THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1933. A NEW MOVE IN EDUCATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21918, 1 April 1933, Page 10

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1933. A NEW MOVE IN EDUCATION.

The London Times has recently given prominence to a movement instituted by some men of eminence. The object of the movement is to establish a central committee on educational research—that is, a committee, not so much for the purpose of conducting its own inquiries, but to serve as a central exchange or clearing-house, where all manner of educational Investigators may be brought into contact, may have facilities put at their disposal for learning what is being done in their several fields, and so overlapping may be avoided. The advantages of this system are obvious —foy the central committee would not only pool all the data available, sift, and co-ordinate conclusions, but would also devise new methods and suggest new fields of research for all kinds of investigators. It is a striking coincidence that at this very time news is published in New Zealand that a committee of three has been set up by the Carnegie Corporation to inquire into the need for an Education Research Council in New Zealand and to report upon the possibility of establishing such. The three gentlemen appointed are Professor Hunter, of Wellington, Mr F. Milner, of Waitaki Boys’ High School, and Mr D. Rae, of the Auckland Training College. We understand that if the educational experts of this country give enthusiastic support to the proposal, the Carnegie Corporation will be prepared to consider it further. Failing this support, the Corporation will not proceed further. The New Zealand Education Council, if established, will, no doubt, be on the same general basis as the Australian Council set up in 1929. It can hardly be doubted that those concerned with education will not let this opportunity slip. First of. all, it will entail no cost to the Government, nor to any institution in this country. Again, there is no doubt that co-ordination of activities is a marked desideratum in New Zealand. There is known to be a good deal of overlapping—this is inevitable when research workers are ignorant of what is being done by their colleagues in other centres. Also, when valuable work is done there is in this country no permanent fund available either to assist in the work, to pay towards the support of the investigators who may have to devote their whole time to a non-paying undertaking, or finally to finance publication of the methods and results. It can hardly be expected that the amount devoted to this country will equal that given to Australia, which is to receive £50,000 in ten equal instalments of £SOOO each, and in addition a further sum of £12,500 for administrative expenses to be paid in equal instalments over the first five years. But whether the scheme is here large or small will depend on the enthusiasm of those concerned indeed, without an assurance of enthusiastic co-operation it is unlikely that the Carnegie Corporation will proceed further. One thing does not appear to be clear in the money voted for Australia: Is it for ten years only? If so, what is to happen afterwards? No doubt the committee of three will co-opt others to consider these matteis and also to frame a tentative constitution. It may be remembered that when Dr Coffman, the Carnegie Professor, was in Dunedin about eighteen months ago he made inquiries as to the degree of co-ordination —or rather lack, of co-ordination —in research activities. The general public, so far as it manifests interest in this proposal, will hope that it may advance the cause of education in this country. The council in Australia is, at the wish of the Carnegie Corporation, independent of control by any University, State system of education, or political party. So far the money in Australia has enabled about a dozen different publications to be issued; it has also enabled accredited workers to go abroad for six or twelve months to extend their knowledge. No

doubt this application of a certain amount of money for travel would be put in practice here. The success of the council, if established, will depend on its first chairman and first executive officer. The latter, of course, will have to be a paid, full-time official. So far the information made public by the committee mentioned above is very meagre. No doubt they are waiting till, they have something definite to announce. When the council is established, as presumably it will be, it should be able from time to time to make authoritative pronouncements on some unsolved problems—e.g., Is the present school curriculum suitable for preseht needs? What is the cause of so much retardation in schools?—and many others. The satisfaction in the inauguration of a new institution will not be tainted with a fear of more taxation, nor with a fear of overlapping existing institutions. It is to be hoped that the proposal will soon become a reality.