VIII. EVIDENCE GIVEN TION BILL.1 ORGANIZA MR. ARTHUR ACLAND. Witness. In reply to a question: A departmental committee of the Scotch Education Department, after taking evidence, thought a graduate class [university graduates in preparation for the teaching profession] ought to have six months' course at a training college, in which they would be put through, not only the ordinary practice of teaching, but also (and this is of far more importance than the practice of teaching), what are called by train 1 Parts of the evidence which do not bear directly on registration have been omitted. As the evidence stands as it was spoken, the reader will excuse defects of language. ing college authorities all over Great Britain, criticism lessons. In these, students are asked to teach a class in the presence of the master of method and their fellow-students, and then, after having taught the class, are subjected to the criticism both of their fellow-students and the master of method. The departmental committee recommended that they should have a six months' course of this kind. 1634. The report of that departmental committee was a Parliamentary paper, I suppose ?Yes; [C-5336.] 1888. 1635. Is there any other special point in connection with the actual work you have been conducting which you would like to refer to before we go to more general matters ?—I should like to say that, as regards the professional training of teachers, there is a pretty strong opinion entertained in Scotland that the other Scotch universities should undertake work similar to that which has been undertaken by the University of Edinburgh, where a schoolmaster's diploma is now given; and it is generally understood that the Universities Executive Commission now sitting in Scotland will either make direct provision for chairs of education or lectureships of education in the universities, or take such measures as will lead to such chairs or lectureships being founded. 1636. The hope is generally entertained in Scotland that that will be one of their recommendations?—Yes; that is the general feeling among the teaching class. 1637. I may say this, I suppose, while Scotland is forward in so many educational matters, in the actual matter of a fuller development of secondary education and its organization there is still a good deal to be done in Scotland ?-As regards organization, everything to be done. 1638. When you get that which you are hoping for, I suppose the demand for secondary teachers will be greater than now ?-No doubt. 1639. And that would at once increase the work of your chair or other chairs of a similar kind?— Yes; and make them necessary. 1640. As to professional training for teachers, will you tell us your general opinion upon that subject?—I think the teacher should be carried through a course of what is called the science or principles of education, and the methods of instruction and education as based on those principles, and following from them; also a course on the history of education, so as to liberalize his mind. on all questions of education, and to enable him to form a sound judgment regarding questions that come up. 1641. Would you illustrate the methods at the same time by practising schools? There should be a means of connecting the Chair with some practising school or schools, especially schools organized for the purpose of training teachers, so that the student might see illustrations and methods of instruction, see good teachers teach, and receive. criticism lessons with a view to his learning to do the work himself. 1642. Would you desire that facilities in that direction should be given in secondary schools beyond those that now exist in practising schools? -It would be desirable that those intending to become teachers in secondary schools should spend a portion of their time in a high school, such as the high school of Edinburgh or Glasgow. 1643. Do you suppose that the authorities of the high school would be willing to permit such an arrangement?—I have not the slightest doubt that they would, especially if suggested by the Department. 1644. If I understand you rightly, you think that the necessary training cannot be got by merely taking an assistant's post and going at work at once in a school?—No, I think such a plan may make a very bad teacher: a man takes an assistant's post, he begins to practice teaching children before he has had any instruction, and of course may thus form very bad habits. The school in which he is an assistant may be a school that is called "efficient," but it may not be a school calculated to teach a teacher to teach. 1645. If he went to a specially selected school under a skilled head-master, would that meet the requirements of the case?—If certain schools were selected under a good head-master, no doubt some of the objections I take to the place of training would be obviated; but the student in such a case would after all be simply in the position of a medical apprentice in a good surgery. It would be like training a medical man by sending him to be apprenticed in a surgery, and then after a certain amount of apprenticeship practice, in which he would learn all sorts of bad habits and get his mind habituated to certain ways of doing things, sending him to walk the hospitals, and study medical science. He would walk the hospitals and study science too late; and it was because of the total failure of such an apprenticeship system |