TELEVISION IN SCHOOLS

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30762, 28 May 1965, Page 5

TELEVISION IN SCHOOLS

"Trend Against Use’ “I am no great convert to television, although it can have certain advantages,” said the principal of the Mairehau High School (Mr A. B. Ryan) during a discussion on television in schools at a meeting of the school’s board of governors. The chairman (Mr T. C. Ford) said he had been very impressed by what he had seen of television in American schools and felt that New Zealand should look at it very closely. Mr Ryan said it was a question of priorities. He understood that the present trend in the United States was to decrease the amount of television. He had also heard that television to schools had never really caught on in England, although the Glasgow authorities were pushing ahead with it in a far-reach ing manner.

Mr Ryan said he thought that existing aids should be better exploited. As an example, Mr Ryan said the school had the latest movie projector which had frame control to allow the film to be shown frame by frame. The film could be run backward and shown as many times as required in regular or slow motion. In addition colour slides and films were invaluable teaching aids —and while they were being used the teacher was available to answer questions. However he was not against an investigation of television as a teaching aid. The board reached no decision and decided to discuss it further at the next meeting.