WOMEN PROMINENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1937, Page 16

WOMEN PROMINENT

PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT HOME

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOP-

MENTS "I have often wondered if women in outlying parts of the Empire realise what is being done by women in England," stated Miss Margaret Latimer, of London, who arrived at Auckland this week by the Wangahella, when interviewed by the "New Zealand Herald." Miss Latimer, who is a member of the London County Board of Education, said although many people were of the opinion that women had achieved little and made no significant use of their franchise, in London they were playing a very prominent part in public affairs, and , many were successfully combining [careers with marriage.

The most important development in connection with education, and one which possessed unlimited possibilities, was the introduction of films and radio, Miss Latimer said. In England broadcasting and the use of films in education were being gradually but very efficiently introduced. In connection with educational films Mary Field, well known for her "Secrets of Nature" productions, was, in conjunction with Miss Margaret Lockett and Professor Julian Huxley, bringing the camera into schools. Films were valuable in the education of young children, who were more inclined to believe their eyes rather than their ears. WORK OF PROFESSOR CULLIS. Miss Latimer said she had often come into contact with Dr. Winifred Cullis, professor of physiology and hygiene at the London University, who was one of the women most interested in broadcasting as a means of education of children. In London Professor Cullis had done a great deal of good in broadcasting the principles of health and hygiene, so that they (could easily be understood by very young children. I One of the most outstanding women in educational broadcasting was Miss Mary Somerville, director of the Broadcasting Education Council at the BB C. in London. Associated with her were the Misses Rhoda and Eileen Power, writers of children's history books, whose broadcasts on history were becoming increasingly popular among children. The famous children s author E. P. B. Mais, as well as Mr. Vernon Bartlett and Monsieur Stephan, were other associates of Miss Somerville's in connection with educational broadcasting programmes. LITTLE GOVERNMENT AID. Receiving sets were not yet very widely established in schools, but it was hoped that before long all the schools in England would **&»* nected in this way and controlled by purely educational aims. Teachers, pupils, and individual boards of directors were doing all in their power to install receiving sets «i their schools, as very little aid was being offered by the Government. Miss Latimer thought, however, that the facilities eained by such endeavour would be ™re genuinely appreciated than those pTovMedby the State. In Italy more than 6000 receiving sets had been established in schools throughout the ' country by order of Signer Mussolini and 1,250,000 children received a large part of their education by this Tss Latimer, who left on Wednesday by motor-car on a short visit to Rotorua and Waitomo expects to sa for England from Wellington this j month.