Land Problems and National Welfare 



his Majesty's inspector and the County Edu- 

 cation officials, and to discuss the details of the 

 curriculum and the necessary variations for the 

 respective schools. I think local authorities 

 should confer with the teachers more often than 

 they do ; it is regrettable to look upon our 

 school teachers as servants, simply because the 

 County Council is the channel through which 

 their salaries are paid. Theirs is a national 

 work, and, as the care of the rising generation is 

 entrusted to them, they deserve consideration 

 as a most important class of citizen, and further, 

 their splendid and disinterested service in the 

 past merits every recognition. I am sure that 

 when any important change in the curriculum 

 or methods of instruction is proposed, it could 

 be most quickly and satisfactorily effected by 

 means of informal conferences with the teachers, 

 bringing them into the movement and making 

 them understand the object in view. 



Too often education authorities send out cut- 

 and-dried instructions to which many of the 

 schools cannot give effect, or tabulate lists of 

 questions or ask teachers to draw up schemes on 

 certain given lines ; and the results are generally 

 disappointing. Could it be otherwise ? It is 

 not part of the duty of the teacher to be able 

 to devise a scheme on new lines, though un- 

 doubtedly some could do so; but at a conference 

 all intelligent teachers would help to guide a 



150 



