MOVIES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17802, 29 June 1923, Page 10

MOVIES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.

DISSATISFACTION EXPRESSED. Dissatisfaction was expressed at last night's meeting of the Canterbury School Committees' Association at the manner of showing programmes of moving pictures to pupils during school hours.

The matter cropped up. folio wing the reading by Mr J. G. Prudhoe of a report of the Victorian Council of Education on the question of moving pictures in relation to the child. The report criticised manv of the present programmes as being unfit for school children, and suggested that greater attention should be devoted to films of an educational character. It also urgo*] that no child under the age of fifteeu years should lie allowed to attend picture theatres after the hour of 6.30 p.m on school days. When' he had finished readuto the report Mr Prudhoe moved:—"That the copy of the report of the Education, Council of Victoria on the moving picture in relation to the child be forwarded to the Christenureh City Council for its information. That the City Council be recommended to \t Ve l. new hal1 ' to oe erected in Manchester street, so designed that it may be used not only for concert purposes, but also that it may fulfil the requirements of an up-to-date children's picture theatre, and that the Council should make special arrangements with the Education Department for showing to school children approved films, espec£ ally those closely related to school lessons, and for the appointment of a competent lecturer." Mr T. P. Moore asked if the-pictures at present being shown to school children were a success. He had heard it said that some of the schoolmasters in Christehurch were far from satisfied with the manner in which the programmes were conducted. He understood that recently some children were admitted to a picture theatre at 11 15 a.m., and were out again on the street at 12.15 p.m., the pictures being run" through at a very rapid rate. The children were charged sixpence for an hour s entertainment given during school hours, whereas they could get a much longer entertainment after school hours for a similar sum. Personally he thought that the Association should keep a watch on the programmes presented.

Mr Jas. Staples said that he could vouch that what Mr 'Moore had said was true. As a matter of fact, he (Mr Staples) had been standing with the manager of an opposition theatre when the children came out from an entertainment, and the manager was almost horrified at the speed with which tho programme bad been hurried through. Mr Moor_e said that he had been informed that great dissatisfaction existed with regard to the matter of the programmes presented, in consequence of which the Headmasters' Association was taking the matter up. Other members present endorsed Mr Moore's statement, one of whom stated that "thtt children were being bled," the whole thing being simply a"business proposition. Mr Prudhoe's motion was carried unanimously.

Subsequently Mr G. E. Franklin gave notice to move that a special committee be set up to act with the Headmasters' Association in regard to the special pictures being shown to school children.