EDUCATION IN CITIZENSHIP

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25802, 13 May 1949, Page 5

EDUCATION IN CITIZENSHIP

SUGGESTION BY MR A. M. HATCH TECHNICAL TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE (Neu; Zealand Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 10. A plea for education in citizenship was made by the president of the New Zealand Technical School Teachers’ Association (Mr A. M. Hatch) in his address to the annual conference of the association to-day. Children had had an ever-increasing number of subjects thrust on them in recent years, Mr Hatch said. They were now being taught to live as well as how to earn a living. One subject—religious instruction —had not yet been made compulsory. He did not I think it would be made compulsory, at least for a considerable time —it I was too contentious. “But I do think there are certain ideals that should be compulsory,” Mr Hatch said. “They could perhaps be summed up in the word citizenship.” Mr Hatch said he believed there was a much lower appreciation of the rights of individuals and their property by young people to-day than ever before. Destruction and vandalism were examples. It might be said this had always been so and was always worse after a war. Both might be true, but they did not excuse failure to make an attempt to improve the position. Experienced teachers must endeavour to raise the standard of their profession by taking a greater part in public life and greater interest in educational problems. Mr Hatch added. Recruits to the profession must be imbued with a spirit of service. If they did not have the necessary high ideals when they joined the profession, those ideals must be instilled into them during their training.