SCHOOLS & AVAR

Hokitika Guardian, 14 August 1937, Page 6

SCHOOLS & AVAR

AN INTERVIEW.

FAMOUS HEADMASTER’S : OPINIONS. .

SYDNEY, August 3

A special interview with Dr • <'Cyril' Norwood, former, headmaster of Mark: borough and Harrow,'and present president of St. John’s College, Oxford, who is visiting Australia for the 'Neb') Education Fellowship Conference.' There will be no war. in Europe. No one wauls it; no one is prepared for it. Eventually a unity will be achieved by the more general and more enlightened education at present being planned lot the British people . . . From an-armchair in the library at Bisliopscouiit last night Dr Cyril Norwood delivered his optimistic dictum on the future of Europe. 3

“AVliat about the. standardised education and the drilled pupils of Dictatorship States? Aren’t they also striving to create a great national and political consciousness?” he was asked.

'“That is ; hardly what I should call education. Jt is more like propaganda. Pupils are taught to think as.the State thinks, read what the state thinks fit, and act as the State dictates. A free, ■liberal education makes for a free, I.floral people., . •■“England,” he; said, “will have to bo better educated. You know, of course,! that .the whole problem of the. world to-day is the fight between two forms of Government—the use of the individual tor the State and the use of the State for the individual. By. education for citizenship we intend to consolidate our democracy and build up a unanimity of thought and feeling between all classes of people . ■ “For one thing, we shall raise the .school: age. It has now been risen to 15. AVithin a few years it will rise to 16, and before 10 or 15 years are past it will go up to 18. “The basis of each child’s education will be: Physical fitness, training of hand, -.eye, and ear (whi<;li yog could ■describe as education for leisure), book education intended to make Them think, read, and speak well, history and geography of modern Europe, substantial but simple polities, and' mathematics and science from a wider point of view than that of the University,,/. '! “All schools will have a double purpose. The bulk of students will be leaving school when they are 15 to 16 years old. These children will- leave itiibued with ideas and ideals of citizenship and the intelligence to think and-act for themselves and to understand the other fellow’s point of view. “The more brilliant pupils Will bo prepared for matriculation - and the 1 University. Our main object is 'to'do away with the old idea that' education is conducted < pufely" J fbr ‘piirposbs m sf matriculation, and that schools' and institutions which answer questions no one ever asked. We don’t want mechanical or standardised stiidehts;' we want intelligence and the foundations of good citizenship.” ’ “How are you going to, overcome the present class prejudice caused by the exclusiveness of the. Great .Public Schools and the Old School Tie spirit?” he. was asked.

“AA r e shall overcome -iWby ignoring it,” lie replied. “That exclusiveness is steadily breaking down,, because all Public'Schools, including, those under State aid, are generally absorbing the ideas and . ideals of the. ..schools you mentioned. The question will not arise; the education given at the State aid land less expensive schools will be as good as that received anywhere else.” “Do you think that the principles you have outlined and the cultivation of greater political and social consciousness "could he applied with equal value to Australia?”

“I certainly do. I hear you have a ; fairly high standard of living, ana 'your only chance of maintaining it is ■to have a fairly well educated and intelligent community which will know jto guard it. You want more population, of course. But your problems :are the same as those of England and the other Dominions. You must be well ‘armed and well educated.” “You definitely think that war in ‘Europe can be avoided by greater enlightenment of the people?” Dr Norwood leant back in the armIchair and reflected for a moment. “Yes, I do,” he replied: “’“‘War is ruin to both sides. The education we are giving simply doesn’t fit war. “In England they refer to the race between '.education and catastrophe. J think education will win, and that education is the whole solution to the problem. We intend to produce intelligent citizens, gifted, as far as possible, with the qualities of scholarship, humanism', and intellectual detachment. In that way, I think we can achieve the essential object of an enlightened, unified, and contented people.”