ARMY EDUCATION

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23947, 14 May 1943, Page 4

ARMY EDUCATION

Value of Study Discussions RETURN TO CIVILIAN LIFE “The most intelligent that has ever been seen in this world” was the description applied to the New Zealand Army by the Director of the Army Education Service (Lieutenant-Colonel D. G. Ball), when addressing the New Zealand Educational Institute yesterday in Christchurch. This was due, he added, to the basic education behind the Army. Nevertheless, when emphasising the necessity for the Army Education Service, Colonel Ball said there were some men in it who found it difficult to write an ordinary letter. “I found this difficult to believe at first,” he said, ‘‘but it is so.” For that reason the service had included a course in simple English in its scheme, Many of these men, he explained, had not done any writing at all since they had left the primary schools. New Zealanders in the services were not only intelligent, he proceeded, but they were on garrison duty. Once preliminary training had been completed there was a period of waiting, and the men were apt to be bored. "We have to remember that those men are civilians in ordinary life,” declared the director, “and that they will return to civilian life. We simply must help them. There have been many indications that this service has been badly needed.” \ “Cut Out The Humbug” Appealing t > the teachers for help and co-operation, he said: "Let us cut nut the humbug and get down to things that matter.” Explaining the scheme. Colonel Ball said that, in its first division, current affairs discussion periods were now compulsory, for which bulletins had been compiled by the editorial staff. “More than two-thirds of them must deal with our own intimate New Zealand affairs,” he said, “and one-third with broader issues.” One of the most popular discussion papers had dealt with the Dominion’s population problem. The second division was concerned with vocational training from apprenticeship to the university and the professions. Text-books valued at £BOO had already been distributed at small cost to the users. One hundred students were now taking the matriculation course. More than 800 university students had been enrolled. Applications were coming from the latter, esneciallv from the forces in the Pacific. at the rate of 25 daily. Other men were attending special courses at the technical colleges, “We are helping a man to become not only more proficient in his Army work.” said Colonel Ball, “but fitting him for life when lie comes out of the Army.” The third division of the scheme embraced general culture, and it was for

this section that the director P ar *„ We larly wanted the help of teacher s - . want to help the men to keep civilian interests alive.” Colonel explained, “and. above all. w necessary, to find new interests them. We must prevent boredom- . do not want concert parties so as for the men to make nluE J c selves, nor do we want mere le 9^ u riis , but for the men to take part m cussions.” , . , upon At least 12 male choirs had f, e e£ i, formed, and others would be orga ® j “What interests us is the number; men who are really studying thinking.” he continued, ‘andJioi actual number who have, for ex ( seen a certain instructional ft - cidentally. he paid tribute tob_ & ere film and library.services. There ket also special courses, including * work, for women in the force . Asked why the bulletins issue^ the service had not been sdpp i o i on el the press or any other P er [,°" ; C rea5 oti Ball replied: "There is really no re tQ why they should not be , sl^f oP iying anyone interested In ” them we followed the EnS - voU ld ciple. Personally. I t km* oU r be extremely useful for ' senior forms m the schoo .