NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15238, 27 February 1913, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

MACHINE: POLITICS.

A young member of the House of Commons, who has not revealed, his identity, has contributed an interesting article to, the Daily Mail, which gives an inside view of how little liberty or personal initiative is allowed to the. average member of Parliament in these days of the political machine. The average member gets little opportunity to speak on any of the Bills that come before the House. Ho is not encouraged by the Whips to speak. They arrange the debate, and bring all the big guns of the party to bear, in order to create as much noise as possible and impress the supporters of the party ,in the country. There are 670 members" in the House, and as the closure is constantly brought to bear in order to hasten the passage of every important measure, only afew of • the members can expect to obtain an opportunity io address the House. Those members who belong to the Ministerial ranks are worse oft' than the members of the Opposition, for it is constantly impressed upon them that the way to express their loyalty, to the party is to say nothing and to vote as they are told, He declares that the practice of interjecting is growing rapidly in the House, because the only way by which the average member can express his views is by interjections.

A FORWARD STEP IN EDUCATION.

Viscount Haldane's. statement, made last month, on the intentions of the British Government" in regard to education has aroused much interest in England. He said the state of education in England, elementary, secondary, and higher, was chaotic, and his colleagues and he felt that the time had como when a step forward mvist be taken, and on no email scale. In their work for education they intended to try to make education an interesting subject. In Scotland there was a university to one and a-half million of the population; in England a university to three and a-half millions. Soma remedy for this must surely be found. A national system of education must be not merely elementary, secondary, or university, but it must be one entire whole, and it must start from this: that the child must to made St to receive the education. A great step forward in that direction had already been made. " Then they must remember that though they were making provision by which children might have chances of becoming university students, the bulk of them would not get beyond the elementary school, and full provision must be made for them to do the best they could within their limits. They must do something substantial'-in the way of making the teaching' profession more popular. As for the religious question, he found that wherever there was keen interest in education there a solution was found for the religious question. He was not speak- ! ing in the air on this question. They had I been busy with the experts for some time, 1 and he would not have ventured to speak as he had done if they had not seen pretty clearly the path along which they were going. When they came to work out these things comprehensively it was marvellous how dijfhculties disappeared." The Daily News suggests that Lord Haldane's scheme involves the following reforms :—Education in primary schools to cover a longer period of years, beginning earlier and continuing later. Curriculum to be broadened, particularly in the direction of increased manual and technical instruction- Extension . of medical treatment and (where necessary) of school meals. Leaving age to bo raised, and half-time system under 14 jo be abolished. Room to be found in secondary schools (if necessary by an increase of number of free places) for every primary school, child whose capacity justifies and circumstances permit the continuance of his school education. Universities on. the lines of Liverpool,' Loads, ate., to bo iasr eased in

number, with the special object- of serving local needs over an area of several counties. Scholarships or other subsidies sufficient to open door of university to. every boy or girl reaching the required standard. Salary of the President of the Board of Education to be raised from £2000 to £5000. Number and status of teachers both in primary and secondary schools to be raised. Increased cost to be met out of taxation, not cut of local rates.