THROUGH A WOMAN’S EYES

Grey River Argus, 30 November 1944, Page 8

THROUGH A WOMAN’S EYES

-- (By Katrina) “Accent on youth” is one of the stock phrases of the day and it covers a wide scope of subjects ranging from advertisements- for foundation garments to the more serious fields of thought in the world political. It is all very well to _ put the responsibility of leadership ■on the young people of to-day. That is, most certainly, where it should be placed, but I should like to point out that the education of the average individual to-day unfits him even to cope with the problems with which we are now confronted. Of what, after all, does our present educational system consist? Nine years of primary school training plus two or three post primary is all that most acquire; many not that. This would not be so bad if what we did learn in this time prepared us to take our places as useful and intelligent citizens. Take for example our history lessons in the primary school. These consist of details of battles lost and won, of the decline and fall of conflicting dynasties with little more than a passing mention of the people who by their labour, their sweat, tears and blood brought about these changes. “Not the great nor well-bespoke, But the mere uncounted folk Of whose life and death is none Report or lamentation.” Until our past history is brought into closer relationship with that of the present day, we can never hope to acquire a concise picture of events. It is imperative that we should be taught the significance of those revolutions and counter-revolutions of bygone years; how they have affected the political and economic destinies of the nations and what bearing similar revolts will have on our own national conditions. This is but one of the many disparities of education today. “Youth must be served” is another meaningless cliche, but what facilities are provided for the service of youth? Are the young people encouraged to co-operate and cominffie with their fellows? No indeed. The dance hall and the picture show are all that life has to offer them in the way of entertainment and recreation; and on holidays when the only, place of entertainment open to them is the cyrema it is customary to see numbers of them wandering aimlessly about the streets. There is no meeting place where they can foregather or exchange ideas with those of their own age and tastes; they are not encouraged to think for themselves and most of their ideas of life are drawn from the over-dramatised versions of the films or the equally sensational stories of the cheap magazines. Here is tragedy in our midst and we are willing it seems to let it con- ; tinue. Too often do present day critics deplore the instability and immorality of present day youth without seeking out the basic causes of it. Personally, I don’t believe that present day youth is any more unstable or | immoral than our predessors, the i critics of to-day. Let those same , critics provide the necessary facilities for training all sections of qur youth, immoral and unstable ones included, before venturing to condemn them. The reclamation of order from chaos lies in the young people’s hands —teach them to prove their worth.