FUTURE CITIZENS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 134, 8 June 1929, Page 11

FUTURE CITIZENS.

MINISTER AND THE SCHOOLS.

NORTH SHORE PUPILS.

PREPARING FOR SERVICE.

An enthusiast in the work of his Department is the Minister of Education. Yesterday was just an average day aiid yet when Mr. Atmore and his party returned to the city after nightfall unhurried visits had been made to nine schools and the Minister had also received a deputation. Reference has been made to the receptions which were given the Minister by pupils and representatives of local authorities at Stanley Bay, Devonport, Vauxhall and Belmont. The party subsequently lunched at the Mon Desir Hotel.

At the Takapuna school the Minister was received by the Deputy-Mayor (Mr. J. W. Hayden), the chairman of the school committee (Mr. T. Hanna) and the headmaster (Mr. G. H. Matthews). Mr. A. Harris, M.P., accompanied the Minister and later in the day Mr. H. G. R. Mason, M.P., joined the party.

Although Mr. Atmore's method was different in addressing each school, the substance of his remarks was much the same. He told the girls and boys that they formed part of the 250,000 pupils in the primary schools of the Dominion and said that in the past four months it had been his privilege to visit half that number.

In appealing for the interest of the youth of New Zealand in the important work of education, Mr. Atmore reminded his young hearers that a sum of about £4,000,000 was provided each year by 800,000 parents and other taxpayers. He promised assistance in the matter of vocational guidance, said that education in New Zealand should be designed for the needs of this country and expressed the opinion that it should be developed along the lines of discovered aptitudes. From Good Oia Stock.

While urging the importance of academic education for cultural development, the Minister said he believed very strongly that in future more attention should be paid than was paid at present to fitting boys and girls to enter the industries of tt* country, and more especially the primary industries. Mr A.tmorc said that statistics taken throughout the world showed that the girls and boys of New Zealand at the a" 0 of 15 years were taller and better developed physically than those of any other country. This was perhaps only natural in view of the fact that the} came from stock which was among the finest which had ever left the shores of Britain. . , Tho Minister said that with the cooperation of all who were engaged in the work of education and with the interest of the girls and boys themselves, he trusted that the fine physu-ai development which the youth of the Dominion already possessed would be matched by the development of high mental and moral qualities. His final appeal was that they should enter earnestly into the process of fitting themselves for lives of service to their country and their fellow men. At Korthcotc, visits were paid both to the primary school and to the junior high school. Those who took part m the welcome to the Minister were the Mayor (Mr. A. E. Greenslade), the chairman of tho junior high school committee (Mr. J. P. McPhail), the chairman and vice-chairman of the primary school committee (Messrs. A. E. Harding and H. Shaw), and the headmaster (Mr. W. J. Wernham). After the Minister's address at each school he was loudly cheered by. the pupils. At the junior high school a march past was carried through in spirited fashion and the visitors were subsequently entertained to afternoon tea in the domestic science department.

Pupils of Birkenhead. With commendable patience the pupils of the Birkenhead school had avPaited the coming of the Minister and his party. That they had been p] •_..•■ od to wait was indicated by the enthusiastic reception which they gave to each of the speakers. These included the Mayor (Mr. McPhail), Messrs. Mason and Harris, M.P.'s, and J. Macdonald, chairman of the committee. The headmaster (Mr. A. G. Menzies) welcomed the Minister. As in the case of each of the other schools visited the announcement of a holiday next month to celebrate the visit was received with cheere.

Subsequently the Minister and his party visited the Borough Council Chambers, where a request was made for a dental clinic, and opportunity was taken to bespeak the interest of tire Minister, in the Waitemata' bridge project.