DOMINION MUSEUM

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 45, 23 February 1939, Page 15

DOMINION MUSEUM

VISITS BY SCHOOLS

NEARLY 20,000 CHILDREN

Museums in these enlightened days have ceased being dingy mausoleums of stuffed mammals, birds, and reptiles, with multitudinous cases of specimens all neatly labelled in Latin and nothing more. They are now centres of cultural and educative interest: exhibits tell an intelligible and interesting story, and therefore museums are something much more than institutions which are merely "done" and are then forgotten. They enter, on the contrary, into the cultural life of the community and are of great value in the education of the young. How the Dominion Museum is utilised in' this way is apparent from a report which Mr. D. W. McKenzie, the Museurd education officer, has furnished to the Wellington Education Board. From it one gleans that just under 20,000 visits were paid to the Dominion Museum last year by children from the Wellington primary and post-primary schools. Lectures were given which were adapted to the agegroups of the children. SUCCESSFUL LECTURES. "In as many as possible of these group-lectures," says the 'report, "the children had material to handle; and among the most successful were those in which handwork was done—painting, carving in plasticine, string games, taking part in the tangi, for example. The microscopes lent by Professor Kirk, the geological survey, and the Wellington hospital were - the nucleus of a very highly-appreciated section. It seems essential that a micro-projector should be added to the equipment at some time. "In addition to these groups, three questionnaires were used in the museum. These comprised a series of questions, the answers to which were found in the exhibits. They were much liked by the children and some hot arguments took place over the precise meaning of certain structures. The work all served to emphasise the inadequate nature of many of the museum labels. An extension of this next year seems desirable." The lectures given in 1938 were:-— "The Rise of Life," and the film "Animal Life"; "The Life of the Plant," and the film, "Life Cycle of the Lupin"; "Life in the Sea," and the film, "Some Seashore Animals"; "Volcanoes," with an accompanying film; and "A Trip to j the Moon." All the lectures were j given by the education officer, who lee- j tured 129 times. In addition, one set, of 34 lectures on 'Insect Life," with a I film, "Butterflies," was given by the, entomologist, Mr. J. T. Salmon, and Mr. W. J. Phillipps also lectured on "Maori Life" on two occasions, using the film, "Maori Days." Lectures to schools would continue under much the same conditions as at present, said Mr. McKenzie, and Training College students would again be at the museum. Extension of lectures would be possible only if a technical assistant was provided. In such circumstances, it would be possible to double the amount of use made of the museum by the schools. The provision of Saturday morning scientific films as a regular feature of the activities of the museum would encourage the children to make independent use of the facilities of the museum. Such work would be possible only with a technical assistant who also would be able to undertake simi-' lar work for adults during the weekend or evenings.