Educational Reform.

Bruce Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 52, 11 July 1918, Page 5

Educational Reform.

ADDBESS BY MR E. US JU^T. • THE INSTITUTE'S SCHEME. Mr E. U. Just, organising secretary of the New Zealand Educational Institute, addressed a very representative gathering of Milton and district residents in the County Chambers on Tuesday evening, lullining the Institute's tentative scheme complete reorganisation of education in New Zealand, and the provision of a real national system to meet the new and stringent conditions that will arise after the war, when upon complete efficiency will depend our nation's ascent or descent,

The Mayor (Mr 0. King) presided, and briefly introduced the speaker. Mr Just said his criticisms would bo constructive, and were not intended to decry what had been done in the past. Educationists felt now 'that a step for ward was necessary to secure greater efficiency. It had been said that the Institute was an association of teachers sent to advance themselves. This cami paign was for the advancement of the interest the Institute represented. That was education, and the reason for the campaign was to interest the public in educational reform, and to point the road of reform. Another criticism was that the time was inopportune, but there could be no time like the present, when all things were in the melting pot, for preparing new plans for the future. The education Bystem of England had been radically reformed, and if that could be done in England, surely in this happier and less harassed country it could also be done. The present system was., not wholly a national system, but in all respectß except finance and the syllabus was a provincial system. This provin-. cialism had caused lack of co-ordination and over lapping at many points. It had been truly Baid that a democracy to bo successful must be an educated democracy, Democracy placed upon the individual greater responsibilities in every way, aDd unless the vidual was in a position to fulfil hia responsibilities, democracy lost much of its value, We permitted our children to leave school at 14 years of age, without further opportunities of teaching them ; in face of the fact that our proudly heralded democracy required more highly developed powers in the individual to ensure success in social life and the full development of the country's resources. Industrial unrest was caused by financial conditions, hours of employment, and the environment of the worker. If these were satisfactory, and there was still un« rest, it must be found in another cause—, the changed conditions of labor. For-, merly the artisan, or workman made a complete article; now it was made piecemeal by 100 machine-like workers, who know nothing of the finished article, The antidote was increased intellectual attainment by the worker. No selfrespecting worker would take part in the social life of those more highly educated than himself, but if equally educated, whatever his occupation, to his leisure hours there was grafted the enjoyment of mixing easily and without restraint with whomeaoevor he chose. Private indi« viduals who conducted schools could not educate the masses. That was so when education was limited to the three R's; how much more now when education was a complex problem ? Co ordination and co-relation were needed to unify our national system of education. There were in the education of the child three factors—house, State, and church, Of the first two, the naturally fell upon the second, which to efficiently perform it, must have a national system. Even with a perfect national system the home and the church's influence must be included to achieve the ideal education ; but the three could not be mixed together.

The speaker went on to point out how boards had been stripped of their power, until to-day all their powers and functions had been taken from them, or restricted, and absorbed in the department. Individually and collectively, the board had opposed nearly every reform that had been placed upon the Statute Book, and the department was incapable of mak ; ng reforms. Education was be« coming centralised iu the department, and it had been said that the Institute favored departmental control. It did not do so, but deplored the absorption by the department, which, though it i could run machinery departments, could not control education, which dealt with children, Education never would be a success until parents took a keenor in* \ tercst in it. A department could not : lead in reforms. What local interest could an Education Board take in its district ? Dual control with divided re-. ; sponsibility had killed it. What interest shorn of all powers, could a committee take, whose only duties might be to pay the caretaker and obtain sanction to an occasional overdraft ? English opinion held that the local governing body of a j school was one of the most valuable j elements, both as a means of preserving traditional characteristics and in enlisting the active participation of men and women of real distinction versed in its problems, and the conduct of its affairs. There were too many controlling bodies —University Senate, Council of Educa* tion, High School Boards, Technical School Boards, School Committees, Kino dergarten Associations, Education Departments, Eduoation Boards, Workers' Educational Associations, and the Minister of Education. The opinion of the Institute was that the Minister should be plaoed on a level in position and salary with the principal officers of the State, and it proposed to introduce instead of boards, a National Board of Experts, which would govern and conn

trol education, keep abreast of the progress of the world, and lead in reforms. Mr Just went on to speak of the necea« sity of increasing the school age from 14 to 16 years of age, the interval being the most impressionable stage of childhood, and during which the useful and useless citizen were made. In England it was not considered advisable for a boy to leave school before he was 18 years of age iu order to earn money, and the subordination of education to wage* earning was deprecated. At the conclusian of his address, Mr Just was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.