NEW EDUCATION

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25380, 31 December 1947, Page 6

NEW EDUCATION

Sir, —I have had forwarded to me a copy of your article entitled the “New Education,” 6f December 19. I am glad that publicity is beinp given to my own criticisms, for the situation demands investigation and remedy. But your suggestion that principals have kept silence too long is in my case quite unjustified. Your paper, probably, with many others, published extracts from my 1946 report, which were hardly less outspoken than my final statements (I retire as from January 31). As far back as 1938 I detected weaknesses, especially in the direction of “easing" all educational work. My reports of 1943, 1944, and 1945 are outspoken criticism. My reports, 19381946 are available for your perusal. I am justified in resenting your imputation of lack of courage to speak frankly. I have certainly been a voice crying in the wilderness, for I received little support from fellow-prin-cipals. To-day there is much more awareness of the seriousness of the position, but too few are prepared to speak frankly.—Yours, etc., A. M. LOUDON. Auckland. December 24, 1947. [We are sorry to have vexed’ Miss Loudon by not specifically excepting her when we suggested that post-prim-ary principals, individually and collectively, had been silent too long about trends in the primary schools; but it is impossible to tag every generalisation with its proper exceptions, even with conspicuous exceptions. Miss Loudon pressed the generalisation harder and further than we did.—Ed., “The Press.”]