“NEW LAMPS FOR OLD”

Evening Star, Issue 21723, 18 May 1934, Page 12

“NEW LAMPS FOR OLD”

EDUCATIONAL CHANGES SINCE THE WAR STATE OF UNREST AND UNCERTAINTY AH ANALYSIS BY OTAGO INSTITUTE'S PRESIDENT

'‘ There can be little doubt in the minds of those who' have thought ol the matter, tliat at least some measure of unrest and uncertainty existing in world affairs to-day has been communicated to our own primary education system,” said Mr David Forsyth in his presidential address to the annual meeting of the Otago Educational Institute last evening. “ Economy measures are to a certain extent,' - lw> said, “ responsible lor this. There is a feeling that, compelled perhaps by economic necessity, educational progress in our schools lias been retarded. The partial introduction of a now system—the intermediate system—m a form somewhat different from that experimented with in this country, and approved of in other countries, has probably added to the uncertainty. The raising of the school age has also without doubt added to the dissatisfaction and unrest. “ Our system lias, too, in addition to tho usual- sporadic complaints of business men and secondary teachers concerning tho efficiency of onr products, been recently subjected to more than one somewhat severe attack by prominent citizens, well placed -in the cultural sphere of life. The unrest lias spread till, within our ; own ranks, there are many who are in a state of uncertainty and doubt as to whether wc are, in actual fact, giving to the children of this dominion the best primary education possible. CHANGES .OF GOVERNMENT. “ Before we can survey the position of education to-day, it is necessary that wo cast our minds hack to the period 1914-1918,, when that blazing' conilagration of world war swept across the face of the earth, leaving behind it a changed world—a scorched, chastened, scarred, and bleeding civilisation. We wore told during tho war that wc fought for a new world—we have undoubtedly got a now. world, though perhaps not the world we had hoped and prayed, yes, and fought, to secure.

“ To enumerate here the changes in this new world would require a book in itself. Time allows mention of only a lew. Among the social and political changes must be mentioned the wound mg to death of the old system of Government by a trained aristocracy, and the lowering, if not the removal, oi banners of class. Kingdoms have fallen, thrones have tottered and crashed; the power of the proletariat has increased enormously; Socialistic and Communistic doctrines have grown to sijch an extent as to attract at least the attention of all save dogmatically conservative traditionalists; and contrasted with those, the latest phase seems to be the over-growing swing of tlie pendulum in the direction of government by dictatorships. “ Economically, our monetary and credit systems, our systems of distribution of supplies have, as a result ol the overwhelming burdens of war debts, etc., become confused, and in many cases unworkable. Our economic and financial machines have broken, or at' least become clogged, under the strain. Unemployment has become the problem of the world to-day. To quote G. 8.5., ‘ it is all up with the old systems in the face of d(J,(100,000. unemployed and world idiotic conferences. “The changes wrought by science and invention are breath-taking, staggering, unbelievable. Radio girds the world. England holds conversation simultaneously, with every corner of her Empire. Spac-c has 1 been annihilated. You can breakfast in Auckland, sup in Sydney, and spend the next week-end in Loudon, should yon wish, and be prepared to pay the piper. Man hurls himself through the air at six miles a minute —and lives —his leal known in every civilised corner of the world a few seconds later. A button pressed in Italy sets ablaze a system of eletenc lights in Sydney. The Press to-day exercises a power greater than the power of kings and rulers of the world of vesterday. Science has released forces 'undreamed of twenty years ago. Science and invention produce deathdealing devices horrible and annihilating in their efficiency, and tempting beyond resistance to the powers of war and mammon. And over all tbe Ood ot War still crouches grinning horribly-—, waiting, ever waiting. Jn many parts God and religion seem to have become old-fashioned and, obsolete. “ This is the world that we live in to-day. Do we realise the difference between that world and the world ol 1914. - , “In the far-distant pre-war period wc built up a system oi education suited to the simpler needs of a simpler age. What have we done to remodel that system to the needs of this new and rather terrifying world in winch we find ourselves now? That the necessity tor educational change and reconstruction has been realised must be admitted by all who have read the educational literature of the last ten years. England, America, and the Continent have been'striving to produce a system which will meet the needs of a new world. The aims of .education have had to be re-oriented To state these new aims and to endeavour to measure our own system by them is my present purpose. ' “ Are we recognising these new aims —do we agree with them—are we giving the citizens of 1950 the host possible chance? Are we giving them the wherewithal to meet now and cyer-ehanging conditions —-to help to hnild a better world--to rule more wisely, or are we merely continuing to train wage slaves and cannon fodder? Lord Eustace Percy recently exhorted educationists to take stock for we are entering a new age, and wc must have the instruments in our hands which will meet the needs of that ago. Before wc proceed further it is essential that wc delino m some measure the aims of an education system adequate to meet the demands ot the changed world in which wc find ourselves. AVhal, then, the educational aims of to-day? Of all the definitions—and there arc many—no one aim seems or claims to he completely satisfactory. Onr own syllabus claims that ‘ the whole of school life should centre in character training.’ “'The aim to-day must he lor education foi a full and a complete me temporal and spiritual. It is doubt!ul if even the ‘ fitting for war ’ may yet safely be omitted. This is no time to preach militarism, hut on the other hand no honest citizen can approve of the peace-at-any-price cant prevalent in some quarters to-day—a policy which, in face of present conditions, leads directly to national suicide, and, in the event of war. a needless slaughter, through nnpreparedness, of hundreds of thousands ul the (lower ol our race. That happened in 191-l-IS. We must educate for peace, tint peace with honour, and wc must so mould character ilial if war is thrust upon ns the glorious courage and heroism of the past may still be found to live,

“ To-day educationists the world over are recognising that education must not only transmit to onr pupils a knowledge of the heritage of the past—the store of man’s knowledge to date—but must also make adequate provision and opportunity for creative effort and expression so that we may enable them at a future date to contribute to tho welfare of our nation. In the past too much attention seems to have been given to the former aim—the imparting of information, and too little recognition to tho potentialities of every child for real creative expression. True knowledge is possible only through experience, and experience- conies only through use of the senses. The latent creative power in each child must be so cultivated that, rt the right time, it may be released to the benefit of the individual and the nation. EFFECTS OF SCIENCE. “ It has been claimed that our system is a democratic system of education. May it not be possible that one of the causes of the breakdown of the democratic machine to-day can be laid •at the door of that democratic system. P. L. Wilbur (late Secretary of the Interior), Washington, a Minister of a nation claim-ng to be a democracy among democracies, recently said: ‘ Our advance through science is so fast -that our political, social, and economic mechanism are straining and breaking. Our country is witnessing its incapacity to settle major problems by political procedure alone. The rule of the majority has no place in science, nor in the application of science to democracy. We must therefore seek to find experts whom we can safely follow- through the maze of civilisation. Certainly such experts are needed, and educators must detect and train them. While me must care for cvervone capable of being trained, the rise in the level of education makes it imperative that, we discover those of exceptional ability or genius.’ “ Surely no one is bold enough, in the maze of social, political, and economic doubt existent throughout - the world to-day. to deny this need for experts—for discovering and training those of exceptional ability. How can this be done .f ibe child’s potentialities for creative expression are not discovered and most sedulously cultivated. Please do not misunderstand me. 1 am not trving to condemn a democratic system and to advocate a dictatorship; nor am I suggesting a return to the old English svstem of concentrating on the education ol ‘ . lass leaders, as was the aim of the public schools of last century. We have, however, to admit that a system where every child of the upper classes, so called, was educated in preparation lor leadership, did produce from the great numbers so prepared, and from amidst the many failures, a more or less adequate supply of leaders. Arc we producing leaders to day P Lord Eustace Percy, recently, n an article entitled • Taking o -ck of Our Social Machine,’ threw out tins challenge . . . “ ‘ Our Civil Service, our local government, and olir voluntary bodies have worked pretty well in solving the problems of the past. Are we not up against a different set of problems winch requires a different kind ol administrative organisation P ’ “ Could we not so mould our system that while ./e give every child tinbest education to which his mental and physical equipments entitle him (and that should be the true meaning of equal opportunity for all, not necessarily an academically-biased education lor all) we also ensure that those of outstanding talent be given every encouragement and assistance to develop and enlarge that talent, so that arising out of the midst of an educated democracy we shall ensure that we have those fitted by training for choice as leaders.”