WHERE CHARACTER IS BUILT

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 64, 9 December 1930, Page 6

WHERE CHARACTER IS BUILT

New Zealand Schools Offer Many Advantages CLASSROOM AND PLAYING FIELD is an oft-repeated statement that the Great War was jpg® • won on the playing fields of Eton. This is a particune tr^u^e the' British school system, for it a conveys that, not only do we achieve scholastic excellen<;e, > but that we succeed in that most important ■work of all—the building of character. The school-of to-day is not merely an institution for the teaching of the three “R’s.” Its functions go much deeper. The present age demands certain standards of character and initiative, and it is to our schools that we look, to create this quality in our young people. With the growth of the private school and the excellent facilities provided by the State, it can safely be maintained that New Zealand is equal in this respect to any country in the world. The modern school is essentially a democratic institution where the principles of fair play strike a dominating note in all its teachings, and this is particularly noticeable wherever college teams meet. On these occasions the game is played for the game’s sake, the final decision being a comparatively secondary consideration. ’ ' Another aspect to which considerable attention is paid is to the physical well-being of the pupils. Most of the schools listed in this issue have spacious playing areas, some running into many acres, providing excellent facilities for cricket, football, tennis, golf, swimming, basketball, etc. A maximum of fresh air and sunshine is insisted upon, and for this purpose many schools have erected special sleeping balconies for use during the summer months. General culture also has an important place in every curriculum, special attention being paid to the teaching of music. Popular demand has caused many schools to introduce special departments for the teaching of general commercial subjects, economics, business methods, book-keeping, shorthand, typewriting, etc. s ■’ ' ■ The difficult period through which New Zealand is passing will bring home to parents the vital need of giving their children the most effective training possible in order effectively to compete in the battle of life. Vacations are now drawing near, and the mind of the parent will naturally be turning to the question of educational facilities for the coming year. , A perusal of -these pages will convince that Wellington Province is particularly fortunate in the number of schools and colleges available. All are catered for—from the child, who is receiving his first introduction to the classroom, to the adult, who, seeing younger men pass him, once more takes up studies to secure that essential training which will put him on an equal basis in knowledge to his fellow-men, and so make advancement a certainty.