NEW EDUCATION FELLOW SHIP

Evening Star, Issue 23092, 19 October 1938, Page 9

NEW EDUCATION FELLOW SHIP

DUNEDIN GROUP A general meeting of the Dunedin group of the New Education Fellowship was held on Thursday in the Institute Rooms. The attendance was smaller than usual, the election meetings proving a counter-attraction. The secretary (Mr D. E. Murray)] welcomed to the meeting and to the chair the president of the Otago Educational Institute, Mr C. Parr, who acted as chairman in the absence o£ Dr Lawson, who is on a tour abroad. The evening was taken up in listening to two excellent addresses by Mr; I. G. Garden, of Otago Boys’ High School, on ‘ Some Impression of Schools on the Continent,’ and by Mr D. Forsyth on ‘ Physical Education in the Primary School.’ * Mr Garden, who has recently returned from a trip abroad, spoke with’ particular reference to, the teaching of , English in German: - schools and the teaching of French in English and New Zealand schools. He gave a most interesting account of the institutions ha had visited, the methods he had seen, employed, and the personalities with whom he had come in contact. He continued his talk with a discussion of how secondary teachers are teaching “ living ” languages which, in countries like New Zealand, owing to our; geographical isolation, tend to’ become “dead.” _ Finally he dealt with the possibilities of the application of the direct method in vitalising th® teaching of French. Mr Forsyth described an experiment in progress at the Port School, stressing the physical aspect of education. A thorough medical examination had been made of the pupils, and cards filed showing the classification under various physical aspects. Increased tiine_ had been allotted to various activities, and a corrective squad had been given special attention. The speaker mentioned the possibilities for developing group leadership, correlation _ with other subjects as in the designing of health posters and the acting of health plays, and of parental co-operation. Interesting experiments had been carried out witK controlled feeding of white rats to illustrate health laws. Mr Forsyth ended an address of absorbing interest by giving some conclusions which ho had reached on the subject, and showed some excellent project work executed by his pupils. * A hearty vote of thanks to the chairman and to the speakers was carried on the motion of Mr J. W. Armstrong,