NATURE STUDY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 115, 18 May 1938, Page 6

NATURE STUDY

MUSEUM EXHIBITS

TRANSPORT TO SCHOOLS

A proposal to send cases of exhibit* from the National Museum to schools so that pupils can be given lessons in nature study was approved by the Wellington Education Board today, Members considered the scheme would be a valuable one, but as it would be an extension of the educational syllabus the expense of transporting the exhibits should be borne by the Department and not by the board.

A report presented to the board stated that training college students aW tended the museum and received instruction there. They then took classes from city schools when they visited th« museum. Cases were being prepared for exhibits for country schools, but arrangements would have to be made for their transport. The chairman (.Mr. W. V. Dyer) said he believed the scheme would prove a valuable adjunct to the syllabus and the board should nGt hold it up in any way. He did not think the cost of the scheme should be placed on the maintenance fund, but suggested the board should meet the cost and take the matr ter up with the Department to see if the cost would be met. Mr. A. Donald asked how long exhibits would be used in individual schools. The secretary (Mr. W. I. Devoll) said he understood the teachers in the schools would be able to take lessons on the exhibits for about a fortnight. Later, when the students taking the course at the museum went out to the schools, they would be able to take the lessons in the way they had been instructed at the museum. Mr. G. M. Henderson said he thought the schools should get the pupil* to collect exhibits for nature study. The cases of exhibits would be a good substitute for the more expensive method of taking the pupils into places where they could study nature.

After other members had expressed approval of the scheme it was agreed that the board should encourage tat scheme as much as possible.