YOUTHFUL CRIME

Evening Star, Issue 19892, 14 June 1928, Page 5

YOUTHFUL CRIME

STATISTICS OF CONDUCT The co-existence of “an _ admirable education system ” and an increase of juvenile crime was recently a subject of comment by Mr Justice Wornarski, of Victoria. The Director of Education, Mr Frank Tate, who has on occasions been consulted educationally by New Zealand, sounded the judge with a view to ascertaining what implications attach to the judicial comment. Mr Tate afterwards told tho Victorian Public Council of Education that Judge Wornarski at the time he made his remark, had in mind tho lack of religious training m schools—so tho judgo had informed him. . , Some newspapers interpreted tho judge’s remarks as a criticism of the Victorian Department of Education* tho education system being guilty of a failure to prevent, if not of being an actual cause. One view is that the absence of religious instruction, even if, such absence is held to be tho of tho increase of crime, docs not cx-y cuse the education system. _ . On tho other hand, Mr Tate, in deal-1 ing with tho matter before the Council , of Education, put the main responsibility on homo training or the lack of it. 'Ho thought that “ the main causes were defective home life? and inadequate moral training.” Ho did not think that tho matter was one that involved the schools or _ tho lack of provision of religious teaching, lie thought that it was a much broader question. It may bo difficult to prove much by a counting of heads, but Mr Tate brought a statistical argument to bean <m the issue. He stated that of 104 boys iu the Castlemaiu reformatory the school records of 99 were known. Of these boys 74 had attended State schools and 25 registered schools. Tho_ number of pupils attending schools in the metropolitan area was 925,000, of .which 05.000 attended registered schools. It might therefore be expected that hi ordinary circumstances the proportion of former pupils of registered schools in tho reformatory would be one-fiftlu Yet, despite the alleged steadying influence of religious instruction, it vat nearer one-quarter, if tho lack of religious instruction had an injurious cllecb tho proportion of former State school pupils in the reformatory should be more than four-fifths. _ But it was only three-quarters, lie did not know, however, whether the figures ho had quoted proved anything concerning tho merits or demerits of religious instruction. There was no doubt that thero bad been an increase iu juvenile crime. An official had expressed to him tbo opinion that among the causes of this increase were thrill lessncss, dead-end occupations, unemployment, mental retardation, questionable moving pictures, and bad associations. Dr A. Looper said that, although lio had a hearty admiration for the Stato education system, it had one obvious defect. That was the absence of the religious element. Eicrybody recognised the difficulties iu the way of introducing religious teaciiing, but they should bo faced and overcome. In 1,500 schools in the State, attended bv 90.000 children, no religious instruction was given. Mr L. A. Adamson expressed the view that religious instruction should be given in the home. Unless a child obtained some idea of religion and soma Biblical knowledge before it was aged six years it was difficult to do much with it afterwards.

Mr M. 1L Dutfy thought that the education authorities could find their best opening not in considering the religious aspect, but in considering what was to become of boys when they left school. Often they drifted into deadend occupations, and after lasing their employment drifted into crime. if some of the children living in crowded areas were given improved surroundings they would develop a better outlook. The council decided to convene a conference to consider the causes of juvenile crime.