TEACHING TEMPERANCE IN SCHOOLS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13998, 3 September 1907, Page 5

TEACHING TEMPERANCE IN SCHOOLS

THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

INTERVIEWED.

{Fnou Our Own Cobhesposdzkt.)

WELLINGTON, September 2. A. deputation from' the Now Zealand Alliance, accompanied by several members of Parliament, waited' on the Minister of Education to-day in regard to the teaching of hygiono and temperanco in the primary schools of the colony. • Tho Rev. J. Dawson said they knew to some extent tho difficulty in the way of introducing a now subject into tho schools, but they pointed out that,- notwithstanding the growth of public sentiment on tho subject of temperance, the number of arrests - for drunkenness was steadily increasing. It was not a fad of the Aliianco to bo continually agitating, but it regarded temperance teaching as an abso'hito.;- necessity. In Great Britain tho medical profession had urged tho necessity. of (caching hygie.no and temperance,' and two French doctors, in .papers read at the Medical Conference, showed that Franco, was far ahead of Great Britain in "-that respect. Tho speaker gavo instances of the extent of the practice of giving temperance instruction in public schools in Canada and Great Britain, and the Government of\ England had expressed full sympathy with the project. In America such teaching was compulsory in all tho States, and in two it was a compulsory pass subject. Ho asked, whether tho Government \yould not only arrange for tho subjects to bo taught, but appoint specialists who -would undertake or supervise tho teaching, or subsidise tho' Alliance if it provided tho' teacher, 'and give him facilities for carrying out his i work. i ' ■ ' :

Tho Rov. Mr Williams said 'he'".understood that, as promised by the Minister at a previous deputation, some prominence had been given to this subjcot in . tho School Journal. Very much more, howevor, required to be done. Tho Government at' present was considering the needs of the child in many rays, and they believed 1 that tho teachings' of temperance would bo a very great factor in'that rospoct, ■ The Minister, in replying, said It was riot vory long sinco the Alliance had waited on him with a similar request. Thoy -iall know how much ho was'in sympathy 1 with tho request, but there wcro very considerable difficulties in tho way of doing all they asked. Ho was endeavouring to work up a definite scheme of teaching hygiene and temperanco by means of the School Journal. He had not Ihe slightest fear that whatever entered into the School Journal was getting into the hands of most of the children. Tho syllabus provided for definite teaching on the subject of health and tho subjects that aftccetd health, which included, of course, tho choice of clothing, food, and drinks. He found it

very difficult to so much further than that. Our system of education was, as they knew, peculiar to itPolf. It was a combination of local control and departmental-adminis-tration, with very strong emphasis on the local control. The carrying out of tho syllabus was in. the hands of the inspectors, who wero tho servant. l ! of the boards, the central department having absolutely no control over them. It was not very elear to him how much further it \ya6 pcssiblo

to go in the direction of laying down definite provision for further instruction. However, lie had asked the Inspoctor-genoral

during his visit to. Great

Britain and

Amcrica to 1 , find out everywhere what was being done and how it was dono. Ho had no doubt, that Mr Hoghcn would gain 6omo idoa.of how to do what, was required without unduly interfering with the free-

dom and scope of the. boards. He hoped as tho School Journal was developed to get moro end more information into tho hands of - the teachers, and thence to the children, as to the effect? of alcohol on the human system. He was doing his best

to carry out that design without effecting any radical innovation. A revision of tho syllabus would be made after Mr Hogbnn's return," mid ho promised that when ■that revision was made the particular portion to which they alluded would lie made more definite. That -was the furthest lie could go. Ho also promised to givo full consideration to tho other suggestions made by tho deputation.