Teachers and the Syllabus.

It might seem hard to say that for the most part teachers did not appear to him to be thoroughly trained to instruct scientifically, but such seemed to him to be page 5 the case, and he had felt bound to say so. No one could fairly accuse him of underestimating the significance and importance of the calling of schoolmaster—possibly the greatest calling in life. When he contrasted his own profession with that of teaching he always felt that the power of the teacher in the service of humanity was the greater. The doctor had to do for the most part with men and women—with the ships that were already launched and out of port. His work was mending rather than creating or building. To the teacher was entrusted the privilege and responsibility of building the ship, of seeing that she was not unduly strained while being built, and of thus safeguarding her as far as possible against being wrecked later on. The teaching profession should be a highly paid one, into which the best men and women should be encouraged to enter. Many of the teachers were not blind to the fundamental wrongness of the system. They knew that it was impossible for them under present conditions to follow out correct principles. Conversing with some women teachers he had seen the tears in their eyes at the hopelessness of their task. Examiners were too exacting, the syllabus was over-weighted, and the subjects taught were, some of them, of use neither in this world nor in the next. The speaker concluded with a dramatic recital of the danger of overwork on a child's future, on the duties of parents and the State to children. He said that as a result partly of over-strain of the faculties in girlhood, and partly through insufficient time being spent in the open-air and sunshine, combined with lack of healthy exercise and recreation and want of sufficiently vigorous exercise, many women could not suckle their own children. He had asked Mr Cohen whether there was not any place that could be purchesed as a playground for the schools, where children could be taken twice a week. If the State owed anything to the children it was two half-days a week to take part in such recreation. It had been pointed out by German investigators that children on a holiday to the sea-tide grew more in three weeks' time than in the whole of the rest of the year when at school. It seemed that it was possible to purchase 60 acres of land here for such a purpose as he had suggested This was his practical suggestion, and they were poor citizens if they could not get the money for such a purpose.—(Applause.)

At the conclusion of the lecture a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer.