EDUCATION BY FILMS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 20, 25 January 1938, Page 7

EDUCATION BY FILMS

SCHOOLS AND PRISONS

RAPID ADVANCE IN BRITAIN

(From "the Post's" Representative.) LONDON, December 29.

The corruption 6f»'the'-young by tha films is always a hotly argued question, but education authorities in Great Britain are 'giving increasing importance to the value of educational film programmes, with the result that more than 250,000 British school children now see their own specially-prepared film shows every week.The answers to a .questionnaire sent out by the British' Film Institute show that: many- education ■ 'authorities are how.^working.-lii. •'co-operation with cinema managers, in .tne "arrangement of,the programmes.; The answers have been very encouraging, according to an official of the institute. ; "The performance's' arel given.^s part of the ' school curriculum in many cases;"; ,he; said, >"the ■ programmes having been" worked out by; the teachers in conjunction,:, w,ith -the ~ ; cinema manager." Data collected show that "documentary" > or :getieral .'.interest films-are ■becoming-very popular with the children, who absorb information of ithis-iype■.without ■ realising they

are learning.

SUCCESS IN PJRIS.ONS

; Simultaneously, comes'rnews,! ; that all prisons :in 'Great Britain /.are to be equipped with : talkie > ; film apparatus for showing educational and entertainment films. ■; This innovation1 has been sanctioned by. the. Prison Commissioners, who were greatly impressed by the success of experimental talkie film shows given at the Maidstone, Chelmsford, and Wakefield prisons during Christmas. It is hoped to complete the task of equipping 28 other conyict, local and preventive detention prisons during the coming year, and it is probable that the nine Borstal institutions will later be wired for talkies. The question of wiring Dartmoor is .being held in abeyance until the question' of whether Dartmoor is to be continued as a conyict prison or not is finally settled. • ;; : ■ . •■ For the present the cost .of. apparatus arid'installation is being 'borne by voluntary societies and '"■ private subscribers,! but it' is: understood that the Prison Commissioners, are considering the possibility of an official grant. The Home Secretary will be asked in the House of Commons next, session whether, in view .of. the. acknowledged value of cultural and.educational films, he will: authorise, such-a :grant. ; Purely'entertainment'films'are to be reserved for' Special occasions,.' such as Christmas, the general fare'; including films dealing; in popular, fasiiion with physical training, travel, , science, in•dustry, art, and,music.-:;'It -is..believed that an educational policy in prisons saves prisoners from falling back into crime.

At Maidstone the film equipment has been installed in the prison chapel, but for the Christmas entertainment it was transferred to the gymnasium. In the improvised theatre Clarence Hatry and Leopold Harris sat side by side. Prisoners at Chelmsford took the initiative 'in arranging their own Christmas show. Since : August they have been • contributing a' penny a week each from their weekly wage of one shilling, and by Christmas they had collected £10 towards the cost of a programme which included a cowboy thriller, a nature picture, and a MickeyMouse cartoon.