TEMPERANCE IN SCHOOLS

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24624, 21 July 1945, Page 8

TEMPERANCE IN SCHOOLS

EDUCATION BOARD’S DISCUSSION Members of the Canterbury Education Board, at the monthly meeting yesterday, fought strenuo'usly for the opportunity to debate in open meeting the perennial subject pt temperance teaching in the schools. The occasion was a request by the Christchurch Women’s Christian Temperance Union for permission to display a temperance poster in the schools and to screen a sound-film, “It’s the Brain that Counts." The application was listed in the committee section of the agenda paper and Mr F. L. Turley objected to this. The chairman (Mr C. S. Thompson) refused to accept a motion that the board consider it in open meeting, on the ground that this would create a precedent, but told Mr Turley that he could move such a resolution immediately after the board had gone into committee. This procedure was followed, and on resumption in open meeting Mr Turley criticised the poster, which showed a picture of Field-Marshal Montgomery and .quoted the remark attributed to him: “I do not smoke or drink, and I am 100 per cent, fit.” Mr Turley claimed to be “neither a prohibition man nor u booze artist,” but one who respected the individual’s views on this subject. He objected to the schools becoming “an advertising agency for the no-liquor people or for the licensed trade.” , _ , , Mr A. Manning seconded Mr Turley s motion that permission be refused. After a debate in which Mr Thompson emphasised that it was the principle and policy of the teaching syllabus to teach temperance in all things, and in which Mr K. Kippenbergei claimed that the syllabus was not being followed, the board reaffirmed a previous decision to leave the decision on such questions to the individual school committees. This amendment was carried by five votes to four.