixth Standard is primarily for the purpose of educating pupils to take up other subjects? —Yes, anticipatory of technical training. 35. Mr. Hall.] Mr. Wilson, in his evidence, dwelt very strongly upon the advisableness of getting children to imbibe knowledge in regard to the growth of plants, and he quoted the example of the Mauriceville School, where the teacher has a garden and interests the children in the culture of different vegetables, &c. He very strongly advised that a man of the character of the Mauriceville school-teacher should be sent round as an instructor, and to encourage each school to have a garden as an object-lesson by which the children could learn the rudiments of the growth and culture of plants. You seem to agree with Mr. Wilson to a certain extent, but instead of having peripatetic- teachers you would teach the school-teachers in the centres? —Exactly. 36. How could you teach those teachers in the centres unless you had a garden from which they could be taught? —You do not want every teacher to be a gardener. You do not expect each teacher is going to be a gardener and to prepare children for becoming market-gardeners. What you want to do in scientific training is to let a child know the various characteristics of plants, and you can teach these without teaching him to grow onions, or radishes, or cress. These country schools are mostly under the charge of a schoolmistress —the smallest schools. 37. So that a schoolmistress, too, would have to undergo this course of training? —There is adaptation. If the schools were organized as they should be you would find the teachers adapted to those places coming in and going to the schools, because it be made worth their while to do so. 38. New Zealand is an agricultural and pastoral country ?- -Then adapt your education to it. 39. You have said that England has adapted her education? -To the industrial needs of the country. 40. So that the bulk of the children may become artisans. You would advise that a similar course be pursued here? —I am speaking for adaptation. Mr. Wilson has well said that our greatest industry is agriculture. I have drawn special attention, in the paper from which 1 have quoted, to the effect of the growth of our meat industry ; and exactly the same thing applies Our children should be biassed--should receive a bias according to the industries of the country. 41. You have told us that the bulk of the children leave school between the Fourth and Fiftn Standards ?—lt is my opinion that a large proportion leave between those standards. 42. Is it your opinion that the bulk of the children go to agricultural and pastoral pursuits? -They have been withdrawn during the past few years into the towns. It is only- in the towns. 43. Are y-ou entirely in accord with Mr. Wilson when he says that you should encourage a love of floral production in the children in order to get them to live in the country instead of drifting into the towns? —I have said that their early training should be that, because it is the foundation of all knowledge--that is, the training of the perceptive faculties; and 3-ou cannot make an agriculturist until you have trained him to a knowledge of the things around him. 44. In your opinion is there sufficient agricultural training in our technical schools —of course, Mr. Wilson advised that our technical schools should also include agricultural training among their subjects? —We have a technical school so-called at Napier, but certainly- no agricultural training is given there. 45. Would you advise that it should be? —If the Department will give us a grant to do it, we will have a specialist. 46. Take the technical school at Dannevirke. The whole of the country round it for fiftymiles is agricultural and pastoral? —I would adapt it as a centre for the giving of instruction in agriculture. It would be a natural centre.