'N.Z. lagging in education work’

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33577, 4 July 1974, Page 17

'N.Z. lagging in education work’

New Zealand was falling far behind most other countries in terms of educational research, a professor of education at the University of Canterbury said in Christchurch.

Profesor G. A. Nuthall has just returned from the United States where he was one of two non-Americans invited to take part in the formation of the United States National Institute of Education. This body has been set up to administer more than SUSIOOm in educational research funds.

“By comparison with all European countries and many Asian countries, New Zealand’s standing in educational research is very backward indeed,” Professor Nuthall said.

“We have a colonial mentality and we believe our salvation lies in what happens in Britain and the United States.” It was time New Zealand realised that the solution to its problems was in its own hands, Professor Nuthall said.

“When the Educational i Development Conference has!

gone away the problems will still remain.” New Zealand educators knew there was, for example, a major reading problem here and there were other important problems regarding children with learning difficulties and emotionally disturbed children. “What is needed is a lot of; long-term, systematic,: planned and co-ordinated research,” he said. It was useles for New Zealanders to dabble with educational problems, and the Government must be prepared to make substantial funds available, as was being done in Australia, to enable longterm research to begin.

“While we could not expect anything like the amount devoted to research in the United States, it’s realistic to seek at least $1 !m a year for such work from the Government,” he said.