CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 118, 21 May 1945, Page 4

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

EDUCATIONAL CHANGES

To the Editor Professor Cooper's statement shows conclusively that the education system is being reduced to a farce. His statement that the heads of the eight leading schools in the Auckland area oppose the system, makes the Hon. Mason's statement obviously not in accordance with fact. Why is the new system being forced? The reason is quite plain. The education system must be altered to carry out the political objective of the Government, namely a planned economy. Under a free economy or individual planning, the individual chooses his occupation. Under a planned economy the State must decide the occupation of the youth about to leave school just, as it must decide the occupation of. all members of the community. Three main alterations are imperative. Firstly, the schools must be linked with manpower, and so you have the Vocational Training Officer, who could not function without the closest association with the manpower office. Secondly, the examination system must be replaced with a system of selection, for the examination system is not compatible with a planned economy. Anyone can qualify for the higher positions in the community under the examination system irrespective of his political viewpoint, whereas in a planned economy these positions can go only to Socialists. Thirdly, the planned economy is based on discipline and compulsion and to carry it out the individual life's must be dedicated to the State. This necessitates using the education system for the indoctrination of the youth with the State ideology, namely, Socialism, and that is why we have the main part of the teaching "social science." The Hon. Mason is not concerned with education as we understand it, but is very much concerned with making changes which must be made to enable his Government to carry-out its political objective. W. E. WALDEGRAVE.