A FORWARD MOVE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 197, 21 July 1937, Page 8

A FORWARD MOVE.

GOVERNMENT WILLING,

EDUCATIONAL IDEALS,

Ter Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 20.

“As far as the Government is concerned, and as far as the Minister and the department are concerned, we are prepared to move forward if we get the support of the educationists of the country, of teachers’ bodies, and, above all, of the people,” said the acting-Prime Minister and Minister of Education (Hon. P. Fraser) in the conclusion of his address at the civic and State welcome to the delegates to the New Education Fellowship Conference at Wellington to-night. Mr Fraser said that the visit of the conference delegates had had something of a Pentecostal fervour. -'They had spoken with tongues which appealed to the minds, intellects and hearts of their hearers There were problems which had been engaging the attention of educationists in New Zealand, such as: How far had system shackled our education P AVhat use could we make of the freedom the primary schools had obtained through the elimination of the proficiency examination? Was there any need to keep the matriculation examination or was it cramping in its effects upon our system? There was also the grading question. Did our teachers feel it better than the semi-patronage that went before ? Was the profession prepared to step out and get something better? Other questions were those of consolidated intermediate schools, of the introduction of secondary education for all.

“At the present time there is a unique opportunity. I personally want to leel that during the period I am Minister of Education a real advance is being made,” Mr Fraser continued. “I applaud our visitors for their modesty ; they have not come here to teach us. but to tell us what they, are doing in their own countries.”

“We came expecting big tilings; you have given us tremendous things,” replied Dr, William Boyd, head of the Department of Education in the University of Glasgow. “We are not here as apostles of a new doctrine. This new education is a very old truth. Your problems are our problems. We want to come in and join with you in thinking through the problems which are yours now. which arc ours at home, and all over tlie world. It is a good augury that all of us l'eel very much at home among you. '.