Solution sought to school TV problems

Press, 8 December 1976, Page 21

Solution sought to school TV problems

PA Wellington Education Department authorities will meet television corporations next week to decide copyright arrangements on television programmes. Agreement on copyright and the making of videotape copies of television programmes is considered basic to the development of television in New Zealand schools. Lack of agreement has hampered the use of televised films as sources of teaching materials in the United States and Australia. The Education Department hopes to introduce its own test of audio.' visual equipment next year. Eight Wairarapa primary, intermediate, and secondary schools will test what equipment is most suited for school work, and how audio-visual teaching can be fitted into existing teaching styles and subjects. Outfitting the schools next year would cost about $'25,000. The project has been suggested to the Government since 1973. This year it was postponed under the Government’s financial review. The audio-visual equip- - ment would allow teachers i and students to study a ! wider range of materials.

They could critically study a medium which children are increasingly finding more attractive than the classroom. The use of audio-visual tapes could allow teachers to change their teaching materials at a faster rate than allowed by printer materials. Audio-visual education was introduced into New Zealand schools at Gisborne 12 years ago. Film of physical education exercises was replayed, and allowed pupils to learn immediately from their mistakes. Since 1973, 40 to 100 secondary schools, mostly in the Auckland area, have used their own funds to buy duty-free audio-visual equipment. • They have introduced audio-visual aids in most subjects, and most teaching material has been taped from public television. But the Education Department’s plan to introduce audio-visual education officially requires ironing-out of copyrignt agreements. The department believes an agreement is essential on making copies of pro-

grammes which can be distributed, on request, to schools. A spokesman was hopeful that agreement could be reached on the establishment of copying centres. The department also plans to make its own materials for audio-visual teaching. The Wairarapa trial proposes to use programmes produced in Wellington. Copies will be distributed to the schools for teachers to use at their discretion. The plan is a radical change from the 1972 Williams report on educational uses of television which proposed a centralised broadcasting system for schools, and set transmission times. Centralised educational television for schools has been tested in Hong Kong since 1972, without great success. The New Zealand approach will be based on the experiences of inner London schools during the last 10 years. Schools will also use their audio-visual recording equipment to produce their own programmes.