SCHOOL SECTION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 16, 29 October 1938, Page 9

SCHOOL SECTION

THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION. CLASS DISPLAYS PROPOSED. (Per Press AssociateWELLINGTON, October 28. When the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition is opened in Wellington next year, one of the most important parts of the Government Court will be the education section. 'Suggested types of exhibits from primary schools, loth public and private, secondary schools, technical colleges, teachers’ 1 raining colleges, universities, kindergartens, and tho Education Department have been reported on by special sub-com-mittees and approved by tin* Minister for Education (the Hon P. Fraser), who is president of the education committee. Mr W. V. Dyer, chairman of the Wellington Education Board is chairman of the committee, Mr W r . I. Deavoll (secretary of the Wellington Education Board and of the N.Z. Education Boards’ Association) is secretary, and Mr 0. J. Howartli (headmaster of the Island Bay School,' Wellington) is chairman of the primary schools’ sub-com-mittee.

It is proposed that a master from the art department of one of the technical schools will be seconded for about four months before the opening of the exhibition to lay out the education section in as artistic a manner as possible. This renders it necessary for the schools to take advantage of the work prepared by senior pupils during the remaining period of the school year, and to begin collecting without delay suitable class exhibits which, it is expected, will be later taken in band and sorted out by the central selection committee.

It lias been decided not to have actual classes under instruction as at the Dunedin Exhibition.

Members of the primary schools’ subcommittee, however, attached the greatest importance to the active participation of the children of the Dominion at tho centennial, stated Mr Deavoll today, and a strong effort was being made to secure tlie introduction of living displays in physical education, folk dancing, choral work, verse speaking, dramatic expression, school bands, and handiwork. Tho sub-committee was confident that tho schools of the Wellington district could be relied on to provide a daily programme, holidays excepted, during tho centennial, and that during the Christmas holidays the programme could well bo supplied by pupils, including Maori pupils, of schools visiting the centennial.

A good deal of organisation would be involved, added Mr Deavoll, but a comprehensive programme could bo compiled before the opening of the exhibition. Care would be taken that it would be sufficiently elastic to accom inodato schools in any district, which at the time of the request, could not state definitely their intention vo visit the centennial.

The following list of exhibits has been approved: Hand-work, geography, history, nature study and elementary science, English and social education.

It lias been considered advisable, for the primary schools, to eliminate exhibits of handwriting, print scrip, arithmetic, and English anthologies of prose and drama.