630 PKOCEEDINGS OF SECTION J. 



It is not sufficient to train the intellectual side only of a child's 

 nature. The most recent child-psychology recognises the impor- 

 tance of the older aristocracy of the emotions, and the will where 

 the intellect is a mere " parvenu " and an upstart. 



It seems evident from examples available of the definite instruc- 

 tion in civics (1) that civics must be rendered effectual by trans- 

 lating social theories into social service, whether in the small com- 

 munity of the school or in the bigger community of the State, and 

 (2) that civics is not an independent school-subject, but is neces- 

 sarily dependent upon the teaching of history. All history teach- 

 ing should aim at creating an atmosphere of civic responsibility, 

 and definite instruction in civics should only come at a sufficiently 

 advanced age, so that the instruction given should be the gather- 

 ing-up and systematizing of those political facts which have been 

 accumulating vaguely throughout the school life. The future 

 citizen should be "trained to meet political contingencies," and 

 to perform civic duty as the result of " inspiration," not of com- 

 pulsion. He should be prepared to be tlie member, not of a party, 

 but of a nation. 



History is not merely a fact study, but part of a complete intel- 

 lectual training, having an important part to play in developing 

 intellectual honesty in the sphere of social and political phenomena, 

 providing a variety of interests and a changing point of view in 

 moral judgments, widening the outlook on life, and presenting the 

 problems of to-day in their right perspective with regard to the 

 great forces which have been at work through long ages. 



This calls for a better training of the history teacher, and a 

 more enlightened treatment of the subject. Different stages of 

 teaching are needed — the artistic and emotional teaching to young 

 children, the more rational and fuller fact-study of history with 

 pupils of upper primary and secondary school age, and, finally, 

 the scientific and more detailed study of the University stage. 



With regard to the scope of history teaching in the schools, 

 Australian history has been too long neglected, though it alone is 

 not sufficient, as some believe, for primary schools. It is not a 

 complete national history, for it does not contain the essentials 

 of history — the evolution of organized political communities 

 through the ages. Like South Afi'ican history, it is only a small 

 part of British history, dealing with one very late phase of Im- 

 perial activity. Its legislative history and its economic conditions 

 have been different from those of the Old Country. Its history 

 is national and individual, but it is the natural evolutionary pro- 

 duct and continuation of the history of the Motherland, and must 

 be taught, therefore, in connexion with British history. It cannot 

 alone give sufficient training in the right methods of historical 



