HEADMASTERS FOREGATHER.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1926, Page 11

HEADMASTERS FOREGATHER.

THE ANNUAL DINNER. FILMS AND EDUCATION. The annual dinner to tbe members of what has been called "the most responsible, the least "advertised, the worst paid, and the most richly rewarded profession in the world" was held by the Auckland Headmasters' Association last evening. It was a bit of "the lighter side of school life," and it was a most succesful function. Mr. F. H. Brown (chairman) gave an address dealing with the ideals of the teaching service, and spoke of educational advancement in New Zealand during recent years. The profession, he said, was not one for the time-server. Teachers had to have the interests of their children at heart, and for those who entered the work in that spirit there were, even, if the pecuniary benefits were not all that might be" desired, rich compensations. Life was full of compensations. Later in his address Mr. Brown strongly condemned the standard of the present-day motion picture. "It is a pity," he said, "that something has not been done to check the evil which is being wrought on young minds by certain types of motion pictures. Some of them are harm fill to adults, but they are absolutely, destructive to the adolescent mind." He appealed to headmasters and teachers generally to do all they could to remove the evil. "Teachers should tell the parents that it would be better for their children if they were kept away from these shows," said Mr. H. S. W. King, a member of the Auckland Education Board. "Why should our children be Americanised by the sloppy films which are being screened?" The film was a great educational factor. That was well known, but at present it was doing much harm. If it would tell a decent story it would be of the greatest value to the community. "There are," he concluded, "pictures being shown at the present time which the censor should never allow to pass. Tf the teachers can do anything to effect an improvement to this end the Board—and I think I speak for my colleagues when I say so—will stand behind you all the way." Mr. C. W. Garrard, senior inspector of schools, spoke of great improvements in the methods of instruction, control, and discipline. The teachers were responsible for moulding the character of boys and girls into men and women. Nowadays children delighted in .going to school. "I count it as almost a revolution in education-—a miracle, one might say—and it is a great tribute to the headmasters and teachers of the country.' A lengthy toast list was gone through during the evening, which included "The Auckland Education Board," proposed by Mr. F. Garry and replied to by Mr. King; "The Inspectors," proposed by Mr. G. H. Matthews, and replied to by Mr. Garrard. A delightful musical programme was given.