SCHOOL "POLITICS." AN EMPHATIC PROTEST."

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 115, 17 May 1909, Page 7

SCHOOL "POLITICS." AN EMPHATIC PROTEST."

"JIBAJB OF FIAINKEYISM."Mr. Ti3t . M'LflTen, M.P., has been read 1 * ing cojpj ies of the School Journal for May, ak t d the sequel was a letter to the Ministar for Education (the Hoa. G. Fowld •/), under the heading, "State education., free, secular, compulsory, au4 non-p<rf.itical." THE CHARGES. "I 'write," stated Mr. M'Laren, "for, the jffurpose of entering my most emphatic protest against tlfe practice which I fii--4 to be, now, instituted of using the ss hools of our country for the inculca* .on of certain political ideals and senti* ients into the minds of the rising, geneij ition. On perusing the recently issued I School Journals, 1 observe that I a foT m of Imperialism is being taught in ©a r schools which is calculated to be •-to (J ie detriment of the democracy of New Zealand if such teaching is coniin,. ued. ° s ''< Generally th 6 lessons being taught, and the impression being stamped upon tmi minds of our young people, is that tlvb upbuilding of the British nation. anal Empire has been due to the work or/ Royalty, aristocracy, and the military, clb.ss. The soldier is throughout being p li&eed before and above th*> civilian. If? he young are being inspired to love ji ie figure of a marquis, duke, earl, o» Iriird by carefully selecting the views of 'ti tied persons and presenting these as being of special value, inasmuch as 'thQ §;ood,' or 'great.L ord So-and-So "has Jjaid it. "As one who would grieve to see the free spirit of our colonial life and institutions destroyed, I am jealously indignant at any attempt made to inoculate our people with the virus of fhinkeyisni or priggishness, and, as a father and citizen, I particularly resent such action as teaching our children sentimental and ideas which are likely to turn them out 'good Tories' — and nothing else. "When, in these journals referred to, statesmen are mentioned in laudatory, terms for their work as Empire builders, the men invariably chosen are those, whose political philosophy leant on th© side of 'war,' and these are duly presented as examples for our young people to copy — whilst such men as John, Bright, Gladstone, Cobden, J. S. Mill, and the leaders of radical, social, an*\ economic reforms are kept well -in ihA background. "You, sir," the letter concludes, "I; know agree with me that it is well to have the matter of theologic disputation kept out of our public schools, and X trust that you ,will, also, agree with, me in this — that it is undesirable to have political sentiments forced upon ih&t children, which their parents may not agree with, and would probably resent having forced upon themselves. I respectfully urge upon you, in your high office as Minister for Education, to use all the powers you possess to prevent the teaching of any political sentiments, or ideas, in our State schools, whatever, party the ideas or sentiments belong_ to, be it Conservative, Liberal, Radical, Labour, Socialist, or any other, as I believe that the political element may become as great a disrupting force in our educational system as theology, would be if it were introduced " THE MINISTER'S COMMENTS. Speaking to n. representative of The Post, this morning, just after he had received the letter, Mr. Fowlds remarked that, taking the Journal as a rule, month in, month out, any criticism like the statements made by Mr. M'Laren could not be fairly bi ought against it. "Of course," he explained, "it has to supply historical 'articles, and in doing so it cannot very well avoid referring to the men who have taken a loading part in the struggle for Empire. And, naturally, the soldiers and sailors have had a certain amount of prominence in connection with outstanding episodes in British ' history. The last issue has probably called forth Mr. M'Laren'a criticism, and it has necessarily dealt more with Royalty and its kindred heroic side of national life on account of Empire Day falling during the month !of May. The intention of the Journal is, of course, to bring vividly before the minds of the children the events of history, and what our national holiday* stand for. But it would not be a fair thing to say that the. soldier throughout is being placed before and above the civilian. T&e attention of the British Empire just now is focussed on defence, and New Zealand's Dreadnought offer 'very naturally brought in for treatment the question of the British Navy. INDUSTRIAL AND SOCIAL. Mr. Fowlds said he quite agreed that the industrial and social side of the national life and history required to be fully emphasised and given a due proportion of space in the Journals. With a good-humoured smile he deprecated the idea that the print in the School Journal might help to infect, tins children with, the "virus of flunkey ism. and priggisimess. " He thought Mr. M'Laren's remark might have been based oh the facsimile of Lord Meath'a signature at the foot of "An Empire Day Message," but- it must ba remem bered tfcrat Meath was playing a leading part in organising an Imperial celebration of ] Empire Day. The Minister did not think that the language of the Journal was> calculated to give young New Zealanclers an inordinate "love for a lord." A WORD FROM THE EDITOR. Mr. Spencer, editor of tne Journal, also .mentioned that Empire Day was responsible for Imperial featims in tha May isues. From time to time special eventis or movements were explained in the J/ournal, and he instanced the Canadian tercentenary, Arbor Day, and to on. THE "CULPRITS." The Journal for May comprises three separate little magazines — one for classes V. and VI., one- for 111. and IV., one for I. and 11. The seniors, the staiwai'ts of V. and VI., have "The Women of the West" (two pages), on the front paj;e of their boonlets, m which the sentiment is not connected with the srn ell of powder by land or sea. One of, tfoa verses runs :—: — • : IrDt the slab-built, zinc-roofed hpmestea,d of some lately taken run, "Da the tent beside the bankment of a railway just begun, In the huts oil new selections, in the camps of man's unrest, On the frontiers of the Nation, liv« the Women of the West. Then comes an article on 'Britain's position among the nations, and the responsibilities of her citizens," written by Lieutenant Knox, with illustration* of King Edward and battleships, occu- * pying, altogether, nine pagest "New Zealand's contribution to insurance of the Empire" (two pages) deals witli the Dreadnought offer, "An Empire Day Message" (one page), cadet notes (oao page), "Red, White and Blue," song (one page), "The United States of today,' covering industrial developments, with illustrations (about nine pages) ; "Alcohol neither health-giving nor neaV giving" (two pages); "Star Stories" (strictly astronomical (four pages). That is the full list of contents. Classes 111. and IV. have a picture' v. the lato Queen Victoria; "the Union Jack" (page and a half) ; of tjur soldiers" (four pages] ; i "The effects of alcohol" (page and a

half); "little by little" (venses, nonpolitical, one page) ; "Famous migrants^' (birds, six pages) ; anecdote on "Please" (half a page, non-imperial). Classes I. and DI. have the Sling and Queen on the front page ; "Empire Bay" (five pages and a half!) ; "God Save the King" (half a page) ; "Queen Victoria'-s promise" (two pagets and a half) ; "Maui" (fairy tale, non-imperial, four pages) ; "The Swallows" (verses, half a page).