TEACHERS ADDRESSED

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 196, 15 May 1940, Page 4

TEACHERS ADDRESSED

Educational Aspects Of Good Citizenship

Women teachers attending the Educational Conference jn Wellington were addressed yesterday afternoon by Miss Irene Wilson, principal of Queen Margaret’s College, on “Education For Citizenship.” Miss Wilson said that the essentials of good citizenship included a real and deep concern for the well being of one's fellows. A good citizen should have independence of judgment, and clarity of thought; he should have a certain fundamental, broad knowledge of the world and pre-sent-day affairs.

To be a good citizen one must have soundly-based convictions of what was desirable in the world; one should have developed the capacity to choose a good representative, as voting power was an important possession of the citizen in a democratic State. The teacher could help the children to attain these ■ ideals by constantly cultivating these qualities in the schoolroom. The general atmosphere of the classroom should encourage stability, a sense of proportion, exercise of judgment, and accuracy. Children should be taught to realize that this last quality was not merely a way of arithmetic, but that it sprang from clarity of thought in all matters. Whatever changes in education came about in this changing world, said Miss Wilson, certain values would always remain and it was the duty of the teacher to inculcate them in her pupils. It was important that a reliable background be established, with a sense of beauty, of justice, and of co-operation and goodwill. The older women teachers could do much to preserve these qualities which, in the stress of modernity, might be lost. Miss Wilson gave one deilnition of good citizenship: A happy and adequate fulfilment of all one’s responsibilities in relation to the community. This applied not only to daily tasks and duty to one’s family; it meant a greater consciousness of citizenship in its broadest sense. A Christian conception of life and spiritual conviction were also necessary to good citizenship if it was to have the driving force of enthusiasm. Bias In Teaching.

Miss Wilson said that in the opinion of many, it was not fair that a teacher should impose her own natural bias upon the children she taught. In her opinion, so long as the teacher recognized- that bias within herself and was frank with the children, putting both points of view before them, it was n better thing than cutting out many subjects of vital interest.

“We must recognize the bias and admit it,” said the speaker. The child was encouraged by this to recognize different points of view and thus- develop her own. On the other hand, Miss Wilson said, the teacher often had to meet a strong bias which the

child had assimilated at home—it was often a struggle for her to meet the appalling misrepresentations which a child could bring back to school.

Open discussion on all problems which were on the minds of young people should be encouraged, rather than the substitution of “pasteurized opinions." There were certain tilings which should at all times be stressed and inculcated, however, and among these were the principl.es of democracy, under which they enjoyed so many privileges. Miss Fouliy, president 'of the association, was in the chair, and Miss Phoebe Myers, the first president, gave a shoi't and charming talk. Miss Jean Park, president-elect, was also on the platform.