DEFENCE OF N.Z. EDUCATION SYSTEM

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 March 1948, Page 6

DEFENCE OF N.Z. EDUCATION SYSTEM

(P.A.) WANGANUI, March 12. The Dominion president of the New Zealand Educational Institute (Mr G. H. Mitchell), in addressing Rangitikei teachers last evening, made the following points in defence of the existing educational system: — Those who criticise education today would surely not recommend a return to the old methods of mass : instruction with, all its evil effects lon the personality of the child. Edui cation today distinguished between the bright ,and not so bright, beI tween the child good academically, and the child good practically; it made provision for the handicapped child and also endeavoured' to give each child an education from which it could profit most. In spite of the increasing difficulty of broader' curricula, schools< are still giving the solid foundation of fundamental education. “Most of those who condemn the present system,” added Mr Mitchell, i “have not been inside a school in re- | cent years. They are, therefore, not personally familiar with what is going on in them, and must judge on what they have heard other people say.”