THE SCHOOL WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1277, 4 November 1911, Page 14

THE SCHOOL WORLD.

A WEEKLY REVIEW. NOTES FROM T9WN AND COUNTRY Teachers and others interested in the administration of education are invited to contribute notes for publication in "The School World." Those should be addressed to tho Editor, "The School World," The Dominion, Wellington, and posted to reach this office not later than Wednesday in each week. Correspondents desiring onlightenmont upon any question in connection with tho school. work, or the general administration of tho education system, are invited to submit theso points to the Editor for elucidation and reply. Whore anonymity is desired, it will be strictly observed. THE KINEMATOGRAPH IN SCHOOL. AN INTERESTING REPORT. The committee of 'Auckland school teachers in charge of tho trial kinematograph lesson, which was held at tho Royal Albert Hall in August last, has furnished a report on the result of the experiment. Tho report says:—"There were over SOO children present, admission being Id. per child. After careful deliberation, the committee passed unanimously the followin? resolution—(l) Moving pictures are without doubt of great educational value. They are unrivalled in portraying the naturo and habits of animals, of indus- i tries, and of scenery, in which movement of rivers, trees, etc., is involved. The only sorious drawback is tho flicker of tho pictures, and until this is remedied it is not desirable to look continuously at tho screen for any length of time. (2) Owing to difficulties of organisation and the time spent in travelling, it is not advisable to hold similar lessons to the trial one as a regular thing. (3) It would bo practicable, however, to arrange for kinomatotrraph lessons in various city and surburban halls, at which children from ono or two schools only would attend at one lime. The time spent in travelling would then be inconsiderable, and the toacher in charge 'knowing his pupils would be able to make the lesson approximate more closely to that of an ordinary school one. Head masters interested in this means of illustration are rocommended. to approach the proprietors of. local halls with a view to arranging such lessons. THE MEW EDUCATION. AND CHILDREN'S PLATING AREAS. . In a young country like New Zealand, it is a mailer for considerable regret that our'juuciiciou administrators in some districts have not looked, sufficiently iar head to make ainpie. provision for playing areas for the children of the public soiicois. Already, in Auckland, the pinch is being feit—tne provision of additional areas is causing some auiiety. In Wellington, too, the play areas oi some are of the pocket-handkerchief type. This condition of affairs makes of some interest a discussion which took place at the annual congress of tho Australian National Council of Women, held at Melbourne the other day, when a sub-com-mittee was set >up to consider what stops could be taken to improve tho playgrounds of tho city. Jlrs. Strong said the education of a child was not confined to the schoolroom; even in play the young- mind was absorbing, acting and reacting,' learning and growiny. Indeed, the key .to tho new education, as expounded by Froebel, was "the utilisation of tho i universal instinct of play in the physical and mental development of tho child as a channel of instruction." ' ■ The playground, therefore, assumed a new aspect, and took a prominent place in tho science and art of education. To afford children opportunities of play, and even to teach them how to play, was coming to be a special branch of pedagogy. One of the drawbacks to great cities was that the children ' were deprived of opportunities to play. The only playground for thousands of children was tno tiny back yard to the home, . a narrow . right-of-way. or the streets,'.with their'dangersJ'duFt and noise. The. public parks and * gardens were often • too far from the homes to bo made use of,„*lhis being I especially the case as regards very young children. It was to be hoped that' in laying out the new capital of Australia provision would bo made for the ohildren on a really adequate scale. If there were a sufficiently enlightened public spirit, a largo part of Melbourne would be pulled down and rebuilt on a ifardon-city plan, with a view not merely to commerce and rents, bnt also to tho health ind comfort and general well-being of flie citizens. Every school should have its well-equipped ploygTound, with shndy trees and gTeen lawns, and shelters from the heat and rain. Instead of that there were actually ono or two of our city schools that had no playgrounds at all. Every creche and -kindergarten should have a well-appointed playground," where tho babies ceuld ksleep, and where the children could have their lessons and their games. Every thickly-populated district of greater Melbourne should have at least one big playground. In America the leading cities, led by Boston, were making interesting experiments. There were nine playgrounds in tho southern division alone of Chicago, and others were being added. An American correspondent had assured her that tho work, play, and energy of tho masses were being organised, and tho blackness of the slum broken into. Order and self-respect were supplanting disorder and neglect. Tho gang was being superseded by the ' club, and organised social interests were being instituted for the irregular life of. the street and the public house. The child who heretofore knew no touch but that of tho policeman's club, and felt organised society only in the police cell, was gaining a sense of self-respect and hopo for better things. To indulge the modern passion for playgrounds nnd open spaces money was, of course, needed. But it was a gcod investment, yielding a liberal interest in tho health and happiness of children. There was a playground in Carlton, belonging to the City Council, which cost X 378, but there ought to bo many such recreation centres. Was 'it Utopian to suggest that there might bo a director and a council or association of playgrounds, who would superintend and even tench the children to play? Tho playground movement began in Boston, U.S.A., in leSfi; a playground association was formed in 190 C. In 1907, ninety cities had playgrounds; in 190 D tho number had grown to 33C; and this year there were 500. (Applauso.) Eight cities had authorised an expenditure of .£4(10,000, aud Cincinnati spent last year .£200,000 on nublic recreation, and Graud Rapids .C!0,6C0. Four thousand persons ivci'o employed as play directors. An annual play festival was held in soma important centre, and conferences met for the discussion of practical playground problems. Tho budget of the association for 1910 was .£IO,OOO, all contributed by voluntary moans. Tho success of the movement had created a demand for recreation centres for adults. Cities found that that was the most effective mows of.fighting vicious pleasure resorts. There were more than a dozen roof playgrounds connected with school buildings in tho United States, all provided with music. The movement had spread to Britain, France, nnd Gormany. FROM THE FOUR CORNERS. VARIOUS NEWS ITEMS. "There are hundreds of teachers who take no interest whatever in their schools," remarked tho chairman of tho Education Board the other day. The remark was prompted by a statement that one of tho board's lady teachers had been actively working for the benefit of the school, and had had the I walls completely cleaned up inside. So unusual is such action by teachers, at all events as far as official knowledge of it goes, that the board passed a unanimous vote of appreciation of tho action of tho lady and of tho good example she had afforded.

A prospectus programme for a projected University Camp for secondary schools, from January 10 to January 17, has been circulated. The camp is to be on the lines of those arranged by Oxford and Cambridge students for the schoolboys in England. The site chosen for the first camp is Warrington. The number of boys who will attend is limited to 50. Tho expenses of tho camp will be borne, as in Great Britain and Australia, by tho officers and boys themselves, each member paying 255., of which ss. must accompany the application form. Each day's programme is set out, beginning with reveillo at 6.30 a.m., and terminating at 0.45 p.m, with "lights out" The

day is spout with games, etc., and expoclitions. Certain rules are laid down lor the government of tho camp. Tho University students give up part nt' their vacation to a camp liko this. The camp membership is limited to boys attending secondury scliools in New Zealniui.

Tho Auckland Education Bonrd received a letter complaining nguinst a delay in sending a substitute teacher to 11 school to tako tho place of a teaclu>r who had had to bo given leave. Tho delay had, tho letter stated, resulted in '.10 infants being left under tho charge of an uncertificated girl, with very limited experience. It was stated that tho board had at times a difficulty in tilling vacancies, owing to teachers not Mug available. It was ono of the defects of (he board's grading system that tho board could not bring teachers in from outside tho district. A suggestion was ntmlo that tiio board should try tho experiment of advertising in other parts of New Zealand that it had a certain number of vacancies, and inviting applications, and it was resolved that tho executive confer with tho chief inspector, with a view to nilvertising in other parts of tho Dominion vacancies in tho board's tcachiug staff.