The Evening Star FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 1920.

Evening Star, Issue 17328, 16 April 1920, Page 4

The Evening Star FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 1920.

Ok Monday next, 19th inst.,l householders in school districts

Election of School Committees.

throughout the Dominion will bo called upon to elect school

committees for. the ensuing year. This we regard as a privilege and a, duty of which those entitled to a vote should take full advantage. We note # that in many districts. just the required numbers of members have been nominated, and that, generally speaking, these nominees a.rs -the present members cf committers. Tbis can mean only one of two things—either that the householders are satisfied with the work being done by the men and women at present in office, or they are too indifferent to take any area 1 interest in the educational welfare of their children. We fear that in many instances the latter is the real explanation of the paucity of nominations. If this is so it is very regrettable; for never before in the history of New Zealand has'the call to the people to take a deeper, wider, keener, and more intelligent interest in education been more clamant than jt is at the present time. : One of the results of the Great War has been an educatbnal awakening in nearly every country of the world. The demand for more and better, education has been made, and this demand is becoming louder and more insistent. America, France, England, and many of the smaller nations are increasing their expenditure on education by millions of money. The people- of these countries realise that, if thousands of millions could be spent on war, there must be largely increased expenditure on the light kind of education —the only f jjfiective means,of preventing war. Action the result of opinion; and if we are • to mould publio opinion, every advantage should be taken of these annual meeting* of householders to bring before them the urgent necessity for. reform in our system of National Education in the direction of the extension of the school age, th» reduction in. the size of classes, .and the offering of the greatest possible inducement* to the brightest and best of our boys and girls to become teachers. The people of New Zealand, a® the people of other countries are realising, must be made to realise that knowledge is power, and that, unfortunately, it is in the hands of the few who employ it to mislead the many for their selfish purposes of aggrandisement and appropriation. If it-were in the hands of a few who would employ it to had the many, what a different world this would be! But if, as far as possibly knowledge were universal and the multitude then such world-wide catastrophes as the recent Great War would be impossible* This is ' what we as a people have to keep always l before us. Nothing but the best is good [enough in. education. I We would not have it thought that we £_s»r£ vol firm believers in pur present

system of National Education, We are; and we believe that its main principles are perfectly sound. It is " and must be kept free, -undenominational, and compulsory. The State most'continue to be responsible for- the physical, mental, and moral welfare of its children. What we and everyone else who has at heart the upholding and extension of.this system are asking fcr is 'that still greater attention be paid by the State to dte important duties in this connection." As a step in this direction we are pleased to see that the reform so frequently advocated by ua has been given effect to, and that the portfolio of Public Health is irow joined to that of Education. As soon as the necessary supply is available, we. hope to hear of the appointment of additional school" doctors &ni school nurses, the establishment of dental clinics, and an increase in the number of physical instructors. The new Minister of Education will find ample outlet for his energies on the physical side of his department. As to the mental welfare of our children, this will be bust secured, as we have said, by the extension of the school age, the reduction in the sizj of classes, the securing of more trained teachers, and the holding out of greater inducements to the right kind of young" people to enter and remtfin in the service of -the Education Department.

But great and important as are the duties and responsibilities of the State regarding the physical and mental training of our children, still greater and more important are its duties and responsibilities in respect to the moral training of these young people. Character-training must be the chief aim of our public school teachers. Children must be trained to be kind, courteous, obedient—that is, lawabiding—honest, truthful, unselfish, sympathetic, useful,- and industrious citizens. The school evllabus provides for this work, and we are satisfied that teachers realise and fully apprechte its importance and their great opportunities and responsibilities. At the same time we think that the Education Department, education boards, school committees, and inspectors of schools might offer greater lr.ent to men and wamen who are known to make the building of ideal characters—not the turning out of merely "clever" boys and girls—the main object of their educational work. We know, as we have said, that much attention is being mid to moral training in our schools, and thav many men and women teachers are engaged in Sunday school work and in all sorts of church organisations connected. with the moTal welfare of our yc-ung people; but, given more encouragement in the way of promotion, perhaps still more could be accomplished. As to religious teaching, that must be left to ministers of religion, whn. if they care to avail themselves of their opportunities, can do good work- in this connection in the Sunday schools and in the homes. No one who wishes to keep this country free from sectarian bitterness and from religious strife will encourage Denominationalism Sn our State schools. The Auckland, Wellington. Canterbury, and Otago Education Boards and several school committees have protested against Government grants of any kind, dir-t or indirect, being made to denominational schools; and we trust that, at very many of the meetings of householders throughout New Zealand on -Monday night, resolutions will be passed supporting the action of these bodies. Nothing must be left to chance. There are in our midst those who would, if they could, undermine our system of National Education, and they 'are actually doing so silently, with the tacit support of those ""Hugh places who ought to be.the sworn defenders of the State system as by law established. Tfc is for its friends to see that it is made so good and so stronthat it will withstand all the attacks of its wffrst enemies.