EXHIBITION VISITS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18671, 21 April 1926, Page 11

EXHIBITION VISITS.

DO CHILDREN DERIVE BENEFIT ? r 'Have the school children derived any direct benefit from their trip to the Exhibition?" asked Mr H. Odell at last night's meeting of the School Committees' Association. The speaker said that in his opinion there was no question of the educational value of these trips, but he had heard a headmaster of a Christchurch school recently say that it waß questionable whether any educational; benefit was derived. "In view of the pains we luive taken to make these trips .practicable, I think we should have a report on the subject." • Mr W. West, who had been a member of one of the parties to the Exhibition, said that there was no doubt about the general educational value of the visits, but the particular value depended largely on the teachers. They should make every • effort to question the children from time to time and stimulate their memories. Without such stimulant it was doubtful if the child would retain a lasting impression which would be very vivitH He knew of one boy who had visited the Exhibition and who would talk at intervals of what he had seen. This was the case with many pupils, but it was too much to think that the children could retain a clear and lasting impression, of all they had seen. "But I am surprised at any master saying there is no educational value attached," added Mr West. "The mere fact of having such an experience and having so many objects presented to them is a hundred times better than anything they will see in books." Mr Purnell said that they should not pay much attention to the remark referred to. They had received a valuable education in the general sense if in no other. Even if the children were not^conscious of the impressions they received, they 'still had tnem and many of them they would retain. t: To clear the matter we will bring it up at the next meeting of the executive," concluded the president.