SCHOOL TRAINING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20988, 29 March 1930, Page 19

SCHOOL TRAINING.

ARCHDEACON G. MACMURRAY’S VIEWS. ADDRESS AT BELFAST. (From Odr Own Correspondent. 1 LONDON, February 13. Archdeacon G. MacMurfay, of Auckland, who is chairman of the Dilworth Ulster. Institute of New Zealand, attended w 6 .TO 1 P™e- ? iving ceremony at Dib worth School, Belfast. Archdeacon Mac Murray said he had made it his business to visit numerous schoois in view of the fact that the Dii''■“W School was shortly to extend its activities considerably. He had been impressed with the report of the Haddow Commission, which recommended that the so-called . secondary subjects should be taught after the age of.-11. The Labour Ooyermncnt had promised to give effect to the report, and he was gratified to find on his return that much contained in tha report had already been adonted by Mr headmaster of tfie school. -there has been a great advance in England in one direction,” Archdeacon Mac Murray said. Instead of the old system of trying to cram facts and figures into a boy s head there is now a very distinct move to give up' the old ways in t ] le sch 9 ols - them has been substituted a training of the mind to think not mechanically but originally. There is also greater training of character. \ boy in the best schools is taught that what lie is is far more important than what he owns or what he knows. I believe fat greater pains are being taken to develop the personal character of the boy as a fundamental thing in true education. I am glad that we have always aimed at this at the Dilworth School. True character can only be built up on true religion. TO THINK AND SPEAK CLEARLY, “I think that to train a boy to think clearly and definitely is one of the most important things in education, 4'ter teaching him to think clearly I think ’the next thing is to teach him to speak clearly, correctly and grammatically. If a boy is taught to think and speak correetly then I do not trouble myself very much whether he can repeat all the capes around England, or the mountain tops in the Himalayas. He should certainly hav» a reasonable conception of the geography of the world and a reasonable understanding of the history of the world in general, and his own country in particular. “We live under a democracy and tht whole government of our country is in tho bands of the people. Unless the people are trained to think and to act rightlv and wisely, then you may depend our democratic government will onlv lead it trouble. If we want to avoid these troubles we must see to it that our bovt and girls are taught the history of oiir nation and country in order to be able ty take an intelligent part in the life of thi community. *