CIVIC APPRECIATION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 139, 14 May 1941, Page 7

CIVIC APPRECIATION

TIDINESS AND BEAUTY. COMMENTS BY A MINISTER. The value, as a part of civic responsibility, of the appreciation of tidiness and beauty from the public viewpoint was commented on, yesterday, by the Minister of Education (Ho.n. H. G. R. Mason) when addressing the refresher course for primary school teachers being held at tlie Central School• this week. The Minister urged that, while he was not wishful of overloading teachers, they should give some attention to the development of this sense of responsibility in the children.

AVhen introducing the subject the Minister said he had been struck with the appalling mess about a city on a Sunday morning—-tins, papers, and other waste being scattered here and there. He put it to the teachers that they had some responsibility in regard to this untidiness, and some, at least, toward the making of the civic spirit of the community. Now. we needed somebody to keep the streets in order for us and he felt, firmly, that there was a lack of civic spirit. The reply might be: “AVhat about the elections?” but lie was not speaking of political argument or our fondness for it. The subject could be thought of as a matter of education and each child should be taught to keep the school and its grounds tidy. There was educational value in teaching a child to be tidy, the Minister averred, for the child should be taught not to be content with slovenly surroundings. It should he taught to l>c content with nothing less than perfection. It might he that the trouble did not lie with the schools, but it was to the teacher that one looked lor all things where the human ele ment was concerned. Individual teachers could be of help. The love ot gardens could be engendered in the minds of the children while they were at school. It was disappointing to find that we required paid men to keep school gardens ill order. AYitli a love of gardens and of gardening there would not be instances of vandalism which occurred from time to time-

If the child were taught to keep file towns and the country beautiful we would have a more beautiful country as a whole, the Minister proceeded Now we had hideous signs trying to shout eaeli other down, and violent paints each trying to push the other out of place. There was. indeed, much to be gained in the direction ol order and congruity. There was beauty and order, certainly, but this was rather to he found in spots/than as a whole. Without suggesting that everything should he put on the shoulders of the school teacher, the greatest hopes of the community were placed on them and there was. therefore, much scope for the teaching of civics in this regard.