The League of Nations and History.

Evening Star, Issue 17923, 20 March 1922, Page 4

The League of Nations and History.

Dr Maxwell Garnet, of the League of Nations Union, in a recent letter to tho editor of ' The Times Educational Supplement,' endeavors to make plain tho attitude of the League towards the teaching of history. After making the assertion, with which no one who Tegards history as a science will be prepared to agree, that it is impossiblo to teach history without bias, Dr Garnet proceeds to say : " The League of Nations Union docs not desire to remove tho bias of tho teacher, but it does wish the teacher to bo free in tho exercise of that bias. We do not wish to limit the freedom of tho teachers; we wish to increase it, so that the law of averages working amongst the whole body of teachers will ensure that all the various forms of bias cancel ono another out, with the result that an approximately true account of man's evolution will be presented to the next generation of citizens." Dr Garnet proceeds to make another statement which lends itself to controversy when he says that there can be no doubt that most of the text books, syllabuses, and examination schedules are tending to impose, perhaps unconsciously, a limited and narrowly national view of history. " T,he removal of tho pressure thus imposed," ho concludes, "is essential to the emancipation of history teaching. It is for this, and not for the substitution of any special theory of its own, that the League of Nations Union is contending." Professor Heamshaw, of London University, who is himself a member of the League of Nations Union, in commenting upon Dr Garnet's letter in the same issue of ' The Times Educational Supplement,' makes it plain that he, as a teacher speaking for other teachers, resents tho attempt of the League of Nations Union to interfere with tho teaching of history and with tho text books at present in use," and urges that the teachers of history are perfectly competent to safeguard their freedom without the assistance of tho League. " The League of Nations," ho concludes, "is leaving its proper work and is trespassing upon forbidden ground when it seeks to use the authority of the Board of Education and the influence of its inspectors to alter tho history teaching in schools in its favor. It has a noble work to do within its own sphere—that of winning over the adult intelligence of this country to the cause of international government and world unity."

There is much room for thought here. There can be few who are not in sympathy with the propaganda of the League of Nations Union, and who aro not anxious that in every possible way men of all nations should be taught to understand and sympathise with each other. Incidentally one would remark that history is not the only subject in the curriculum which tends to give that sympathy with the aspirations of others which helps to make for peace. The modern language teacher and the teacher of English literature do a great work in this respect—a work which is of all the more value because the student is luider an influence of which he is for the most part unconscious. To study the literature of other peoples, to lea*ii the indebtedness of our own literature to those ;of other people*—these &ro groat factors

in tho promotion of national unity. In the same way tho teacher of science and of medicine cannot fail, as lie proceeds, to show the indebtedness of scientists and physicians of all nations to each other. These subjects, in fact, in which international aid is emphasised and which do not deal with tho international controversies of tho past as history to somo extent must do, from the very nature of the case, are of the utmost importance to the causo of peace. The same appeal is made by music and by art, and all that is required here is that students should have their minds directed from time to time to tho lives of tho masters. Such unconscious influences on the side of peaco aro of greater value, f»o far as the school is concerned, than any definite- propaganda work. In fact, it is impossible to do more, since objections will be raised, on the mostvalid grounds, whenever any attempt is made to capture the schools for any religious or political purpose whatsoever, no matter how high-souled that purpose may be.

The League of Nations, on the other hand, has every right to insist that the, teaching of the history master and of tho history text book shall be frco from matter which will tend to perpetuate international differences rather than to make for peace. But a careful examination of standard text books on modern history, - for example, in nse in universities fails to show that modern historians are writing on tho narrow national lines of which ])r Garnet speaks, and it is certainly the aim of tho British professor of history to expound his subject without bias and without prejudice. There is certainly danger of bias and of ill-informed, crude judgment if one does not insist on tho teaching of the country being conducted by welltrained, thoroughly competent persons, and there is very grave need of such inquiry as at present being conducted in Scotland into the whole matter of the training of teachers and of the general standard of attainment among students in training for the -work of teaching. Such controversies as that conducted by Dr Garnet and Professor Heamshaw tend at least to bring home to tha community a fact which is sometimes apt to be forgotten in Dunedin, where the one medical school of New Zealand is situated, that the Arts Faculty holds the soul of the University, and that too ranch stress cannot bo laid on llio importance of tho work of the arts professor, to whom tho training of teachers is in large measure entrusted. Again, more criticism can be levelled against the books in use in tho elementaTy school than against these in use in higher education, for the simple reason that the teaching of tho child must begin somewhere, and that it is natural to givo him some idea of the history of his own country in the first place. In duo time the boy can learn that great men have lived and that great things have been done outside his own country. In this respect it may be pointed out that as this is a Christian community the child ought from the outset to he under the finest of tho influences making for international spirit. The obvious point need not bo labored, by tho teacher that the great Master was a Jew, and that Christianity stands for internationalism.

Again, many would end all teaching of military and naval history, on the ground that there can bo no talk of battles without extolling war. One might argue very properly that a wise teacher might make, and in all probability will mako, the military or naval episodes he deals with tho subject matter of a lesson in which, if he shows that much can bo learned from the story of wars as to the moral forces that movo nations and as to the manner in which brave men will suffer and endure for the'sake of a cause, he will also show the horror and futility of war. But history must deal with facts, and, whatever be our hope for the future, it cannot be denied that the history of the human race to the- present has been mainly a history of warfare, and that therefovo a right understanding of military and naval history is necessary if domestic and foreign politics are to bo understood. It is possible to speak of the victories of war without ignoring the victories of peace. Neither need the claims of patriotism bo ignored in the promotion of international ■ amity, and there is no reason why any attempt should be mado to lessen the glory of the British Empiro in the boy's eyes in order that he may the better appreciate the- qualities of Britain's neighbors. No one understands better than the teacher the value of the school spirit, which is to the school what esprit de corps is to a regiment. Tho boy can be taught to appreciate his own blessings without being narrowly oblivious to tho blessings of others, liven so, the national and tho international spirit must be combined.