DISTINGUISHED EDUCATIONIST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19254, 19 August 1924, Page 8

DISTINGUISHED EDUCATIONIST.

ARRIVAL OF PROFESSOR ADAMS. IMPRESSIONS* OF AUSTRALIA. ’ THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION. (Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 18. Professor John Adams, who was welcorned hero to-day, gave his impressions of Australia, .‘rom waioh country ho has Dome on a visit to New Zealand. )( ‘‘My first impression ot Australia, ho grid, “was tlie cheerfulness of the people, probably owing to the extra sunshine they have there. Tiieir are> certainly more oheertui than most of the faces that one has been accustomed to seo in .London. Everything appears to be exactly as 1 had expected. I had read so much o. ’ Australia and have seen so many pictures of its people and country, and i hnu everything exactly as 1 tnought it would he. In other words, the country and people came up to my expectations. 1 found an intense interest in education, and rather advanced ideas on the subject. Mv audiences were vory big and most at- ' tentive. 1 gave two addresses to the memhora of the Workers’ Educational AssouaT tion, and found them an exceedingly critical but very intelligent people. , “I rather think,” continued Professor Adams, ‘that both in Australia and New Zealand a little too much attention is paid to examination. In England wo were in the same state a little while ago. . Now we are doing less in exunnnataons and more in inspections, and probably that change 1 W PrMessor Adams said Wellington was ’ exactly what ho thought it would ne. It felt to him very like coming home. oy ney and Auckland were very similar in .that respect, but Australia was a little large to feel quite like Homo. . „ In a young country, said Professor Adams, those who experimented were at an advantage. For the older countries an unsuccessful experiment brought about disastrous results. New Zealand had changed her mind many times, and doing so had helped the Old wountry a very Krea t deal. Perhaps there was a rather too hard and fast feeling m regard to to getting on in life, unless one had a very good education he would not make much money, but plainly hewZ» • land had so much respect for education that its people were willing to make very great sacrifices for it Tbo saence of education, as Professor Brown had said, was really only just commencing. Educationists were now feeling their way carefully and vary sensibly towards an education of intellectual, political, and social value, but the movement was, to his mind, a iWcaaoa- Adams said he wished to thank the citizens for their welcome, and of education ho would apeak again. At a Y.M.C.A. luncheon, Professor Adams gave a brief address on The Eng-lish-speaking Union.” The English-speak-ing union, he said, was more popular in America than appeared to bo the Cil - S0 Australia and New Zealand, where the people wore not nearly so enthusiastic about it. People in America appreciated more than we did the sign of the language ■ question. The fact that America spoke the same language as we did was of worldwide importance. Ho could understand the American language, but could not speak it. —(Laughter.) The American people realised that language was so fundamental to their Constitution that they ' 6 mined to keep it up. Ho hoped that the English-speaking union was going to be more popular in Now Zealand and Australia, as it was going to be of fundamental importance. An Engbsh writer had stated that the English language waa ■ 'radically different from the American lan- ■ guage, out ho had gone carol ully mto the Lestien and could find no groat difference. ■ As to giving any advice regarding the educational system in Now .^ealancll, he would prefer to wait until he had been longer in the dominion. 1 (Pbb United Panes Association.! WELLINGTON. August 18. Professor John Adams has come to New Zealand at the invitation of the Education Department, university professors and the Teachers’ Association, and will Jeliver a series of lectures at the four mam Lntres On his arrival from Sydney today ho was welcomed by Dr Marsden ‘(Assistant Director of Education) ami Processor Tennant (Victoria College). He was ■ given a civic reception.