Grey River Argus and Blackball News THURSDAY, MAY IS, 1922. EDUCATION AND SOCIAL PROGRESS.

Grey River Argus, 18 May 1922, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News

THURSDAY, MAY IS, 1922. EDUCATION AND SOCIAL PROGRESS.

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The Winter School being conducted this week at Jlokilika, under Ihe auspices of the WE.A., is for the West Coast not merely n novelty, but an illustration of one of the very newest of modern tendencies in education. Some very timely and interesting observations ou this point are being made at the school by the several lecturers, and more particularly by Professor Shelley, of Canterbury, who is the director of the school. Dealing with the general outlook in education, he predicted great changes socially, the trend of public thought being to-day towards the creation of a real democracy. In passing, it may be said this democratic movement has a long, long road to travel ere it reaches its true goal! But Professor Shelley is surely right in thinking democracy is destined to become something more than the name it has hitherto been, and that the transformation is going to be worked largely by education. If democracy means anything, it is that material wealth shall not give its possessors the dominating power" which they now exercise, ho cannot agree with the Professor in his contention that last century’s economic system satisfied the majority and worked admirably in its day; but must admit that a kick of e-hivation made it seem to do so, because the majority were unable to render effective, either legislatively or economically, their objection to the exploitation that then went on. The Professor points out the increased mental activity among all classes at the present time, remarking that the industrial unrest now so prevalent is due to this intensified mental activity. When Professor Shelley remarks that economic progress is necessary 10 ensure contentment to the people, the inference is obviously right, but it must be really economic, and thus his advocacy of an analysis of the people’s mentality is not in itself nearly enough to meet the case. It should be accompanied by a concurrent amUy-si 9 the people’s environment, and the two analyses unified, and then the needed economic change can bo fully defined and effected. What about the mentality of the rich, not to mention their wealth and. power, and privileges’ How much analysis u'dd. schooling will it take to

make them disgorge? ’Tis not, wc' submit, the subjective, so much as the objective, state of the masses that today calls for "analysis by the social scientists ami uplift ers. They need to work in mines ami live in hovels to learn all. To uplift, it is certainly necessary to get underneath; but a few explosions of mental gelignite might, do a lot towards uplifting the toj) hamper that breaks the back of the uplifter under the present economic system. There is no doubt the working man is learning things, but he is no.t learning the most important things front others so much as from the working of his own mind upon his objective environment. If the W.E.A. had a mind to cut a cross-section through workingclass thought, it would probably find convictions generated from perception of class disabilities so solidly crystallised as to turn the teeth of any. intellectual hack-saw ever tempered in the university! No longer is the worker blind to t necessity lie is under 1o thinlc for his class and for himself, nor does he seek anyone else to do it for him, who might, in other interests, set lim’d s for him! In pointing out how tin' mighty intellects of ancient Greece have never been eclipsed, Professor Shelley shows how the worker of to-day is wise in his aim to t hink for himself because if any thinkers acted thus Twas those of Preece! If all the artistic mechanical improvements of modern times leave so many millions in want and hardship as there are to-day, the supreme state to which the Professor alludes as the ultimate goal is getting further away than ever, because the majority have less security of livelihood today than formerly, unless, oL course, slavery is considered a form of seciiritv. However, the aims and objects of the winter school at Hokitika are evidently quite admirable, insofar . as thev are those of making better men ami women, and, as Professor Shelter remarks, the people are not satisfied with the present, but look forward to attain something better, which world desire (‘ducat ion can greatly aid in attaining. So long as education fulfils its true purpose of enabling our expression, not repression, of the best within us, it must In- the handmaiden of progress towards emancipation. There should be i one good result from it immediately, and that is to do away with prejudice. That factors have the ball at their feet.