BROADCASTING IN SCHOOLS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 74, 9 March 1933, Page 11

BROADCASTING IN SCHOOLS

THREE YEARS’ EXPERIENCE. The experience of the past three years in school broadcasting in England is summed up in a pamphlet issued by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The period has been an experimental one, but the progress made is greater than seemed likely when the Central Council, an independent body which has charge of this branch of the 8.8.C.’s work, launched its first tentative schemes. The register of schools taking tho wireless talks totals 4000.

More than a thousand talks have been broadcast in the three years on subjects grouped under the general heads of history, geography, science, English, modern languages, and music. Of the 32 speakers employed seven were schoolteachers, two training college lecturers, seven university lecturers, and 16 specialists from outside educational circles. Interesting details of the methods used in the training of those broadcasters are given. All arc required to set apart time for the acquiring of a microphone technique suited to their personality and subject. Arrangements arc made for speakers to listen to the reception of the talks of others in a school, and sometimes a talk is broadcast from a record so that a speaker may be present incognito in a classroom and observe the effect of his delivery on the pupils. Week by week a speaker receives from official visitors to schools and teachers reports on his talk, its presentation and delivers

It is necessary, of course, that the talks should be related to the ordinary school instruction. This problem of liaison is one for the teachers, who are gradually creating a special classroom technique for the purpose. As the use of wireless in schools develops it is possible that some such technique will be required as part of the normal equipment for teaching. Training colleges, wc are told, have begun to investigate this aspect of tho broadcast lesson.

The provision of sets remains a problem. Some teachers use their own. others are fortunate enough to work for an authority which sees the growing value of wireless teaching and provides sets. Upkeep and the proper handling of sets so as to get the good reception which is essential arc other aspects of this problem.