Education and Agriculture 



active part in educational reform do not study 

 as they should the way in which the poor live. 

 Everyone cannot get this information at first 

 hand, but all interested in the subject can 

 read such books as, "A Poor Man's House," by 

 Stephen Reynolds, " At the Works," by Lady 

 Bell, " The Town Child," by Reginald Bray, 

 and "An Englishman's Castle," by Miss Loane. 

 As a nation we are not of a scientific turn of 

 mind : when we endeavoured to formulate our 

 educational system there was no solemn conclave 

 to consider what should be the ultimate aim of 

 education, what type of citizen would most 

 benefit the country. When it was realized that 

 something must be done, the old dame school 

 was taken as the basis, patched, altered and 

 added to, till what we are pleased to call the 

 present system of elementary education was 

 built up — a mode that until recently could 

 hardly be recognised as a system. 



But things have gone on thus for so long that 

 we must now accept this kaleidoscopic medley, 

 and must hope that in the continued turning of 

 the kaleidoscope will result the resolution of all 

 the separate parts into a homogeneous whole. 



Our methods of education are steadily im- 

 proving, slowly in some directions, faster in 

 others. The outlook is encouraging, but the 

 progress would be much faster if it were recog- 

 nised that expenditure on education is really 



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