EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21257, 31 August 1934, Page 11

EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA

| USEFUL RESEARCH WORK | IDR. BEEBY DISCUSSES PLANS I FOR NEW ZEALAND i i | Appreciative reference to the ! work being done by the Australian | Council of Educational Research j was made, in conversation with a j representative of "The Press," by Dr. C. E. Beeby, who returned yesI terday from a visit to the Com- ! monwealth. Dr. Beeby's visit, fol- ' lowing upon his recent appointment !as Executive Officer of the New j Zealand Council of Educational Rej search, had the .specific purpose of • enquiring into the system under | which the similar institute in Ausi tralia works. I "The Australian Council,'' said i Dr. Beeby, "with its centre in Mel- ; bourne, has been in existence for | five years, and has been carrying out most successfully work similar in many respects to that .intended in New Zealand. - ' During that ! time. Dr. Beeby went on to say, it j had established itself, and was ' gaining increased influence in edu- | cation in Australia, and information was being sought from the council about particular problems in Australia, and educational methods and matters abroad. The considerable weight which the council's recomj mendations carried, when the Car- . negie travelling grants were being | made, might also be quoted. AusI tralian educationists were . thus ' being brought into closer touch i with the world outside their own j country. "One result is, - ' said Dr. | Beeby. "that university professors, j and teachers generally, are more in ! touch than they are here at present ; with developments in countries j other than their own." ! The System in Australia ' Both in Sydney and in Melbourne, : Dr. Beeby had the opportunity 1o i .study the organisation of the coun- : cil. the nature and method of its ; work, and it.s relationship with ! other educational bodies in the j country. He remarked upon the ; close co-operation of the council ; and the Education Department, and j said that similar co-operation had | been promised by the Education Dei partment in New Zealand. "It is [ improbable." said Dr. Beeby, "that we will employ the same system as in Australia, owing to the differ- | ent nature of the two countries. In New Zealand we are much closer together, and the time and cost of j travelling will affect the position/' ! Plan Outlined for New Zealand ! "In New Zealand," Dr. Beeby I went on to say. "we are so cut off ! from the rest of the world, and the i interchange of ideas, that no one else : is likely to investigate our educa- ; tional system. We have therefore ' to be careful to do so ourselves. . An institution grows and continues ! to grow; the time comes when one I must have a stock-taking. Probably ) the first task for the council will ;be to examine the historical de- ; velopment of our system. The council will be an impartial body, ! the first function of which will not |be criticism or appraisement, but the discovery of facts. The his- ! torical and sociological aspects ! must be tackled first. We cannot i cover the whole educational system, I but will have to chose the most j important line:-. j "It is hoped to have a wide range of persons and institutions at work, ! the council to be the co-ordinating I body. If the council proves to be J nothing more than a clearing house j of knowledge and ideas, it will still |be very valuable. Co-operation has ■ been promised by all the educa- ' tional bodies in the country. It is j hoped to organise and link up the j existing local educational institutes j and interests, the council, as the j central oragnisation, acting as a I sort of focal point for them." | Following upon his investigations j in Australia. Dr. Beeby is now en- ! gaged in forming more detailed ' plans for the work in New Zea- | land. It is hoped to put these plans ] into operation at the end of the i year.