458 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Saturday science lessons at University College, Auckland, that 

 they may acquire skill in experimental work." This, I may 

 remark, is not a report of the state of science-teaching in 

 1832, but in 1892. 



The advice given to the teachers is good, but no great 

 hopes can be entertained for those who commence late in life 

 to study science. Like all important studies, early training 

 and a real love of the subject are the essentials to success. 

 Science is not a subject that can be taught without years of 

 practical work. It has a language of its own, copious and 

 definite, the full meaning of which is acquired by experiments. 

 Indeed, to attempt to teach the most elementary scientific 

 book without full practical knowledge must result only in 

 failure. 



The Inspectors also refer to the teaching of drawing in no 

 flattering terms; and this is another essential in technical edu- 

 cation. It may now be well asked, At what are the children 

 engaged for the eight years they are at school ? 



Fov four years they learn reading, spelling, arithmetic, 

 grammar and composition, geography, and drawing, until 

 they reach the Fourth Standard. Then for another four years 

 they learn the same, with the addition of history and science, 

 which has been already dealt with. 



The school instruction only fits them for clerks or shop- 

 helps, and yet, in our unreasoning way, the cry is raised that 

 the boys and girls, on leaving school, want to go to the desk, 

 or the counter, or to become teachers. 



The Colony of Victoria has now gone in for retrenchment, 

 and, as a part of it, dismisses school-teachers. Now, if the 

 schools were preparing the producers for real life, nothing 

 could be more foolish ; but it is found that the real product is 

 shoals of clerks and store -helps, which it is thought can be 

 produced more cheaply. A farmer on a large scale who has 

 got into difiiculties dismisses stewards, overlookers, clerks, but 

 takes good care to keep his good workmen. He saves in out- 

 building, household luxuries, and race-meetings, but he can- 

 not do without his good workmen, or utter ruin w^ould ensue ; 

 and teachers would be equally essential to the colony if their 

 instruction increased the number of intelligent producers. 

 We are not left in any doubt how primary education will be 

 carried on in Victoria, for our method that was adopted a few 

 years ago is quite bad enough to imitate. 



It would be strange if some ardent admirer of educational 

 retrenchment had not, ere this, thus expounded the manner 

 in which education is so cheaply carried on in this province : 

 " In a school with an attendance, say, of four hundred, there 

 are seven teachers whose wages range from 7s. 6d. to £1 a 

 week ; then two at £1 10s. and £2 respectively ; while the 



