CINEMA IN SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 255, 25 July 1935, Page 11

CINEMA IN SCHOOLS

Investigation By Director of Education MINISTER AT 33 CLUB One of the questions which the Director of Education, Mr. N. T. Lambourne, will pay particular attention to during his present travels abroad is the aims and progress of education by cinema in the various countries which he will visit. This information was conveyed in an address yesterday by the Minister of Education, Hon. S. G. Smith, at the fortnightly luncheon of the 33 Club, at which he was the chief guest and speaker. Mr. Lambourne’s investigations will ensure, the Minister said, that the Department of Education in New Zealand will have at least a full knowledge of what is being done in other countries, and will thus be able to consider intelligently the problem of adopting the methods to the conditions of this country.

“The subject naturally divides itself into two parts,”, said the Minister, speaking on “The Cinema in Schools.” “First, concerning the attendance of school children for instructional purposes at. picture theatres for viewing films produced on standard machines, and possibly intended for the amusement af adults as well as the instruction of children, and secondly, films specially made for exhibition in school classrooms on midget machines. A further question which arises more particularly in the case of 16 mm films is that of the silent picture as against the talking film. Equipment Fairly Expensive.

“The difficulties in the way of utilising the school films in ordinary classrooms are very considerable since the rooms have to be specially constructed to ensure good ventilation and, at the same time, sufficient dimming of the light to enable the film to be shown. The equipment is also fairly expensive, running up to some £2OO to £250 for a talking machine and requiring handling with some care and skill.

“School film use has made little progress hitherto mainly due to the fact that the schools have not been able to provide the necessary machines, and owing to this the necessary machines have not been very highly developed. Nor have films been produced bearing on the enormous range of subjects which can be dealt with in connection with school studies. “Possibly, however, .the greatest hindrance to the development of the film as a teaching instrument has been a certain distrust, natural enough in the case of a new method, existing in the teaching profession itself.

"There is no doubt that teaching methods and topics would have to be considerably altered if the school film came into general use, but the use of the cinema could not interfere with the educational influence of the teacher, ncr with the effect of his words. The teacher would still remain the pivot on which the system depended. As it has been aptly put ‘Pedagogy cannot be administered in tins.’

Experience of Other Countries.

“In the case of backward children, talking films might be found more effective than silent ones, and possibly even in the case of the average pupil the sound film would be found ultimately of at least equal value with the silent film. “On account of its remoteness, New Zealand has had unfortunately to rely upon the experiences of other countries in judging upon the advisability of introducing the cinema into the schools. It is definitely known that in France three Government departments subsidized the provision of apparatus in schools. In Japan a special branch of the education department promoted the use of educational and culture films and issued catalogues of available films, and in Italy and Germany Governmentsupported organisations provided assistance to schools. In the United States of America film libraries maintained by tiie education department are made available for free use of teachers. “Except in rather isolated instances and in connection with the propaganda of business firms the field of education through the cinema lies fallow in New Zealand. Pictures of Educational Type. “Exhibitors and managers of picture houses have from time to time offered to our schools, at very cheap rates, opportunities to view a particular picture of educational value. The Government department controlling national films has also offered special facilities to the schools for seeing pictures of an educational type. “These pictures are good, and the schools have been grateful for the courtesy extended to them by those concerned in the production and exhibition of these pictures, but such pictures are not direct aids to the teacher in the classroom in illustrating and supplementing his lessons, and it seems to be certain that the development of the use of the cinema in specially arranged classrooms will be found to be the only practicable w’ay of utilising the cinema as an educational implement.”

Introducing the Minister, the president of the club, Mr. S. Craig, said members felt the film business played an important part in the education of the public as a whole, although as Minister of Education Mr. Smith might be more particularly interested in the education of the children. The screen was playing an important part in the education of the young also.