MARRIAGE GUIDANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23057, 7 June 1938, Page 16

MARRIAGE GUIDANCE

ADVICE IN SCHOOLS SUGGESTION IN SYDNEY 0 [from OUII own correspondent] SYDNEy, May 27 "Marriage guidance should start in tho schools, and should not be left yntil young people are about to marry, or after they have been married," said Mrs. Linda Littlejohn, a prominent Sydney feminist, in commenting on tho decision of doctors, psychologists, clergymen, magistrates, and others in Londoii to form u "Council for Marriage Guidance." While such clinics or bureaux would do good work in Sydney, said Mrs. Littlejohn, their advice, in many instances, would come too late. Children in schools should be taught "community living," and the necessity for choosing a healthy mate. It was too late when young people were in love. A survey made by an international women's organisation of which she was a member showed that, in nine out of 10 cases of trouble in marriage, insobriety and lack of satisfactory monetary arrangements between husband and wife were to blame, Mr. G. F. K. Naylor, of the Institute of Industrial Psychology, said that bureaux of advice and classes of genoral instruction, conducted along sound psychological lines, for the married as well as for those about to marry, would prevent a lot of unhappiness. "In many cases of married people who have come to 11s with their problems we have fpund ' that tljere was very little at tho back bf'the misunderstanding," lie added. "Misunderstandings are not always caused by important things." The secretary of tho liacial Hygiene Association, Mrs. L. E. Goodisson, said tho association maintained botli marital and birth-control clinics, at which it gave advice to those about to marry as well as to the married. The London plan was an extension of she association'# Sydney scheme.