N.Z. LITERATURE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 135, 10 June 1938, Page 9

N.Z. LITERATURE.

| MORE APPRECIATION.

ADVICE OF PROFESSOR. OPPORTUNITY IN SCHOOLS

A strong advocate of the promotion of New Zealand literature by the cooiveration of the schools and university colleges, Professor C. L. Ben net, a former I , New Zealander, who is head of the j department of English at Dalhousie

: University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, arrived ! by the' Mariposa from San Francisco to-day on a three months' visit to the Dominion.

''As New Zealand literature develops?.. the educational authorities should make the fullest use of it," he said. "While giving the children a good selection of the best literature from other countries, I they should also draw upon suitable material by local writers. That method lias been tried out for a. number of years ' in Canada and in parts of the United States, with most favourable results. It leads to an increasing interest in the literature of a young country and should be the means of helping youch to learn ! more through a closer acquaintance, with the work and writings of those wLo have risen to prominence in the local literary , field." : "Dull English Stuff." Recalling the conditions of the past, he said there had been too much use of "dull English stuff" and also of books from America which were quite unsuitable for the youth of New Zealand. During his stay here lie would be much interested in the English curriculum of the schools, high schools and universities, which he intended to study. j "New Zealand gives a better general foundation for life than Canada through its educational system," he continued, "and the schools have turned out intelligent people, well equipped for their jobs, but in my experience New Zealanders often have to go overseas in their search for opportunities. There they generally do pretty well for themselves, and many are filling prominent positions in universities, science, medicine and other activities. But the New Zealander overseas still loves Xew Zealand and would often like to return. Unfortunately, there is too much competition for the New Zealand positions offering." Exodus of Scholars. Among those who to-day held positions in other countries, he said, were many who had obtained their first chance through scholarships awarded at the expense of the New Zealand Government. Some of these, like himself, had been awarded New Zealand Expeditionary Force scholarships after the war. After graduating at Cambridge he had been

unable to secure an appointment in the Dominion and went to Canada, where he began as lecturer in the University at Halifax in 1922, and seven years later was appointed professor of English.

While engaged in teaching English, Professor Bennet said, he had made it his aim to do so through Canadian literature, and had produced a set of books, widely used in the schools of Canada, in which the foundation was English literature and the introduction was through the student's own experience of books and life in Canada.

He spoke with admiration of Canadian poets, who had attained greater prominence in their national literature than the poets of any other young nation. Probably the most important figure in Canadian literature, he said, was Thomas Chandler Haliburton (Sam Slick), and the Haliburton Club, of which he was president, included many distinguished Canadian men of letters. Its object was to footer Canadian literature, history and art.