PICTURES FOR CHILDREN.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19669, 12 July 1929, Page 8

PICTURES FOR CHILDREN.

N.Z. SCHEME COMMENDEI). AID TO EDUCATION. (TEOK OTT* SYDNEY, June 27. Commenting the other day on a Ne* Zealand experiment in the establishment of a picture theatre solely for children, educationist* in Melbourne expressed themselves in accord with the idea, and said that tie use -of the .film as an educative factor was being aome>what ignored in Australia. Theycon side red it might prove rather difficult to woo the child from the Saturday afternoon visit to sensational films, but they said that this tendency should not be regarded as seriously as it was m some quarters, since it was only ***" other expression of the urge to re*" adventure stories. One authority said th*t what needed was a tightening of the rule that forbids children over six and under 1.5 seeing films considered not to good for them by the censor. At pr sent the observation of the censorship was very lax. The vice-principal of trie Victorian Teachers' College (Mr u. • Browne) said that the idea of a theatre where films specially selected to and educate the young were shown would have the support of all people interested in child welfare. He considered that films had a abater influence on the young mind than tne spoken word. Children were naturally fond of pictures, and it was .beyond fontroversy that the bulk of the nima that were being shown to-day were not good for immature minds. He quoted the words of the Australian Royal Commission on the picture industry: '"The i picture theatre appears to have become part of the life of the ohild." _ "Parents have always found it difficult to discover programmes in picture theatres suitable for children," said Mr Browne. "The proprietors have naturally catered for the general appeal, and we have in consequence reached the present impasse. The London County Council is doing good work in this *"BS. It has eanipped many schools with rooms for the purpose of showing films, and it hires projectors from the leading firms. The L.C.C. library of educative films is verr large. It has been proved that children would rather watch a nature stndv film, such M the vtrngple of a to shed its winter coat, than a slap-stick eomedy which palls on them just as it doee on adults. I would like to see such an organised move in Melbourne." The director of ednc&tion in Victoria (Mr Hansen) said that pictures were a valuable education adjunct, and any attempt to show those solely that were solelv of interest and amusement to children would be welcomed by the. Department. Wireless and films in conjunction might provide mnch of the education in the future. The headmaster of the Weslev College (Mr L. A. Adamao-n) said that the older boy* w °old probahlv object to being classed as children, and their attendance at such a theatre would be inadvisable, bnt he had no doubt that for young c f ! v ren New Zealand experiment abould be of great rata*.