TBANSACTIONS OF SECTION L. 937 



who teach under supervision to classes which are readily entrusted to untrained 

 teachers fresh from college. 



The -work of supervisiug school practice must be individual, hence traiuing to 

 be efficient must necessarily he expensive. The trainer of teachers in addition 

 to good school e-xperience and progressive knowledge of educational principles 

 needs sympathetic insight in dealing with students. 



(y) Hovj efficiently to test practical work in tcachinrj.—lleve. there has been 

 H great advance from the examination 'show 'lesson of earlier days. But it 

 would appear desirable to withhold the full certificate of ability to teach until the 

 young teacher has shown, after experience as a responsible teacher under suitable 

 conditions, his powers as teacher and governor. The executive powers of an 

 individual cannot be tested in the same way as his receptive and reflective 

 powers. 



A special difficulty in training at present is that more has to be attempted in 

 the time than can be done efficiently. The secondary school, which is recognised 

 as taking part in the work of training teachers, would render valuable assistance 

 by directing more attention to the subjects which are necessary to every teacher 

 (e.y., the mother-tongue, drawing, clear enunciation, physical culture, etc!). 



(ii) By CiiABLES MacGregor. 



No system of training will ever produce finished teachers ; but every system 

 should send forth students with some knowledge of the principles and methods of 

 teaching, and with so much skill in practice as will bridge the gap between 

 experience and inexperience, and serve to lessen the diificulties of that first period 

 of responsible work which is often so profitless to the pupils and painful to 

 the teacher. The students should go forth knowing what has been thought and 

 done educationally in the past, knowing the best that is being thought and 

 done in the present, aware that education is in process of evolution, and full 

 of the desire to contribute to its advance. 



1. Sound knowledge is the first essential for teaching of the right kind, and 

 any satisfactory system must be based on a sound general education, or must 

 provide for that. The ordinary school subjects of English, science, mathematics, 

 history, and geography should be re-studied with more maturity of mind, on 

 a higher intellectual plane, and in a more philosophical manner than is possible 

 in a secondary or preparatory school. Concentration of efi'ort should also bo 

 aimed at, and the subjects not spread over the whole course as in the Ecoles 

 Xormales, and in some of the German Seminars and of our own colleges. 



2. The students must know not only the material they are to work with, but 

 also the material they are to work upon. They must go through a serious course 

 of psychology, not introspective psychology only, but experimental psychology, 

 and above all child-study. With the study of the mind must proceed the study 

 of the body, and this also must be thoroughly practical, under a competent 

 medical officer. _ It might include a little anthropometry. xV third part of this 

 division should include a .short course in ethics, helping the students to the better 

 consideration of the problems of moral education. All this work— psychology, 

 hygiene, and ethics— must possess a vital connection with the students' work'^in 

 the schools. 



3. To the knowledge of the materials students are to ui^e. and the knowledge 

 of the material they are to work on, must be added knowledge of the methods 

 by which these are to be connected and skill in their use. This involves 

 (a) history and science of education ; {b) stud7 of particular methods of teach- 

 ing school subjects ; and (c) practice in teaching. Needless to say these three 

 must be correlated ia the closest possible fashion. Detachment is disastrous. 



(a) The history must be brought up to date, and include the work of Parker 

 and Dewey as well as that of Ilerbart or Kousseau. There should certain! v 

 be also a course of lectures on educational systems of other countries, and at least 

 an introduction given to the vaUiftble stores'of material ip the Board of Education 

 Reports, 



