Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

The School World Y

[blocks in formation]

1

558

The School World

No. 13.

THE

A Monthly Magazine of Educational Work and Progress.

A RETROSPECT.

JANUARY, 1900.

HE commencement of a new volume of THE SCHOOL WORLD affords a suitable opportunity for a brief survey of the performances of the past twelve months, in the light of the promises made in the first number, in which the primary objects of this magazine were stated to be the publication of information upon the principles and practice of teaching, and the provision of materials of real service to all who are engaged in educational work.

No useful purpose would be served by enumerating all the articles-serial and single-which represent the superstructure erected upon the plan laid down twelve months ago. The index issued with the December number furnishes the best of evidence as to what has been accomplished; and readers unfamiliar with these pages are invited to examine the long lists of articles and authors there referred to. Only a few of the subjects of last year's contributions need here be mentioned; they are, the teaching of algebra, the position and teaching of French and German, systems of commercial education at home and abroad, chapters in school hygiene, physical observations of boys and girls in schools, experiments and apparatus for teaching elementary general science, teachers' notes on English history and articles on important periods, current geographical topics, English composition, literature, and analysis, methods of teaching reading, the teaching of geometry, schools of public men, drawing in secondary schools, the ideal assistant master, and school preparation for the Civil Service.

This selection, referring chiefly to the modern side, and taken almost at random, will serve to indicate that THE SCHOOL WORLD is not so much concerned with educational theory in the abstract as with matters which form part of the day's work of schoolmasters and schoolmistresses. Theories

No. 13, VOL. 2.]

SIXPENCE.

in education, like theories in the realm of science, are unsound if they cannot stand the test of experience; and any good teacher may competently criticise pedagogic principles referring to subjects in which he gives instruction.

Definite statements by practical teachers as to methods followed by them with success are, therefore, always valuable, and there can be no science of education in the absence of such records. Differences of opinion are inevitable; but, as Francis Bacon said, "truth more easily comes out of error than out of confusion"; and the quickest way to find out the weak points in any scheme is to submit the matter to critics who have developed similar plans of their own.

This much by way of encouragement to teachers to relate their own experiences. Returning to the subject of the usefulness of THE SCHOOL World, attention may be drawn to the test papers for the London Matriculation Examination next June, and for the Oxford Local Examinations in July, contained in another part of this number. Judging by the many applications for reprints of test papers for the Cambridge Examinations, published last year, this part of THE SCHOOL WORLD is of distinct value, and we hope soon to extend it to include some other important public examinations. It would be ungracious to leave this retrospective glance without expressing thanks to the numerous members of the teaching profession who have sent us letters of congratulation, and have assured our position by their support. We are naturally gratified to learn that many teachers at home and abroad find the contents suggestive and helpful, but it is even more satisfactory to know that we have succeeded in producing a magazine in which teachers engaged in schools having pupils of widely different grades in the social scale are interested. We recognise in this a sign of coordination, and of mutual sympathy in educational effort, well worth bearing in mind by educationists. formulating a scheme of secondary education.

A

« ForrigeFortsett »