ON STUDIES MOST SUITABLE FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, 499 



According to the short report of the meeting in the ' Times,' M. Appell 

 defines the ' man of science ' not as ' the man who knows,' but as a man 

 who ' combines with his knowledge scientific activity ; that is to say, 

 a curiosity always alert, indefatigable patience, and, above all, initiative, 

 and again initiative.' It is this spirit that we desire to see dominate the 

 teachers and the teaching in our schools. 



In connection with the main subject of our investigation there will 

 be a discussion to-day from which we may expect to derive many 

 valuable suggestions on 'Education in relation to rural life.' This aspect 

 of elementary education has been hitherto too much neglected. No Acts 

 of Parliament dealing with the tenui-e of land will effectually create a 

 love of country life in the hearts of the people. Interest in agricultural 

 pursuits must be fostered among our school children, and this can best 

 be done by closely associating experimental science teaching with the 

 daily work of the farmer and by encouraging initiative among the pupils 

 in rural as in other schools. 



It will be seen, therefore, that the Committee have been actively 

 engaged during the past five years in preparing the ground for a com- 

 plete reorganisation of our system of elementary education, and that their 

 efforts have included the consideration of the changes to be introduced 

 into the curriculum of urban and rural schools and of the studies most 

 suitable to the pupils, whether boys or girls. The fundamental principle 

 underlying the suggested reform is that work requiring manipulative skill 

 shall be the dominant feature of the curriculum. Under the suggested 

 scheme the school lessons will be essentially practical, and will be given 

 in part in the open air or in the rooms to be equipped for experimental 

 science and constructive work. The explanation of all practical processes 

 will constitute the main subjects of the science teaching, which will be 

 so organised as to stimulate accurate observation and correct reasoning. 

 In the teaching of all subjects practice will precede theory, so that the 

 explanation of any exercise will follow the ability to perform it. In con- 

 nection with these practical pursuits will be provided lessons in arith- 

 metic, geography, and composition, to consist largely of descriptive notes 

 of the work in which the pupil is engaged. Apart from these subjects the 

 pupil should have lessons in the history, and above all in the poetry, of his 

 country, and in his duties to the State. The instruction will be such as to 

 arouse activity, to satisfy curiosity, and to stimulate an intelligent interest 

 in the subjects taught. In such a scheme, towards which we are slowly 

 but surely working, there will be no ' special subjects,' no extra grants 

 for supplemental teaching. The manual training — recently introduced 

 into our schools — will become the ' corner stone ' of our new educational 

 building. The curriculum will be narrower than at present ; it will 

 embrace fewer subjects, but it will be one and undivided, and all its parts 

 will fit into one another, so as give a single aim and unity of purpose to 

 the teaching. The methods will be the same in all schools. There will be 

 the same endeavour everywhere to arouse 'scientific acivity,' 'a curiosity 

 always alert,' and, above all, initiative, self-reliance, and resourcefulness 

 in the pupils. But the subjects of instruction — the instruments of 

 education — may vary and will he adapted to local needs. 



This great reform, which the Committee of this Section and many of 

 the members by their individual efforts are endeavouring to promote, 

 cannot be effected without further provision being made for the training 

 of teachers nor without considerable improvements in the methods of 



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