OUR YOUNG CADETS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 51, 28 February 1906, Page 4

OUR YOUNG CADETS.

The- "interesting .cxiriunerjis". . made by Colonel Loveday on our public school 5^ d ?A.?Z s te m which appear elsewhere;in

to-day's"issue'should help" bur rea_ere to understand - that a large amount of energy and enthusiasm.is being, expend-. Ed on this work ?by the "officials who have it in charge, ..The Education Dopartnientj which has control of "the system, has already done a great deal to promote, its success.... But''Coibri.el Loveday is of opinion that more might still be done without interfering.'in- any? way with the ordinary school curricultim. One serious objection to the present arrangement is that so short a time— tliree-quarters of an hour to an hour a week —is now. given to drill and training by the cadets. Colonel Loveday

holds that the public school syllabus might be amended in such a way as to allow of more drill without any detriment to the purely scholastic work of the pupils. But moat teachers, we fear, with that portentous syllabus before their eyes, would rind some dilfieulty in making room for additional work of this sort. A more practicable suggestion, also made by the Colonel, is that a short period—say, ten minutes- or aquarter of an hour--might be de-voted every day to-physical exercises before school work begins. We understand that it would be easy to arrange for a uniform system of physical training which could be used in all our public sciiools; and t:.e health of the children, as well as the discipline of the schools, would- certainly be improved thereby.

One important factor in the success of such a movement as this must be the degree of enthusiasm displayed by the teachers and the efficiency they acquire in. .elementary"-military; training. We can well understand, that our public school, teachers, . already heavily burdened by their ordinary duties, liiay be inclined to grudge any large portion of their hardly-earned leisure to drill and cadet camps. But when, it cornels .-to be generally realised that this cadet, work not only improves the tone and discipline of the schools, and so facilitates the work of the teachers, but is itself a valuable, and even necessary, experience in every boy's school life, we will find that adequate rooni can bo reserved for it, either in or out of school hours. As, to the training of teachers. We are giad to hear that there is some prospect that Government will shortly establish a school of military instruction for teachers which will enable schoolmasters to obtain efficiency warrants or othi rwise to qualify as officers in the regular way.. As to the shooting practice, which is not only the most interesting, but in many ways the most valuable portion of the training that dur cadets receive, it is to be hoped that arrangements can be made that, without pressing too heavily on the ' teachers, will ensure regular weekly rifle practice at the ranges. There is nothing-that.attracts boys so effectually to "soldiering" as a taste of the real thing—witness the delight with which cadets always welcome any attempt at camping in military "style Colonel Loveday's. descriptions" of the big school camps which were held recently at Wanganv.i and Ashburtoh would convince anybody that our young cadets are generally in earnest about their duties, and that this kind of work has the best possible effect upon them in physique, conduct, and character. Ota public school "cadet system, if properly managed, may become th'c fpiindution of a. complete system of of public defence; and even the mere physical effects of this training upon the rising generation are well worth the tinre".Andl trouble expended upon J hem. It is to be hoped that Colonel Loveday's; effort, at establishing a regular. grnd~tiou of service between the endets and the. adult corps will be successful; for nothing will do so much aa this to inspire life and energy into our volunteer system. And we may add that, in our opinion, the colony is fortunate in haying found; as directors of our cadet system, so able" an organiser and so sympathetic and enthusiastic a guide and leader for "the boys" as Colonel Lovedav.