SOCIAL STUDIES OF N.Z.

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27193, 10 November 1953, Page 12

SOCIAL STUDIES OF N.Z.

TEACHERS’ COLLEGE SCHEME

WIDE TRAVEL THIS MONTH

Christchurch Teachers’ College students are having unusual opportunities this month for “on the spot” studies of the history and geography of New Zealand. Today a party of 35 is/on its way through the North Island at the start of a tour which will ektend as far as the Dominion’s birthplace in history at Waitangi. Last week another party of 23 travelled through Otago and Southland. This morning an exchange party of 39 from the Ardmore Training College, Auckland, will

something of the development of Canterbury, The social studies department of the college originated this form of instruction last year with exchange visits between students from Auckland and Christchurch. The innovation was so popular and so useful that it is hoped to make the tours an annual fixture. Teachers’ College lecturers find many students limited in the personal experience of provinces beyond their own, and after such tours they have found much more interest in social studies and more dynamic teaching when the trainees go among children. This morning the Christchurch party under the lecturer in geography (Mr George Guy) will travel by bus through the North Island and spend the night at Lake Taupo. Tomorrow they will go up the Waikato valley to see the great hydro-electric works and the timber and pulp project at Kinleith, arriving at Ardmore in the evening. The next two days will be spent on a survey of the history, geography, and modern development of Auckland. Historic spots will be visited on Saturday at Wditangi, Paihia, and Russell and the return journey will be made by way of the Waipoua forest and Dargaville on Sunday. The party will be back in Wellington on Monday night. The Ardmore party will be welcomed at the Christchurch Teachers’ College on arrival this morning, and then go to lectures introducing Christchurch as a Wakefield settlement. To see the general character and landmarks of the city they will then move to the tpp of one of the highest buildings. In the afternoon they will go to Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, and learn something of the province’s primary production under Professor L. W. McCaskill, head of the rural education department. The Christchurch Cathedral and the Provincial Council buildings will be inspected tomorrow morning, and then there will be lectures by Professor George Jobberns and Mr L. L. Pownall, of the geography department of Canterbury University College. Another lecturer, in geography from the university, M? Murray McCaskill, will be guide on a bus tour of Christchurch in the afternoon.

The Winchrnore irrigation farm and the Springfield estate in Mid-Canter-bury will be. visited on Thursday, and the party will return by way of the Rakaia Gorge. AU of Friday will be spent on the Port Hills for studies* from vantage points. During the week-end the students will go to Arthur’s Pass by way of Rangiora and Oxford, and return by the west highway on Sunday, aH the time observing Canterbury plains and high-country farming, native flora, glaciation, and other topographical features. Monday will be free for trips in Christchurch, and the party will go north in the'-evening. Both the Auckland and Christchurch parties will .meet in Wellington next Tuesday for a visit to Parliament buildings and a glimpse of Wellington before returning to their colleges. Both these parties are second-year students—mostly young men and women who have not previously visited the other island. The same method Of selection was used for the trip south. The Christchurch college has many students from the North Island who have not traveUed in the South Island, and a week ago a party of them went to Dunedin ufider Mr A. B. Ryan, lecturer in history, who has been responsible for much of the organisation in all tours. They went on as far as Invercargill and then returned through Central Otago, noting history, geography, and land use. Some saw their first rabbit. Others! were shown how to pan for gold by an 85-year-old miner in Gabriel’s Gully. 'Hien the party was shown over the Roxburgh hydro-electric undertaking. In Dunedin periods were spent in the Early Colonists* Museum, the Hillside • railway workshops, and the Towri Hall. Throughout these trips local experts are approached to give first-hand information on local history to modern farming and industry.