TEACHERS AT THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2556, 2 September 1915, Page 4

TEACHERS AT THE FRONT

The decision of ,the Wellington. Board of Education to take the necessary steps to ensure that. the teachers who have volunteered for aetivc service shall not forfeit their chances of promotion will meet with the hearty ancl unqualified approval of the whole community. It is obviously the right thing to do. It is duty of the Board a-s it is the duty of every employer to'see that noemployee shall prejudice his position, in his "profession or occupation whatever it may be simply because he feels that ho ought to be in the nghting line': and is prepared to risk his life for-his country. It would be grossly \improper if those who remain behind should have their rate of advancement quickened at the expense of the men at the front The Board has decided that when vacancies have to be filled the teacher-soldiers shall have the same opportunities of promotion as they would have had if they had not enlisted. Their annual increments are also to go on, and in the case of pupil _teachers and probationers, and of students at the College a broken year will count as a full one. Quite a, number of New Zealand teachers are at present taking part in the Dardanelles campaign, and others are either in camp or waiting their turn to be called to the colours. These men are entitled to every consideration. They have been doing good service to their country in the sphere of. education, but at the present time soldiering is, in the majority of cases, the most useful work wliich a healthy man of. military age can do tor New Zealand and for the, Empire. The war has changed out ideas as to the relative importance of things. In'a tremendous crisis like the present the fighter is of more immediate value to the State" than the teacher. "Let the soldier be abroad if he will; he can do nothing in this age," said Lord Brougham in one of his famous, speeohes. Such an Opinion may have impressed a generation which thought that education was going to right all wrongs and cure all human ills; but in this our day of battle it sounds strangely perverse and unreal. Lord Brougham pinned his faith in the schoolmaster "armed with his primer, against, the soldier in full military array." The British Empire at the present moment has nothing, to say against the schoolmaster, but' it puts its faith in the soldier. The fighting men count' for more than any other section' of the community, According to a recent estimate about 6500 teachers in England and Wales..have'joined, the Army. .The total number of enlistments* among teachers working in schools aided or maintained by the London County Council up to June last was 106G, or about 50 per cent; of those eligible by age. The English authorities put no obstacles in the way of teachers who desire to go to the front. A teacher, satisfying the age condition, who desires to enlist is granted leave of absence during the duration of the war, and is promised reinstatement in his school without detriment- to his status, 'salary increments,. or professional prospects. Moreover, while serving in the Army, he is guaranteed his full civil pay, leas Army pay-and allowances. It is stated that the teacher-soldiers are proving,very -useful'as drill in. atructort.o.wius to. the fatfc that fchey

arc accnstomed to command and are familiar : witli drill which forms part -.of tlie training of the new armies, rlt is quite certain that the teaohcrs jvlio go to the front will come iback with ■ minds broadened and deepened "by those wonderful glimpses into human character and ronduct which'life on the battlefield provides. Their war experiences ; should increase the value of their' educational work, and give a new power to their teaching. This war has impressed upon us all the need of bringing the schools into closer and more vital relations with the life of tho nation. Something more must be done to make our children realise the greatness of their national heritage, and to impress upon them the fact that British citizenship carries with it duties as well as rights and privileges. More attention must be paid to the history lessons, and who can teach history more convincingly than men who have actually .helped to mako it? 'The war has revealed some weak spots in our. school system. As a preparation for citizenship and an inspiration to national service it is not as effective as_ it might be; and character-making is certainly not its strongest point-. Though we pride ourselves on our progress we still lag behind the ideal of "a complctn and generous education" which is defined by Milton as "that which fits-a man to perform justly, skilfully, and magnanimously all the offices both private and public 'of Peace and War."