AWAY WITH THESE HUMAN MOTOR-CARS!

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 249, 22 October 1935, Page 5

AWAY WITH THESE HUMAN MOTOR-CARS!

A New Education Must Now

Replace the Old

VISITOR’S PLEA ON SCHOLARS’ BEHALF

A powerful and effective erusado against mass education—the production of “human motor-cars”—was made when, after an absence of many years from Palmerston North, Mr YVm. Gray, of Melbourne, returned to preach the ideals ho had formed as head of the Palmerston North Boys’ High School to tho Rotary Ciub yesterday. After recalling a succession of people who were connected with education in Palmerston North and district in the past, the speaker stated that education in almost all countries was an affair of tho State; in New Zealand that position applied. Education was a matter of prime importance and that was realised more and more over the last 70 years, and all’ over the world, from United States of America (where even school books were provided free) to this country, whore it was possible to obtain a university education. That was the insurance of Democracy against Fascism and dictatorships. Every man must be educated, and this resolved itself into standardisation and mass production methods versus individual freedom, The aim apparently was to produce standardised men. In tho beginning the educational syllabus had been quite a simple affair, but it gradually became more complex and now a very rich curriculum was offered the rising generation with the stamp of uniformity. This applied equally in all countries where the control of education could best bo described as more or less bureaucratic. Ho himself had been given a free hand, and now only after 30 years was the development of these ideas taking place. This syllabus now' had reached the stago where it had no particular referonco to individuals.

Scrap the Old In Mr Gray’s judgment all this had to be got rid of and the move for freedom carefully backed up. He could look back to tho time when a teacher’s work and position were determined by results, but now a freer system of inspection had come. Then in the early stages, the influence of examination results had been a bad feature. “But tho whole thing must go. Everyone must not bo the same. We don’t want human motor-cars,” he added. New Zealand had been in the forefront of standardisation and against that one must put tho idea of the individual. The urgent need was for self-realisation. It was this development that urged one to go into philosophy, science and religion. And self-realisation must be the watchword. Recently there had been opened up a whole realm of new knowledge which had come into existence within the last 20 years. It was no myth because such words as relativity and psychology might defy pronunciation and be too big to grasp. YVith the aid of this new knowledge, the teaching profession had effected many cures. By the use of psychology, for example, complexes had been removed. Past treatment had been the same for everyone but where troublo had arisen was that the instincts of, all were not similar, nor were their aptitudes, and thus the system broke down.

The Future Outlined The disciples of the new order— Froebel, who had been confined to kindergartens, and Montessori —w-ere not followed enough, but the effects of their work would be felt later. The principle of self-activity, as opposed to submission and passivity, through selfexpression, was the goal, and at present this w-as not possible in a secondary school such as Palmerston North Boys’ High School. Tho schools must be converted into a new kind of institution and made real, with a community ideal and communal life—everyone working according to their ability. Life had to be bigger and wider. Expression must be given greater play in the essay and deskwork and such things as artwork take their true position. Sanderson had achieved wonders in his school in England. Tho idea was to discover what a child’s inclinations were, so that individual preferences coui’d be encouraged. When working under a syllabus the teacher was expected to be a jaclc-of-all-trades. Men of 50 were having to master a new subject just because au inspector wanted it taught. Bather should the teacher practise psychology and be freed from the influence of outside examinations and inspections. It was a wonderful profession and the speaker said he glowed with warmth as he thrilled to possibilities of education along tho lines of freedom. Ho visualised a secondary school headmaster in a "posi-

tion to recommend the sending of boys on for the study of higher subjects for which they wore fitted. Boys should leave school with a steady and adaptable mind to go foi’ward with ideals they had gained. He shuddered to think of children being forced to do things when there was something better coming. YVhat did they see now when boys left school? queried Mr Gray. Books were thrown away, and because the individual was not taught to function ho became unemployable.

For the future the audience was invited to conceive, when the children 'had been practically allowed to choose their own occupations, a citizenship tho strength of which had never been dreamt of. The whole thing was to orient education away from uniformity. Advocacy of revolutionary tendencies was frankly admitted; but extenuation was claimed in justification of the promised fruits in, say, 50 years.