THE COMPETITIONS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 10065, 1 August 1925, Page 9

THE COMPETITIONS

IMPORTANOjT'IO SCHOOL CHILDREN.

JUDGE’S CHALLENGE TO MASTERS. (PRESS ASSOCIATION.) - * ‘ • PALMERSTON N., July 31. Criticism of educational bodies which fail to realise the value of competitions festivals was voiced at the official opening'of the 'Mariawatu Competitions Society’s festival last evening by Mr Farquhar Young, the Christchurch judge of the elocutionary section. Addressing the audience prior to the commencement of the programme Mr Oram mentioned that one of the disabilities under which the society wins laborirfg this year was the opposition to-competitions evinced by the Education Department generally and the Wanganui Education Board in particular. It was that statement •which gave rise to Mr Young’s remarks. “I do not know why it is,” Mr Young stated, "hut the educational authorities which take up such an attitude must be entirely ignorant concerning many features of education. It . has been my duty during the last few months to point out to educational authorities the nece-sity for improving the voices of school children. They have dodged the question for a good many years, but arc finding out the position now. it is. useless to educate a child very highly and at the same time neglect the instruments with which-he or she is to reproduce those educational advantages. Any father who thinks he has done his* dntv his child hy laving out a few hundred pounds for education which is ha.ro voice production need not lay to himself the fluttering unction that the child’s education has been complete. I say advisedly, after 40 years’ experience, that it is not right for the schools to allow a child to read until he has been given at least some elementary instruction' in voice production, how to read, and how to produce pure vowel sounds.. You have to begin with the piasters. If they cannot do it. there is little hope that the,child will get the idea. If there has been opposition to the competitions 'from any authority connected with education, I. 'should like very much indeed that its members come before me and allow mo to hear how they read and speak, and what vowel sounds they put into simple English words.”