EDUCATION BY WIRELESS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 15 December 1927, Page 4

EDUCATION BY WIRELESS.

DEP A RTMEXTA L EXPERIMENT. - TRIAL AT ELTHAM SCHOOL. In common with other sehoo-s throughout the Dominion, the Eltliam State school on Tuesday last participated in the experimental use of wireless as a disseminator of educational matter. The innovation was inaugurated by the Department of Education. The pupils assembled on the lawn, where a receiving set had been installed by Mr. J. D. McKay. Atmospheric disturbance being practically at a minimum, the reception of a special programme broadcast from 2 Y'A (Wellington) was, in the opinion of the headmaster (Mr. E. Baryj very good on the whole, though slightly marred by an occasional outburst of static. The programme, as explained by Mr. T. B. Strong, Director of Education, was not of a purely educational nature; it was a test of the erticaey of wireless as a medium of instruction to primary pupils. It is intended that later programmes will be framed on the lines of ordinary school lessons.

Included in the reception were a song by the Wellington Girls’ College choir; a. talk on literature by the chief inspector of primary schools (Mr. W. W. Bird); a dissertation on “Rhythm’’ (illustrated by well-known and simple melodies), delivered by the director of school music; and the National Anthem, in which the school children heartily joined Mr. 13 ary considered that the weakest feature of the innovation lay in the length of some of the addresses and the absence of a visible personality t-o absorb the attention of his hearers as would a lecturer or teacher standing before the class. He suggested, the adoption of short, simple addresses, delivered at a reasonable .speed, in future trials—long talks would, he thought, have the effect of creating a sense of weariness and consequent lack of attention and interest.