SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S PROTEST

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10718, 12 October 1920, Page 6

SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S PROTEST

GH.DjDREN and picture shows "danger of-becoming ameriCANISED." At the meeting of the Wellington Bcbools Committees' Association last nigjht, a protest was received from the South Wellington Committee' against the action of the Lower Board authorising the headmaster to Ifcako the children to a picture-show without the sanction of the committee. The chairman (Mr A. G. Wallace) said that some echoola already had sma4l cinematographs of their own, and he thought that either air schools should be provided with them, or that the board should have a machine and an should be employed to go round to exhibit and explain suitable films at echoola. It was objected by several speakers that the tram-fares and charges for admission constituted an undue tax on parents with large families, and it was suggested that the charge made should never be more than 6d a head. The secretary (Mr White) stated that a memorandum from the Minister for Education laid it down . that the teachers should confer with the chairman of the school committee before taking the children to picture shows, etc. A member of the committee stated that many of the pictures are pre pared in America, and no doubt were exc(ellen/t American propaganda, Jut they had no patriotic or educational value. It wa« a pity if young New Zealand was to become-" Americanised through, picture shows. He thought that the department should provide a plant to show suitable films in the schools. The matter was left in the hands of the executive.