VALUE OF CINEMA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22949, 29 January 1938, Page 14 (Supplement)

VALUE OF CINEMA

SCHOOLS AND PRISONS EXPERIMENTS IN BRITAIN [from Oim OWN correspondent] LONDON, Jan. 4 Education authorities in Britain are giving increasing importance to the value of educational film programmes, with the result that more than 250,000 British schoolchildren now see their own specially prepared film shows every week. The answers to a questionnaire sent out by the British Film Institute show that many education authorities are now working in cooperation with cinema managers in the arrangement of the programmes. "The performances are given as part of the school curriculum in many cases," said an official of the institute, "tho programmes having been worked out by the teachers in conjunction with the cinema manager." Data collected show that "documentary" or general interest films are becoming very popular with the children, who absorb information of this type without realising they are learning. Simultaneously comes news that all prisons in Britain are to bo equipped with talking film apparatus for showing educational and entertainment films. This innovation has been sanctioned by the Prison Commissioners, who were greatly impressed by the success of experimental film shows given at Maidstone, Chelmsford and Wakefield prisons during Christmas. It is hoped to complete the task of equipping 28 other convict, local and preventive detention prisons during the coming year, and it is probable that the nine Borstal institutions will later be wired for films. For the present the cost of apparatus and installation is being borne by voluntary societies and private subscribers,' but it is understood that the Prison Commissioners are considering the possibility of an official grant. The Home Secretary will be asked in the House of Commons next session whether, in view of the acknowledged value of cultural and education films, he will authorise such a grant. It is believed that an educational policy in prisons saves prisoners from falling back into crime.