EMPIRE EDUCATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 6 September 1924, Page 14

EMPIRE EDUCATION.

CONFERENCE IN' LONDON.

NEW ZEALAND WELL REPRESENTED

INTERCHANGE OF TEACHERS.

LONDON, July 19

The Duke of York opened the Triennial Imperial Education Conference, which was held under the auspices of the League of Empire at the University College, London. Among New Zealanders attending the sessions were Miss Mills (Palmerston .Njorfih), the Misses B. and M. Watt (Timaru), Miss A. Watt (Invercargill), Miss M. Andrews (Auckland), Captain J. R. Kirk, and Dr. J W. MTlraith. Sir James Allen was also present at some of the sessions.

In opening' the proceedings, the Duke or York said that he felt very diffident in addressing such a gathering, as it was really not so long ago that even one member of the profession which was so strongly represented at the-con-ference was able to fill him with awe — the utmost awe. “I am emboldened by the fact that to-day the old order is reversed, and I stand here to air my opinions, to which perforce you must listen. I can only hope that you will give them more careful attention than I did, on occasions, to the discourses of the learned gentleman who was responsible for my early education.” His Royal Highness then went on to speak niore seriously of the profession of teach, ing, and of the scheme for the interchange. of teachers. The president of the Board of Education (Mr. C. P. Trevalyan, M.P.), in welcoming the delegates on behalf of the Government, said that one thing that struck him most about- the teaching profession was the danger of stagnation owing t-o small interchangeability. _ The ■ best way of meeting this stagnation was by travel and change of of ‘scene. 'Knowledge of new worlds was far more likely than anything else to keep the mind more properly stimulated. Before the war there was a system of interchange of teachers between this country and i the Continent. A good many were interchanged with 'France,.because .it was a part of French national policy to send their teachers all over the world, as she believed it was worth learning the culture of other nations. That could not he done on a great scale by., this country, hut what could be done was to encourage the interchange of students and teachers in different parts of the Empire. His only fear was that teachers who went out would want to stay - but he hoped a spirit would- rise in England which would prevent such a- state of things. DR KENDALL’S' EMPIRE TOUR.

T.'he Duke of Devonshire also expressed welcome.- He said that the Exhibition at Wembley gave the people ;an idea of fvhat' the- Empire was. As to the number of “children visiting Wembley, they might be able to make some regulations for their admission. It was the policy of the directors, however, to give every possible encouragement bo every child to go there, as often as it possibly could. They trusted, too, that old and young would make great-er use of the waste-paper .baskets. Laughter.)

Dr ; iMoiitagu J. Rendall (head master of Winchester) mentioned that in connection with the Rhodes Trust he was about to visit the universities of the Empire. He honed that one of the chief _ functions would be to assist in the interchange of teachers with the schools of the Empire. The Marquis of Londonderry (Minister of Education for Northern Ireland) saw many advantages in interchange. By raising the teachers' salaries they hoped, to remove anxieties, and he thought they had made great strides in the direction of educating the rising generation.

Sir James Allen said that if the proposal before the'rii meant a diminution in the interchange of teachers he would i 110 thing to do with it. English children were appallingly ignorant of the Empire and the -dominions. If the Empire, was to stand together there must'he. early education in relation to it. He considered they would find diffi. culties in the way . of the interchange of professors, as those were much better paid, for their services in England than in the dominions. It might not be difficult to arrange- a scheme among lecturers. .

DEVELOPMENT OF INTERCHANGE

SCHEME

The question of the interchange of teachers naturally came up again for discussion under the heading “The possibility of the temporary migration of university professors and lecturers to and from universities overseas.” The Duchess of Atholl, M.R., said if there was one thing moi-e than another that would help to develop in the teacher what lie wished to convey to the children, it was the interchange of teachers between this country and the Dominions. She would like to see a scheme with that object in view developed and encouraged on the same basis of service in the colonies, ranking towards pension in this country and vice versa. It was an important point to which administrators might turn their attention in order to co-ordinate the schemes of training in all countries of the Empire, so that some interchange might he brought into operation. If they recognised the interchange of visits as a potent factor in training, it might be useful to have some scheme of that kind in regard to the masters of training would suggest that the colleges might be linked up with the universities, so that the work could be effectively carried out. P r - II M. Allen (deptuy education officer, L.C.C.') said the interchange scheme provided that overseas teachers should be In-ought into dose contact with the children of Great Britain, and the Homeland teachers with the overseas children, and it was likely to be one of the surest bonds of Empire. The interchange was for one year. He . onsidered it should not only extend to elementary school teachers, but also to secondary schools, the universities and possibly the technical colleges’ Ihe scheme had the advantage of helping to promote Empire goodwill. It was quite free from economic or political considerations. Mr. J. Clark (Director of Education, u lasgow) said the interchange system m Glasgow included teachers in the secondary as well as the elementary schools. It was essential that the scheme should include teachers of everv institution, from the primary school to the university. They, as teachers, must help to overcome the tragedy of the ••hild of 14 bv getting the children to think imperially, giving them a better tnoral and social equipment and proper - onsidei at ion of their feliowman. There >\ cie no better means of achieving that than bv the interchange of teachers throughout the Empire. Di. AlcTlraith thought teachers for interchange should have had at least 10 years’ teaching experience, and

should he selected not only by reason of their academic qualifications, hut as good speakers and propagandists. It was generally agreed that visiting educationists should not he tied too long to any one class, school, or district; that they should be persons of good academic standing, and with enough experience to- recognise the problems met with; that exchange should he made more attractive; there should be hostels in which visiting teachers could find accommodation and companionship. The visitors should also lie enabled to see the social, intellectual, and industrial life and the scenic and historic ‘spots.

Dr. Mcllraith, speaking privately on the conference, said that it .'was widely lepresentative of the Empire, teachers from Australia and Canada being present in strong force. Delegates were present from such remote places as the Gold Coast, Kenya., Trinidad, and the North-W est Provinces. The brown and the black races were also represented, both by men and women.

“There was an excellent opportunity for exchanging opinions, l ’ said Dr. Mcllraith, “especially when the conference was not sitting. The delegates were enthusiastic in their support of the interchange scheme, and strongly urged that no exchange teacher should suffer in computation of service, salary, or superannuation as a result- of such exchange. The delegates have received remarkable hospitality from various societies, hut. especially from the League of Empire.”