PROPAGANDA IN SCHOOLS

Evening Star, Issue 17926, 23 March 1922, Page 11

PROPAGANDA IN SCHOOLS

10 THE EDITOR. Sir —With reference to the comments and correspondence on the teaching or temperance and sex-physiology that have appeared in your columns, may I retcr in the thoughtful-article from the pon ot Mr Mark Cohen, who seems trt cover every demur that can reasonably bo offered to the action of the New /calami Viliance T ‘ ‘?i, the first place, may I thank you , for pointing out in your, footnote that ' Education Report No. 13 is the work ot the Education Department (joined, T bn liev«, with the Public Health Depart; mentb and is not “ Alliance literature, as Mr Cohen aparcntly thinks it - s. 'l't>o wisdom or unwisdom of seeking to fliniiiate scholars by the offer of '©wards will. I suppose, lie long a debutante mat(.v. U is a policy that has frequently br-n adopted, and in this respect I think Mr Cohen will be willing to concede the Ml'a’uv has committed no real offence. The amiment that the distribution of pwii'-.dars of this compoV.ton opens the J],’..,' the "trade” making a similar T ■ looks at first sight as if it was a , i '-biection. But can any educationist bd b onid who will say that a case can )out for teaching the children font will tend to make them favor ,r. t , beverages ? Could tho trace c,dr]"the nerve to ask permission_ for the distribution in our schools of literature I-,.,!, would tend to make tho children /-Tut.'of intoxicating beverages? w;. rioiut of contention appcansi to b-'the oart of Report 13 dealing with h-l in relation‘to venereal disease, v-w', the miestion of eex instruction in h ..i..,-iL is outside the field of Amv /calm'd ■ Alliance activity. The paragraph m cue:-!i m is there in Report 13, and pre-su-’uibly some instruction will bo given cn tills'subject in the schools. Just at what, a:',', when and where, and by whom ti at bid motion should be given is not, I cubnrt. a question upon which tho Alliance can be expected to pronounce. U *3, however, only fair to point out that the instructions to competitors do not mention this particular phase of tho subject. The effects of alcohol on physical health err' many and varied. School children can discuss ‘these without touching rn the venereal disease aspect. The Alliance point of view may bo summarised as follows The Education Department ns issued Report No, 13 on Aionhol in Relation to the Human Body and Mind’ as the official syllabus tor instruction in tbs schools. Knowing that tins subject is officially one of the regular subjects for instruction, tho Alliance is seekini' to ensure that the children sha comprehend as thoroughly as may bo the considered verdict on alcohol delivered by those who are best fitted to set forth the ascertained facts and tho conclusions to be deduced therefrom.—l am, etc., J. Malton Murray, Assistant Secretary N.Z. Alliance. Wellington, March 21.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir-The Hon. Mr Cohen’s article on the above subject, published in your issue of Saturday last, would no doubt attract considerable attention, and would be carefully considered by all who are interested in primary education. Mr Cohens contention that eex-physiology should not be introduced into the schools without adequate precaution will be conceded by most of your readers. It is another thing, however, to link temperance and sexnhvsiology together, and to suggest that the New Zealand Alliance is endeavoring to promote teaching on the latter subject or io bring it before the minds of the children. Air Cohen gives careful particulars of the Alliance essay competition; but I do not think he makes it sufficiently clear that the pamphlet to which ho takes exception is entirely the work of the Education Department, and that the Alliance hud nothing whatever to do with its compilation. 'What has been circulated is simply a faithful copy of Education Eepoit 1,1 which was prepared and issued by the department with the avowed object of forming the basis of temperance teaching in tlic'scliools. The report has been reissued bv the Alliance without either addition or "deletion, and for obvious reasons nny departure from the exact of the report would have provoked criticism and objection. Mr Cohen refers to a “chapter headed ‘Alcohol and Venereal Disease.’” The passage is, however, no more than a brief paragraph, quoted in its entirety by Mr Cohc'n, and occupying _ only one and athird inches of space in seven pages of quarto print. So far as the Alliance is concerned this paragraph could be deleted, and the report would still remain a complete indictment of the liquor trade from the standpoints of health and good citizenship. The prominence which has been given to the offending paragraph is out of proportion to its place in the report. Apart from this matter, the article under review acknowledges that the paragraph in question can do little if any harm. Mr Cohen himself says that the report is “ wholly beyond the mental capacity of Standard IV. at any rate, if it does not set to the pupils of Standards V. and VI. a task of considerable difficulty.” This criticism is particularly applicable to the paragraph on venereal disease. I think it can safely be said that tho pupils will fail completely to understand tho paragraph unless it is explained to them by an adult, either in tho school or at home. If, on tho other hand, the pupils do understand the paragraph, then thero can be only a formal objection to their hearing from an authoritative source the connection between alcohol and tho lack of sexual control.

As your readers are well aware, tho New Zealand Alliance has no interest whatever ix/ teaching sex-physiology. Nor has it invited a competition on the subject. Any reader can easily obtain a copy of tho report and judge this matter for himself; and I suggest that you, Mr Editor, should print it in your columns so that your readers who have read the discussion may also have the advantage of knowing what it is all about.—l am, etc., March 22. H. 9. Adams.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—ln reply to your correspondent “ Pro Bono Publico,” I would like to say, to use his own expression, that, in view of his want of knowledge of my letter and the particulars concerning the distribution of I,ho pamphlet, a few more facts will no doubt prove interesting to him. How any person, unless blinded by 'Prohibition fanaticism, could allow children of ten to twelve years of age to read that portion in reference to venereal disease passes comprehension. In the first case I made no attack on pamphlet No. 13, but raised an objection to a. certain portion of it, and left the criticism to your good self, f ;■ which you have earned the thanks of a largo number of parents. My letter and your criticism must have caused your correspondent gome sleepless nights, as it has taken him toil days to dig up a reply, whrli oven at this late date is not bristling with facto I do not need him to advise nus about reading No. 13, as I had already scon it when it was issued to the teachers about sis months ago. I raised no objection at that time, as it was for the guidance of teachers, Upon whom parents rely to use what portions' are suitable for the children under their care; hut on this occasion it was issued indiscriminately to children of tender years. Your correemOrtdent states that it is not the work of the Now Zealand Alliance, as I infer. I never said that it was the work of that fcodv, but said "that it was about time the Prohibition Party had its writings for children scrutinised.” I am well aware that it was not the work of the New Zealand Alliance, but it was issued by it w ith the connivance of the Education Board (See footnote to Hon. Mark Cohen’s article in your issue of 18th Inst.). "Pro Bono Publico” should read both my letter and the pamphlet again. As for the rest of his misstatements, they are most ably answered by yourself and the Hon. Mark Cohen, so further comment is unnecessary. / Before closing, sir, for the information of your correspondent, I know of one class alone where over twenty letters were received by the teacher from parents objecting to their children having anything to

do with this “special report.” Surely that alone is some justification for drawing your attention to it; and my action has now been upheld both by yourself and the lien. Mark Cohen. _ Thanking you for your assistance in this matter—l am, etc., vv * March 21.