Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1945. USE OF LEISURE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 57, 17 December 1945, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1945. USE OF LEISURE

In a world such as that which exists to-day. with its constantly changing thoughts, ideas and conditions, and when the people are enjoying so much more.leisure time, it was only natural that speakers at some of the school break-up ceremonies should direct a few words to the children, particularly those who have finished their course, and are moving out to make their way in life. And the efforts of some speakers were directed toward endeavouring to warn the pupils of the dangers and benefits which leisure time holds. The world has seen the advent of the power age. in which machinery has displaced manpower, and it is certain that as a result of the intensive scientific research caused by the war that many more lab-our-saving devices will become available in the not far distant future. All this will tend to create more and more leisure time, in the best use of which the younger generation will need to be educated. When the city states of ancient Greece were at the zenith of their prosperity, there was more leisure time at the disposal of citizens than has ever been known in the world, before or since. Aristotle’s doctrine was that “the whole end and objective of education is training for the correct use of leisure time,” and in his post-school educational plans Plato gave an important place to the cultural arts and crafts. Although the factors which make greater leisure possible to-day are not to be compared with those ruling in the days of the Greek civilisation (which was based on slavery), the cycle of history has brought round again the same problem as to how leisure time is to be utilised to the best advantage. It is of no great benefit to people to grant them an abundance of free time if it merely hangs on their hands and they do not know what to do with it. Such a policy may do more harm than good. Some people even now are afraid of leisure, simply because they have never been trained to use it. There are many ways in which this can be done, and a lead can be taken, if necessary, from America, where no fewer than 32 States have definite programmes for leisure-time education, ranging from drama and reading to music and folk-dancing. New Zealand has become very largely a country of listeners, and it now has the chance to direct an abundance of young talent into creative channels. The young people have to be prepared to play their part in the life of the community; they have to do their particular job to the best of their ability, and they have to be able to make the very most of their leisure time, the correct use of which will help them in their main task. It will help them to pay, in the words of the Toe Ii definition of “service,” “the rent that we owe for our room on earth.”