LIKE ENGLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 17

LIKE ENGLAND.

NEW ZEALAND SCHOOLS. EXCHANGE TEACHEK RETURNS. By the Oronsay yesterday arrived Miss L. Lawson, of the Otago Girls'- High School, who has been teaching on exchange in the Selliurst Grammar School in the Loiulou area. The school in which she was teaching is similar to our Grammar schools here, and Miss Lawson said that it was most noticeable how alike thc girls of - both countries were. It seemed as though tho English traditions were followed in I New Zealand schools.

Miss Lawson had thc opportunity of J seeing many English schools and visited St. Paul's Girls' School, probably the most famous girls' school in the world. It was founded in 1003 by the same board as the boys' school, which dates back to the time of Henry VIII. It is attended by girls who want academic careers, and the standard of the school is highly scholastic. The experimental schools were also mentioned 'by Miss Lawson, who visited one which practised

liberty, and where the pupils did | "exactly what tliey liked." There was in London, she said, a definite trend for more liberty in the schools. Of course, there were all degrees of it, and many of the schools were obtaining definite results. It was most noticeable throughout the majority of schools that more money was spent -on the buildings and equipment than in New Zealand, but the education was more costly to the parents. Education was far easier to gbt in tho colonies. School charities were a definite part of school life in England, said Miss Lawson. Every class;had something for Whiclu it was collecting. The Barnado homes, Basque children and many other charities were the interest of the girls, and each child was expected to make a garment or help to collect funds. Tlie behaviour of the children during the crisis was lauded by Miss Lawson k It was amazing, she said, to see the lack of terror or fright; their behaviour was no less than marvellous. The children, it had to he remembered, were almost under fire. The first news was what to do in the case of high explosives, and then came word of an evacuation. Tho. luggage was in the classroom and everything was ready for departure for ait unknown destination. "The tension at the last was simply terrible/' said Misfi LaWson, "but the children took it calmly and Without fright."