Books In Review Self-Governmeet In A High School

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 35, 11 February 1939, Page 10 (Supplement)

Books In Review Self-Governmeet In A High School

Mr. l. j. wild came to the Feilding High School 1 7 years ago, and the story of how the institution has developed from four classrooms in an unlevelled 20-acre paddock to a school of seven or eight blocks of buildings in a farm of 240 acres with a roll of over 300, including 100 boarders, is a fascinating one. It is only one aspect of that story, however, which is considered in "An Experiment in Self-Government," by L. .T. Wild, published by the Xew Zealand Council for Educational Research with funds provided by the Carnegie Corporation of Xew York. Mr. Wild's school was from its very commencement governed largely by the pupils themselves, and still is; and in this brochure he teils the story of how the

self-governing institutions of the school developed—for they were not "given from above" by the headmaster, but were allowed to develop spontaneously as the need for each arose. The general government of the school is in the hands of a school council: on this sit representatives of each form, besides some pupils representing specific sports activities, and all members of the staff. Each member has one vote, and though each member of the staff is able to give hie opinion and vote, yet every effort is made to see that no strong lead is given in any specific direction. Out of this general council a judicial committee was evolved for disciplinary purposes, and special committees are also elected. Each form has its own council for purposes of its own affairs.

This is a stimulating little book and should prove of great interest to teachers and to all who are interested in the theory and practice of education. One cannot but admire Mr. Wild's ideal, and acknowledge that his experiment has been highly successful as far as the school itself is concerned. The criticism may be mad£ that the effort involved in accepting the responsibility of self-government may be too great for school pupils, and that it may tire them prematurely, disinclining them to accept later the responsibilities of critical citizenship. This might well l>e made the subject of some further research by following up the subsequent careers of some of the seventeen successive "generations" of Mr. Wild's pupils. In the absence of some concrete evidence, however, such a criticism seems hardly justified. The system teaches

the pupils, girls and boys, to think for themselves uid to rely on their own judgments when still' young. They themselves prefer the system; periodically the school is given an opportunity to criticise its own constitution, and tlie self-governing system always seems preferable. The book ends with some "'expressions of opinion" from pupils, ex-pupils, and staff, and the enthusiasm which is evident in these will convince all but the most stubborn critic that Mr. Wild has evolved something really stimulating to his pupils, and" of the greatest interest to .the teachers and educationists both in and outside Xew Zealand. In conclusion Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs might well be congratulated 011 the artistry shown in the printing of this book.