EDUCATION CONFERENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 July 1937, Page 7

EDUCATION CONFERENCE

OVERSEAS DELEGATES

BRITISH GOVT.’S MESSAGE

[PEB PEESS ASSOCIATION.]

AUCKLAND, July 9. A large overseas delegation to the New Educational Fellowship Conference, which is beginning its sessions, to-morrow, arrived by the Mariposa, to-day. The delegation included Mr G. T. Hankin, representing the English Board of Education, Whitehall, sent directly by the British Government- Dr. Cyril Norwood, formerly headmaster at Harrow, ami now president of St. John’s College, Oxford: Mi E. Salter Davies, Oxon, Director oi Education, Kent, and other Englishmen. x . Delegates from other countries included: Mr L. Zillacus, Finland; Dr. Paul L. Dengler, Vienna, also a strong American party. Among these aie Dr Edmund de S. Brunner, Professor of Education at the Teachers’ College, Columbia University; and Dr. Harold Rugg, Professor of Education at the same’ University, who turned from engineering to education. One of the most interesting personalities iS Dr. Hans Luther, foimei Chancellor of Germany, and recently Ambassador to America. An official message of goodwill from the British Government was brought to the new education conference by Mr G T Harikin, from Earl Stanhope, president of the Board of Education. The message states: “It gives me great pleasure to send my greetings to the conferences of the new education fellowship, which are being held in New Zealand and Australia. I am sure that, in bringing together from many, parts of the Empire and othei countries, those who are interested' in education, either as teachers or administrators and organisers, these conferences are performing a most useful service. Your agenda is very wide —nothing less, in fact, than education for complete living. I have no doubt that those attending the conferences will find, notwithstanding the widely different circumstances and conditions of life in the-countiies they represent, that they are concerned with the same fundamental educational problems, and interested in the same general principles of educational progress. I am glad to know that you have been able to assemble, and take out with you an 1 exhibition illustrating, on however small a scale, the present tendency of English education. This sharing of experience in relation to our common educational problems seems to me to be, perhaps, the most fruitful form of intellectual co-opera-tion. It is a kind of internationalcommerce, into which no elements of competitiveness or jealousy can enter, save competition in service of the’ child, and jealousy for the welfare of future generations. I wish the conferences every possible success.— (Signed), Stanhope.” SIMILAR IDEALS. The concensus of opinion of representatives from different countlies, with different national outlooks, to the Education Conference, that the broad basis of new educational ideals are strikingly similar, is probably one result of the inner searching consequent on the post-war world-wide economic and social dislocation. Dr. Dengler. for example, ■an Austrian, spoke in broad terms, in the same breath, of history and education. He said that his small country; all that remained of a one-time large Empire, was seeking to reorientate itself to the new conditions, realising the added importance of women in the larger sphere outside as well as inside the home.

Mr Hankin spoke of the increasing importance of mechanical aids to edu- • cation, especially radio and films. He said that he was sent with the goodwill of the British Government, which was alive to the importance of similar cultural ideals among English-speak-ing peoples, particularly her own Dominions. This culture was teachable readily by radio and films. Mr Zilliacus (Finland) expressed himself as inspired by coming to N.ew Zealand, where the ideals of freedom fought Tor in Europe, are taken as commonplace. The American view was summed up by Dr. Rugg, who said: “We are looking to the schools, and what is taught there, as the only hope for democracy. We do not hope to solve any critical problem of to-day by education, but if democracy is to last, it will be the result of the slow infiltration of what is taught in schools.” He stressed the point that, up to the present, much of the discontent of the world was due to the fact that people did not understand their problems, and it was one of education’s important duties to make those problems, plain.

DISTRICT SCHOOLS CLOSE.

Primary and secondary schools throughout the Grey district, with the exception of the Convent Schools, closed this afternoon for a week, to enable the teachers to attend the New Education Fellowship Conference, to be held in Christchurch from Tuesday to Saturday next. Schools under the jurisdiction of the Canterbury Education Board, which includes the Grey Main, were closed mandatorily by the Board which, in a circular letter to the committees, stated: “As the forthcoming New Education Fellowship Conference, to be held in Christchurch-from July 13 to July 1? is an event of unique educational importance, and it is very necessary that every opportunity should be given to all teachers to take part, the Board, at the request of the Minister of Education, has decided to close all its schools during the week in which the Conference is to be held, therefore, the schools will close on Friday, July 9, and re-open on Monday, July 19.” The Board also issued instructions that the May holidays should be accordingly reduced by one week. The Greymouth Marist Brothers’ School observed the week’s holiday in May and also closed to-day, until next Monday week. The Greymouth Convent was not affected, and will continue the normal school routine next week. As far as the Greymouth Technical High School is concerned, the decision to close for next week was taken as the result of a direct request from the Minister of Education. The term holidays of the school have not been reduced, except by one day at the beginning of the second and third terms, thus partially making up the lost time. Also, although the

school will be closed' next week, the pupils will be given a full assignment of work, which will be corrected on the resumption of the school, on July 19. Although, as stated above, it is desired that as many teachers as possible shall attend the Conference, it is not compulsory, and they are required to find their own expenses. While the other schools will resume on Monday, June 19. the Grey Main School will not resume until the following day, the Monday being taken as the holiday granted by the Gover-nor-General on the recent visit. Among the teachers from the Grey district who will attend the Conference are:—Greymouth Technical: Messrs W. M. Stewart (Principal), T. D. Holmes, G. Mitchell and F. M. Smy.th, Misses J. I. McNiven, M. A. Gardner, K. McDonald, M. E. Ray and E. G. Watt; Grey Main: Mr L. B. Galbraith, Mrs A. Wise, Misses E. Moore, E. O’Grady, Williams and M. Coumbe; Blaketown: Misses Percy and H. Lawn; Marist Brothers: Rev. Bro. Anthony.