A SERIOUS CALL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1421, 23 April 1912, Page 4

A SERIOUS CALL.

♦ SOME OBSTACLES TO EDUCATION.' HEADMASTERS' ONSLAUGHT, I'KEVaiLIXG PLEASURES ATTACKED Picture shows and pernicious litera* lure," was the text of a forceful homilj* embodied by the headmaster of tho Wok lington South School (Mr. G. Flux), in t a report presented lust evening to the animal meeting of householders in the school district. "Tlioro are several matters more or less directly allecling the interests of pupils," wrote Mr ihix, "which I am anxious to bring bo ore the meeting. Ido not imagine that nil present will agree with what 1 say, but 1 would ask vou to bo good enough to believo that it will be an honest expression of belief, founded upon a long experience. Those present to-night must have noticed what a largo number (if boys in this cily have been brought lwforo the Juvemlo Court during the past few months. Now, while Ido not for ono moment think that the schools are responsible for this, the minds of teachers with a right sense of duly cannot but lia exorcised to Iry to find out tho cause. It has been said that city life becoinos-oVery year moro and more complex, and that therefore tho responsibilities of city parents especially arc constantly increasing, and there is ground for the fear that many of them do not rise to their responsibilities; that in too many cases tno street, very often lato at night, ij aLjjwed to claim tho children.

i Tho Picture Show, "The advent of and the increase in th.« 1 number of picture shows is responsible for some of this, liven the churches, with' tho best intentions no doubt, but mistakenly I believe', bring children out at night, and not seldom without proper guardians. Instances of this came under my notice in dealing with children. A. mother, who sent her children to a church meeting, was shockrd lo find that instead they had been to a picturo show. Instances of children preferring tho money, in order lo bo nblo to attend theso shows, aro not unknown to' me. The, mania for this class of entertainment seems to possess children and adults alike. All, especially ,fho young, / r.ccd, recreation, but when it becomes a ' habit it ceases to bo recreation in tho 1 triio sense. I have ascertained by ques- • Honing, that a.number of children, attend picturo shows as many as three • times in a week; many more attend them twice. A good many parents, it is to lx> feared, solace themselves with (ho notion that many of tho pictures are instructive. No doubt the subject of thy pictures often is, but what permanent impression of any real valuo is lett on tho minds of children by tho rapid passing before tho cyo of hundreds ot yards of these pictures at ono sitting? lhey impress tho eye for a moment, the mind scarcely at all, except to befog it. A picturo sliow that relied upon the so-called educative film for tho whole of its entertainment would dio within a month. Then what is (ho attraction that draws crowds every night in tho week? Let thoso who lire constant patrons of these shows answer tho question. As for the educative element in (hem, I may say that it is quite a common occurrence for pupils. to say, when under instruction, "I read about that in such and such a book,' hut I cannot remember a pupil saying, 'I saw that illustrated nt'a picture show.' The Lack of Good Tasle. "Wo hear a good deal a'bout tho lack of good taste for art among New Zcalanders. 1 honestly believo that if (hero is one thing moro than another calculated to kill tho (asto for what is beautiful, tho picturo show is . that thing. 1 am suro of this, that tho picture show has rendered tho' work of teaching infinitely, moro difficult because- it has created a distasto for anything solid, and A corresponding craving for what is ephemeral and evanescent.' "Then there is the question of literature. In theso days, when books are so cheap, and public libraries so well stocked with good reading, matter, it. is intensely disappointing lo thoughtful' teachers that this is commonly passed over for tho sake of tho rubbishy, vulgar stuff ono so ol'tou'scos in the hands . of children.. In the playground tho other day I found three or four boys on their hands and knees intensely poring over soma paper laid upon tho ground. My curiosity led me to inquire what engaged them. I found it was a paper such'ns 1 have described, and 1 wondered whether (he parents of tho lads know that their boys purchased such stuff. I could wish that all booksellers would join hands with teachers by ceasing to stock (ho rubbish, Tho question for us teachers ishow aro wo to eradicate tho taste for low and vulgar reading. Most of our schools possess libraries, although often indifferently supported, but there is evidence that they aro not having tho effect that they wero intended to have. Wo teach tho mechanical part of reading in schools, and take some pains to create in ourpupils a tasto for decent literature. Then why do ivo find in so many cases a taste in tho opposite direction? Have parents nothing to say to this? Do they always supervise their children's reading? Reading of somo kind tho children must and will have, and it «s tho bounden duty of every parent among us to take such steps as shall give our.boys and girls a bent in the right direction, not by forbidding nil reading, but by encouraging tho right kind of reading. The supply, if ■ free books shonkf help in this direction, but will not have Iho effect it_ should havo until wo obtain such <i revision of the syllabus as will allow moro time for reading. About tins matter of questionablo literature wo need nn awakened public conscience, and teachers, whoso voices should bo more often heard in tno land, Bhould tako their share in awakening it. . Owing, seemingly, to a misunderstand, ing the report was not discussed by the householders to whom it was read. Ihe motion for its adoption was put by tho chairman, and carried immediately. Uno householder suggested, however, that Mr. Mux's reference to the churches should bo brought under tho notice of tho Minisiers' Association.