TEACHING "AN ART"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 135, 5 December 1930, Page 10

TEACHING "AN ART"

AND IMPERIAL TRUST

LORD BLEDISLOE'S VIEWS

A very enthusiastic gathering marked the closing until next year of the Teachers' Training- College at Kelbura today. His Excellency the GovernorGeneral and Lady Bledisloe attended, and were given a rousing reception while appropriate hakas by the men students marked their departure. Mr. T. Forsyth (chairman of the Education Board) presided, and' welcomed the Vice-Eegal visitors. He ventured to say that His Excellency 'was about to speak to one of the most potentially influential audiences that he had yet addressed. Instead of giving a resume of the year's work, Mr. E. K. Lomas, principal of the college, referred to the responsibilities which rested upon such an institution as a training college. Ho and the staff felt very keenly the responsibilities of training college work. It was very difficult to measure or discover just exactly how the work was progressing, for they did not see the finished product of their work. In reference to the statement, "The teacher is born, not made," he would say that that was a half-truth, and, like all half-truths, more dangerous than the full correct statement. A teacher might be "born," but he had to be trained as well. Everyone considered himself an authority on schools, and so the work of a training college was likely to be criticised by everyone. It was hard to break that tradition and do something new, for the simple reason that the whole of the community would say, "That wasn't done in my day. I don't understand it." At the same time it was from a training college that progress 'must be made. It was very necessary that from this institution some new light should radiate out into the profession. To the learning students he would say that as far as their training was concerned it was just beginning, and he hoped that in the years to come they would keep their eyes open to the possibilities of teaching in the schoolroom. "NO NOBLER PROFESSION." "I have been greatly impressed this morning by several factors in. connection with the training college," said His Excellency when addressing the students. "The,,last experience has perhaps impressed" me the most. I find that in spite of Mr.' Lomas's exhortations in the direction of progress, you sing the same old 'Dulce Domum' that I sang myself at school fifty or more years ago." (Laughter.) He had also been impressed by their obvious fitness, good spirits, sense of humour, and their confidence in their staff. It was a particularly congenial task to address them, for in the days of his childhood his great ambition was to be a teacher. He agreed with Mr. Lomas that teachers required to be trained. Their principal had also said, "Do not be tied overmuch by tradition." With that he also agreed, except in.such matters as loyalty and patriotism. '' As Mr. Pbrsyth has said,'' continued Lord Bledisloe, "I have never addressed a potentially more influential audience than. this. There is no nobler profession than yours and none that is more designed to have a more certain or pawerful influence on your country and the Empire to which you belong. It is not merely an occupation as we used to regard it in the old days in the Old Country-to which any man or woman might put his hand with a fair measure- of success. Teaching has become an art in every sense of .the word, and it requires a considerable amount of preparation and examination in order to excel in the art. ; It is not only a profession but it is a great Imperial trust. There is no greater trust. You are in what the lawyers would call a fiduciary position rather than that of a beneficiary. If anyone is entering the profession of teaching to-day moved by motives of self-interest only, I would suggest, 'Seek some other occupation or vocation. ''' Teaching was a trust requiring patiencej determination, clarity of mind, self-confidence without conceit, loftiness of aim and altruism. Upon what were their high ideals based? "If you do not teach religion (and most of you will not)," said His Excellency, "at least show that you are inspired by religious faith and religious conviction, and by so doing you will carry much greater conviction as regards the ideals of life with those plastic and impressionable young minds which it is your privilege to mould for their own. and their country's good." The child to-day had got to be trained according to his bent and according to the potentialities of employment which might be forthcoming. LIPE-SAVING AWARDS. Mr. G. S..HUI, president of the Wellington Head Centre Koyal Life-sav-ing Society was present, and in a short address referred1 to, the excellent work being done in life-saving at the college and how the society welcomed such support. Her Excellency then presented diplomas to Misses Nancy Webber and Sinclair Breen and awards of merit %p Misses Brockett, Cooney, Partridge, and Longbottom. A diploma was also won by Miss. Lando.n-Lane.