EDUCATION SYSTEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26906, 19 October 1948, Page 6

EDUCATION SYSTEM

APPARENT LACK OF BALANCE IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION URGED Special to the Daily Times

OAMARU, Oct. 18. After considerable discussion at the conference of the South Island Chambers of Commerce held in Oamaru to-day, it was agreed that the Government be urged to initiate an expert and impartial investigation of the education system in New Zealand with the object of finding remedies for the present lack of balance between idealism and utilitarianism. Mr J. R. Dench, Christchurch, who introduced the subject, said business people were able to judge the efficiency of the educational system only by the product coming forward as youthful employees. This product was certainly lacking in such essentials as a sufficient grounding in the basic subjects and the attitude to work. Mr Dench continued: “It is freely admitted by educationists to-day that the trends are towards education for leisure and good citizenship, but can a worker be a good citizen if he is not a good worker? " Commerce could say it was not satisfied, but only experts were competent to suggest remedies to restore the balance between the utilitarian and the idealistic, Mr Dench said, and for this reason a competent, impartial and expert investigation should be made into the trends of education in New Zealand with a view to suggesting remedies for its faults. Mr V. C. Preen, Dunedin, said that when children entered commerce they had had a school grounding, and it was up to commerce to further their teaching. „ . .. Mr A. H. H. Pearce, Oamaru, said it was the duty of members to suggest to the schools the requirements of commerce as there was a tendency to-day to teach a little about a lot and for secondary schools to go outside their sphere. “It is the schools’ duty lo give the pupils a good grounding in the basic subjects and they should leave the teaching of other subjects to the universities and technical colleges,” he said. Mr A. B. Lane, Oamaru, said that il his opinion the inquiry would not help to Improve the system. “If the system is not as good as it should be, tnere are competent heads who will find an improvement, Mr Lane said. *• We have had two recent examples of Royal Commissions, but where have they got? ” On being put to the conference, the motion was carried by 10 votes to 8.