PUBLIC APATHY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1931, Page 11

PUBLIC APATHY.

BUSINESS AND EDUCATION. CONFERENCE TO CABBY ON. "Business men seem to think that education is a thing in winch they have „o control, and that it lies entirely in the hands of professional educationists" said Mr. A. G. Lunn, president of the Auckland Edncatibrfal Conference at a' meeting of the conference last evening He thought that ' members should 0 decide upon the desirability or otherwise of continuing the activities of the- society in face of the- smal amount of public. interest manifested in its work. The conference was originally organised as a common meeting ground for professional and business men and as a means of interesting the general public in educational matters, said Mr. H.. J. D. Mahon. This subject had not been achieved, and there' was little use in continuing without better support. Professor A. B. Fitt'said v that aectional interests had hampered progress and that the conference spirit had still to be cultivated. '. '

"'The whole-education system is in the melting pot, and there could be no more urgent time to ■interest the public than said Mr. F. A. Garry. He thought the conference should, continue. The question of vocational guidance, of the co-ordination of the child with his school and after-life, was a pressing national problem. The business man, it was said, thought too much was being spent on education. If so, he should be persuaded to attend the conference meetings and explain the reasons for his belief. The general public should also be invited to give its views on the question. Mr. P. M. Hills said that the business man was beginning to feel the value, not only of science but of the classics in his field of work. The modern administrator realised their value in broadening a man's powers of organisation and in bridging the gap between politics and true statesmanship. "We have appreciated the manner in which the university has stepped down into the city, and its work in economics has made us hope for assistance in other directions," said Mr. Hills. Mr. F. Blakey and Mr. K. O'Halloran also spoke in support of giving the society a wider public appeal. It was decided that the conference should carry oil. for a further year, accepting only such subscriptions as were voluntarily given and that it should make every endeavour to acquaint those interested with the nature of its activities. The following executive was elected:—Chairman, Professor A. B. Fitt; secretarytreasurer, Mr. L. W. Holt; committee, Mrs. N. S. Benfell, Rev. H. K. Archdall, Messrs. F. A. Garrv, N. Gibson, F. M. Hills and H.-J. D. Mahon.