A chapter on Pedagogy

I have spent much of the
holidays writing in the quiet of
the domed LaTrobe reading room
at the State Library where
Snugglepot & Mr. Goanna
welcome visitors.

Ernst had begun to teach at a time when educational ideas were changing. Frank Tate, Director of Education (1902-1939), argued against the old painful ‘unintelligent memory methods that weren’t true teaching’ and suggested that the new programme should aim ‘at training self reliance and ability to acquire knowledge at first hand’. The revised program (1902) consisted of nature study (elemental) science, manual training (brushwork, paperwork, or school gardening), drawing (including geometry, freehand and use of compass, ruler, mid set square), singing, health and special lessons reading and explanation, composition, word building and spelling, penmanship, map-drawing, geography, parsing, analysis and derivative roots, poetry, tables, arithmetic, measuration, history and exploration lessons. There was opposition to the 'crowded curriculum' by some teachers and parents who preferred the traditional teaching methods of rote learning and memorisation. Tate also declared that teaching methods, 'must be such as to give children opportunities of exercising thought and independent expression at every stage… there is no reason why the teacher should neglect his most potent aid, namely, natural interest’. Is he referring to student engagement? Crowded curriculum? Student Engagement?

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