CHARACTER TRAINING AND CITIZENSHIP

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 22, 20 October 1944, Page 4

CHARACTER TRAINING AND CITIZENSHIP

Incidence Of Delinquency In School Children WANGANUI INVESTIGATION After eight months’ deliberation by a special committee of the Wanganui Education Board, a report on character training. training for citizenship and child delinquency was recently presented and approved by the board, which has now had the report printed. Questionnaires were sent to all schools iu the Board's area askiug for actual cases of child delinquency and opinions as to its prevalency, causes and possible remedies. In addition, a mass of evidence was collected from representative citizens and interested organizations. ' “It was soon found,” the introduction to the report says, “that a great deal of the evidence brought forward dealt not simply with child delinquency but, in its constructive suggestions, with character training aud training for citizenship. Accordingly, the committee found its work broadening out considerably into this wider geld, so that, while it commenced its work as an investigation into child delinquency, it concluded its deliberations firmly convinced that child delinquency was but a part—though a part that must be frankly recognized and honestly faced —of- the greater and more positive problem of how to improve generally our youthful community life so that every boy and girl might develop into a worthy citizen.” For the purpose of the returns, child delinquency was defined as “such continued breaches of our civil, social and moral codes as to make the perpetrator a real behaviour problem.” These cases were not necessarily connected with the work.of child welfare officers or with appearances before the Children’s Court. Following is a summary of the re-

Offonces and Probable Causes. A total of 314 offences was recorded for the 281 children involved. In order of frequency they were: theft (71 cases), continually defiant, disobedient, insolent (51), obscene language (41), continued truancy (22), breaking and entering, (21), indecent writing, drawing, etc. (16), indecent exposure, suggestive behaviour (13), other wilful damage, including vandalism (11) ; continued running away from home (8), breaking windows (7), breaking insulators (7), general viciousness, bullying (7), attempted or actual sexual intercourse (6), throwing stones, etc., with intent to harm. (6), arson (5), betting and gambling (5), receiving stolen goods (4), conversion of bicycles (3), cruelty to animals (3), unnatural intercourse (2), personal , assahlt (2), breaches of traffic regi;lations (2), conversion of motor-cars (2). A summary of probable causes of child delinquency, arranged according to the frequency with which they appeared in the returned questionnaires, is headed by low moral standards at home (71), indulgent home (51), self-willed, spoilt, little control (50), bad companions (49), lowgrade intelligence (42), general neglect (36), lack of hobbies or other healthy interests (36), late nights (33), emotionally starved —lack of home affection (27), father away a great deal (25), unbalance —storms, viciousriess, morbidity (23), strong anti-social tendencies —selfishness. envy (22), broken homes —divorce, separation (17), many schools (16), suppressive. harsh home (15), poverty in home (15), unhappy, quarrelsome home (13), too much pocket-money (13), superactive physically (12), both parents at work (12), father in forces, mother at home (11). pictures (10). The radio was given as a probable cause in only three cases. Maori Delinquency.

The investigation showed that all Maori cases of recorded delinquency occurred in pakeha schools. Excluding Maori children attending Native schools, the percentage of delinquency for Maoris attending pakeha schools would be 7.2 for boys and 3.1 for girls. Analysis of the returns shows that the amount of delinquency is proportionately very small, that there is no difference iu the incidence of delinquency between private and State schools and that delinquency in secondary schools or departments is very rare indeed. The report finds 'that a great deal of child delinquency resulting iu appearances before the Children’s Court is associated with young people who have left school. It says that the importance of religion in the life of the community, in its homes and in its schools, and in the development of the worthy citizen, must be fully and freely recognized. After dealing in detail with the evidence under the headings of home, school work, leisure and community, the report makes 54 recommendations, some of which are as follows: —That nursery schools be established, on a basis of voluntary attendance, for children from two to five years; that the Education Department arrange for regular weekly radio educational sessions for parents; that it is the duty of parents to provide their children with suitable sex instruction throughout their development, to maturity aud that a beginning' should' bo made in the very earliest years; that all schools be urged to extend their present work in character training, tempering the development of individual freedom and initiative with a due sense of personal responsibility and of the spirit of service; that schools actively encourage their pupils to become members of organizations such as boy scouts, boys’ brigade, girl guides, sports clubs and other organized groups which have a distinct contribution to make in providing worthwhile leisure activities for youth; that in the interest of the youth of the country the Government take steps to eliminate radio programmes of highly sensational character and/or of a low ethical standard ; that the Child Welfare Act be amended to make it possible for magistrates to deal effectively with parents who can be proved culpably responsible for the delinquency of their children; that no child he admitted to a theatre at night or to a picture recommended as suitable for adults, unless accompanied by an adult.

suits: :— No. DelinPer in group. quents. cent. Boys (Pakeha) 7,767 183 2.4 Girls (Pakeha) 7,310 , 33 .5 Boys (Maori) .. 754 46 6.1 Girls (Maori) . 754 19 2.5 Total • • • • 16,661 281 Tr