TRAINING COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 138, 8 December 1914, Page 2

TRAINING COLLEGE

"BREAKING-UP" CEREMONY OF STUDENT TEACHERS EDUCATIONAL IDEALS. The "breaking-up" ceremony of the Teachers', Training College, prior to the annual recess, was held this morning, betweep sixty and seventy students being, present. The Hon. J. G. W Aitken, Chairman of the Education Board, presided, and there were also present on the platform members of the board and headmasters from other institutions. The Hon. J. G. W, Aitken, Chairman of the Education Board, in the course of a brief speech, said he did not know of any other higher profession than thai in which his hearers were engaged. It depended on the teachers and others employed in the same work as to what the rising generation would be, He con : gratulated them on choosing such a profession, and he hoped they wou,ld haye a very pleasant year before them. (Applause.) The Principal of the College, Mr. J. S. Tennant, thanked the staff for the part they had played during the past strenuous year. Ten of the young men were at the front, and twenty-three or twenty-four of the senior students were out relieving and taking the places of those, who had volunteered. The past year had been Educatiqn Bill year, and while they wejre thinking of the good things that Education Bills might bring, he would remind them that these things would come when the teachers proved that unquestionably their work was the most important in the Dominion. This recognition, would come to them, although sojnewhat tardijy, and he would lik.e especially to stress this point upon those who were leaving. Mr. G. Hogben, Ins.pector,-General of Schools, who alsq addressed the students, said that he had once asked a German educational authority what the German educational ideal was, and he replied : "To make every citizen a soldier." Ho (the speaker) believed the Kaiser was endeavouring to carry out that ideal. Continuing, Mr. Hogben said il was a healthy sign when the people took an interest in education. He urged them v to become., as far as possible, experts in education — to haye ideals and endeavour to achieve them. If they were really enthusiastic to do what they could in the, sphere of education they should go on learning— there, was never "a last word" in education. Messrs. Macmorran, .T. Moss, and 0. M. Luke also delivered short addresses. The pleasant little ceremony, which was interspersed with, popular airs sung by the students, terminated with the singing of the National Anthem.