Student Teacher Alleges Soviet Speaker Banned

Press, Volume C, Issue 29626, 23 September 1961, Page 13

Student Teacher Alleges Soviet Speaker Banned

An allegation is made in “Tellus,” “the student voice of Christchurch Teachers’ College.” that a member of the Soviet Legation in New Zealand was banned from entering the college and addressing a student group on the grounds that it would do the prestige of the college no good. Mr G. Guy, principal of the college, said yesterday that the allegation, made in a letter tn the editor of “Tellus.” was not correct, A lecturer at the college found that a small group of students had invited the Russian official and this lecturer considered the invitation should have been given through the principal. “A Seeker After Truth,” the writer of the letter in “Tellus,” comments on the number of lectures on the American education system and says it would be reasonable to expect a knowledge of other systems to be acceptable. "With this in mind the Current Affairs Club arranged for a member of the Soviet Legation in New Zealand to speak to them on education in Soviet Russia.” says the letter. “However. a higher authority banned the speaker from entering the college on the grounds that it would not do the prestige of the college any good for the community to hear that- a ’Communist’ had been in-

cuilcating communistic principles into the minds of the future educators of their children. . . .

“It would appear to me to be autocratic, dictatorial and in general totally contrary to all the ideals and principles that we have been taught are admirable, in fact necessary in an educational institution,” says the letter. A footnote says: “The speaker at the next N.Z.E.I. meeting is Mr Filatov, of the Soviet Legation, whose subject will be Soviet education.” Principal’s Comment “There appears to be some confusion and misunderstanding in this letter, and I regret that the editor of “Tellus” did not treat the matter with the same courtesy as you have in referring the letter to me before publication,” says Mr Guy in a statement to “The Press.”

'The policy of this college is to welcome any visitor and to invite people whom we consider to be good speakers to address students. For this purpose there is a committee of staff and students arranging programmes .for weekly assemblies. “In this case, Mr R. H. Murray, lecturer of the college, who is associated with the Current Affairs Club, found that a prominent official of a foreign embassy had been invited by a small group of students and he considered that such an invitation should come through the principal. Consequently he did not consider that it would be courteous to invite this gentleman to speak to a very small number and that such an invitation should come through the principal to ensure that the speaker would have the opportunity of meeting all students.

“Mr Murray stated to the group that had the matter been handled with due regard to propriety, there could have been a different outcome. He no doubt had in mind another occasion when the principal took action to avoid embarrassment to a prominent representative of another nation who had been invited by a student to address a very small study group. Visit Welcome “I knew nothing of the postponement of the Russian’s visit until I read of it in the college publication. However, last week, Mr L. Filatov of the Soviet Legation was a guest in our staff-room and addressed a group of teachers in the evening. He will be most welcome to return to the college as a guest speaker at a later date. “It is only natural that the students have heard a great deal of American education this year, as last year I was a guest of the United States Government on a study tour. Should the U-SSJR. Government grant me a similar privilege I will be only too pleased to tell the students more of the Soviet system,” says Mr Guy’s statement.