The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, March l2, 1938. BROADER EDUCATION.

Grey River Argus, 12 March 1938, Page 4

The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, March l2, 1938. BROADER EDUCATION.

New Zealand is awakening to a new outlook in education, and instead of a drastic cutting down of costs, as was done by the last Government, the present administration is giving the youth of the

country a resonable chance to make good and to attain to that place in life which is looked upon as the birthright of every citizen. Education is likely to be a subject, under considerable dis mission in the next few months, and the vast changes which are proposed in Mr. Fraser’s Education Amendment Bill, to be introduced probably during the coming week, will give food for thought for some time to come. The nature of those changes has long been indicated by the Minister, whose broad outlook and wide sympathy with the scope of the task confronting him, can leave no doubt that the educating of the youth of the country is . a paramount consideration with him. But Mr. Fraser ‘s j interests extend beyond the extensive scope of youth education, and he has recently taken important steps in the development, of an efficient rural library scheme which will enable residents in country areas to keep in touch with modern literature, ami there, by provide for them a new inter est in life.. It is a notorious fact that the people living in country areas in almost any part of the world, have received much les fi than their fair share of adult education. Modern transport, roads to the backblocks and radio., have all contributed to remove the isolation of the backblocks in this country, but the educational value of radio, great and all as it is. cannot compare with that of the written word. The progress of the last few years has altered the outlook of country dwellers, and to-day, largely because of their improved conditions, and their own district associations, they are fully able to stand up for themselves in any company. Most of this is due to a better community of interest —to use a’ hackneyed expression—between town and country, rather than to any advance in rural adult education, The rural libraries scheme, by

which it is proposed to stock small country libraries with books, which'are to be changed three times yearly, has much to commend it. Small country libraries have not the finance with which to keep pace with the production of modern literature, and in many cases even borough libraries are sadly lacking in this respect. The rural scheme will be a free one, and the opportunity of fully availing themselves of the service is one which all country residents should be willing to grasp. A special feature of the scheme is that in areas where no libraries exist, a number of settlers may ban themselves together and 1 make application for the service, which will be extended to them in exactly the same maimer as will be done with eoun. try libraries. Radio has not proved to be the means of forcing the thoughts of listeners away from good literature, but has rather tended to develop a keener interest in books. In that respect, it can be said to have been of immense value to the peoples of the world, but in the past, a very large percentage have beer, unable to advance their knowledge due to lack of access to new books and to the authors of whom they have heard SO'much. Grave apprehension as. to the future of New Zealand’s youth, particularly senior schoolboys,-has been expressed lately in view of the Hood of cheap American magazines which .seems to have swept the country. Produced at little cQSt, these degrading publications are landed in New Zealand by the

bale, and distributed throughout the country. Heads of leading schools have expressed deep concern at the case with which pupils can obtain this immoral glass of literature, and the decision ofj;he Customs Department to ban the importation o_E a large series will be well received by every citizen to whom indecent literature has no appeal. Magazines of this class can have nothing but harmful- effects on the minds and morals of members of the younger generation who, it would appear has been the. heaviest purchasers in the retail bookshops. But whether the banning of the magazines by the Customs Department will bring their sales to a standstill is another matter. Border Ijne literature can quite easily escape notice, and can possibly be much more harmful than the type which has been black-listed. Strict vigilance is necessary, not only on the part of the Customs Department, but also by parents and retailers. There is marketed today a vast amount of good reading. procurable in cheap editions of the class which cannot do otherwise than uplift the moral outlook of the reader, and concerted action should secure . for this class of book a much wider recognition than has been given ,n the past. The world is showing greater appreciation of the educational value of books, and New Zealand must not lag behind in this development. . With free rural libraries, the time should later come ■when free municipal libraries, as operate in Dunedin, should be the standard for every town in the Dominion. . This morning’s announcement of the appointment of a Council ot Adult Education, is one of many means by which the State can assist citizens to enjoy to the full the added leisure time provided by the shortening of -working hours. The Council is composed of men and women highly qualified for their exacting task, and their work is likely to have lavreaching effects. The appointment of the Council is another indication of the Government’s interest in all sections of the community, and the work of .the new body will be followed with close attention in all parts of the Dominion.