EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26227, 10 August 1946, Page 4

EDUCATION

FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW By Mentor “ I’m sick of teaching,” said Dumbell, as we wended our way towards the nearest milk-bar. “ What’s the trouble! ” I asked, “ parents, or the Head?”— “ Both,” said Dumbell despondently as he took a. aeep and comforting draught. “ I whacked a nipper to-day, and the old dame came along and complained. The Head had me on the mat, later, and tore a strip off me.” 1 Dumbell, as has,been stated before, is a good average worker, and usually 'even-tempered. Inquiry elicited the facts. The lad in question was rather a nuisance at any time, the day was wet, the arithmetic lesson had not gone well and this lad had been more than usually trying and inattentive. Finally Dumbell had lost his temper rather badly and so put himself in the wrong, Mentor felt sorry for Dumbell. Only the night before he had lost his own temper with one of his own offspring and done something in the way of punishment he had later regretted. Dumbell’s school is an old one, and shabby—on a wet day his room is a dungeon. With 48 pupils in it, it is badly overcrowded. Dumbell is human—the sordid environment, the overcrowded classroom, the wet day, the accumulation of inattentiveness —all these had proved too much for his temper. One wondered, on reflection, how many losses of temper by the Dumbell’s of this profession of ours are due to such circumstances, and whether the day will come when all schools are bright, cheery places with reasonably sized classes. Progress has been made in recent years, but progress is slow, and the Dumbell’s remain—frail humans who lose their tempers occasionally, even as you. and I.

Criticism is never welcomed: frequently it is misunderstood: almost invariably it is resented. Overseas educational magazines indicate that in overseas countries, as in New Zealand, educational reform is becoming an ever more live issue, and that teacher organisations are becoming more active and more aggressive in their campaigning tactics. At the annual meeting of the National Union of Teachers in England recently, the president in his address castigated the Education Department, and was followed even more strongly by others, often acknowledged labour supporters. The Minister of Education did not come off scatheless in reply. To-day similar situations are arising in New Zealand. Mentor would assert, and he believes that all teachers would agree, that the present Government has a record of educational progress and development that it can be proud of. The war has upset its programme. That is not the Government’s fault, nor can it be blamed for delays caused by war. One thing, however, has become apparent—or so it seems to teachers—and that is that in this year of grace, 1946, those who make the most noise,, and exert most pressure, get the quickest results. Teachers have never favoured direct action—let it be hoped they never will—but it is hard to ignore that when Taita parents “struck” they were promised, not just the lavatory they asked for, but a complete new school. It becomes increasingly difficult, in face of such incidents, not confined alone to educational fields, to convince organisations that quiet co-operation and consultation pays the quickest dividends. Educationists believe that the future of this country is wrapped up with the future of education. Their criticisms and their impatience are all part of their enthusiastic desire to get on with the job. They would welcome a first class debate on the floor of the house on education.

Mr Semple has disclosed his longterm "plan” for post-war development in Otago. To-day the world seems to be full of five year and ten year plans. One begins to wonder when a plan of post-war development will appear for Education. The N.Z.E.1., has produced its “Educational Reconstruction," and the Department -of Education has published its “Education, To-day and To-morrow.” Both are excellent policy statements, and both express similar aims and ideals. The teachers can suggest policy, and the Department can endorse that policy—but progress will not be made until we have a practical, workable plan, with priorities. Building operations have come during war years to a standstill. With shortages as they are, it must be the Department that plans, systematically for the future. Once a plan has been evolved, it will be for the Education Boards to carry it out, systematically and progressively, and it will be for the parents to see that there is no undue delay and waste of time through lack of coordinated effort. Only by complete co-operation will progress be made: Education has too long been a Cinderella. Plans may exist—Mentor would not know—but if they do? why could not the example of the Minister of Works be followed, and these plans be divulged to the public.

Twenty years ago this week (on August 6, 1926) at the old Warner Theatre in New York, Warner Bros., presented the first commercially successful public exhibition of talking films in conjunction with Western Electric. How we were thrilled by those pictures, even if sound and lip movement did not always co-incide, and even if occasionally the whole outfit went haywire. To-day we accept the “talkie” as natural, and become almost critical if our film is not in technicolour. Such is progress. Blit we hardly anticipated the results, or at least some of them, of the innovation. We did not, for example, anticipate the influence the advent of the talkie would have on the vocabulary of the younger generation—the enrichment of our language by such expressions as “ Sez you!” “ Oh Yeah, and dozens of others. To-day the youth of New Zealand, out of school, used not its mother tongue laboriously taught by long-suffering teachers but the language of the American film The film has become the rival of the dominie in the teaching of language, and sad to say, the film all too often proves the winner. Twenty years ago, educationists spoke glibly and hopefully of the wonderful vistas opened up by the talking

film as a new educative medium. Today we cannot deny the value of the film as an educative medium —but an educative medium for what? All too often the films seen exhibit to young minds characters depraved and erotic, life that is unreal, and emotional reaction that is undesirable. For children who are allowed to see such films, there can be only one of two results, perhaps both:— An unwholesome emotional reaction, or an incitement to imitation. There have been, it must be admitted, many. efforts made to provide educational films, some more, some less, successful, but the progress in this direction has lagged far behind the progress in the development of films for entertainment value only.

In “Education, To-day and Tomorrow ” the Hon., the Minister says, “A National Film Library has been started which gives to the schools (as well as to other organisations) a free and growing service of films, both sound and silent.” Mentor would be the last to detract from the work the Department of Education is doing in this direction, and would commend also the excellent film strips it has produced, but it must be remembered that films and film strips are useless without movie cameras, film strip projectors, and suitable rooms that can be readily darkened and that can accomodate a large number of pupils. It has to be rembered that the average child of to-day is an expert critic—both as, regards interest, and as regards technical perfection in the showing. If he is not to be bored stiff the films must be technically good,; well shown, and full of a real interest. Educational topics do not readily lend themselves to such exciting, interest-stirring treatment, as do the activities of the “ Deadend Kids." Herein lies the greatest problem.of the makers of educational films, and in providing the machines and the projection rooms, lies the problem of the Supervisor of Teaching Aids and , the Department

What Educationists Are Saying “To think aloud” in well-chosen, clearly-enunciated English is no easy matter for one who has failed to acquire the art during school or college days: therefore the objective in the classroom should be to enable the pupil, to speak without embarrassment or self-conciousness in any company in which he finds himself.—Report of Primary Syllabus Revision Committee on Oral Expression. Tale-piece Headmaster: (giving a temperance lesson to the class). Suppose I had a donkey in this room and I put in front of him a pail of water and a pail of beer. Which would he drink? Billy: The water, sir. Headmaster: And why would. he drink the water? Billy: Because he is a. donkey, sir.