EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27580, 23 December 1950, Page 9

EDUCATION

A Fortnightly Review i By Mentor The break-up ceremonies of the various schools have been duly held, and the usual spate of break-up addresses has been given by eminent citizens and by school headmasters and princigpls. A collection of the reports on these makes interesting reading, for they reveal a wide variety of educational aims and ideals. At St. Hilda’s, Dean James placed the emphasis on unselfishness; at King’s High School, Dr Angus Ross pleaded for a “ sense of responsibility at Columba, Miss A. L. Loudon advocated greater attention to the study of languages; at King Edward Technical College, the Director of Education stressed the value of an education system such as we have and the inestimable privileges such a system confers on the countries fortunate enough to have it; in Wellington, the principal of Wellington College spoke of the importance in education of self-discipline and mental discipline. No one could quarrel with any of these pronouncements. All are important in education, and it is surely of some significance that, with one exception, all deal not with the tool subjects of education, but with the wider aim of character training. This is as it should be, provided we do not forget that in the process of character building it is essential that we do not neglect those tools of learning, the fundamentals without which it is impossible adequately to build the super structure we so much desire. At this time, when teachers of all grades have a clear seven weeks away from their classes, -it would not be inappropriate if we spent some little time m quiet contemplation of our year’s work, and if we honestly analysed our aims, and our results. The year just passed has not been without its criticisms; crticisms that should be of value to all conscientious teachers. Perhaps a title self-analysis, at a reasonable distance from the year’s toil, may indicate weaknesses that in the coming year can be eliminated. In the anlysis of break-up speeches we at least see one clear fact —that eminent speakers do, as we do, place a great importance on the various aspects of character training, and that when faced with the task of making public pronouncements on an educational platform, it is to character that their thoughts turn.

The study of break-up speeches automatically turned “'Mentor’s" thoughts once more to the ultimate aims of modern education in the present uncertain world for which we must prepare future citizens, and we made a brief analysis of the post-war reconstruction programmes of at least half a dozen of the leading democracies of the world, to see if from their statements we could find some common ground, some criteria common to all, that would indicate the basic aims and objects of democratic education. Ultimately we found four points on which all seemed to agree. Summarised, they were:—

(a) The desire for education for international understanding and co-operation. (b) The belief-that as the individual is, so will be the State. (c) The demand for education in the democratic way of life. (d) The demand for equal opportunity for all, according to ability. It seems that it is within the framework of these requirements that any future schemes of education must be planned. The task is indeed a formidable one, and in our holiday analyses it will be necessary, if we are to be true to democratic beliefs, to examine our teaching methods and schemes, to cut ruthlessly anything that does not contribute towards those aims, and to add anything missing that might assist towards their fulfilment. Miss Loudon, in her farewell speech, trenchantly criticised the School Journal. There are times when many teachers would agree with her. Probably the outstanding example of such agreement was shown regarding the inclusion of “ Our Street.” But in fairness to the editors, who have a difficult task, bound up with the difficulties of selecting and publishing a vast amount of literature each year, and the difficulties of handling the intricate copyright laws, we must suggest that there is much good in the School Journal. We doubt if any fair-minded person. even the deepest English scholar, provided he had a knowledge of the primarv school child and his limitations, would have anything but praise tor the 1950 poetry number of the School Journal. It must be remembered that the task of leading a young child towards an appreciation of English literature is a very delicate one; it is all too easy to do what was so often done in the past—to kill for all time, or at least for many years, the love of English literature that is the heritage of every New Zealand child, ft is possibly better to err on the side of triviality than to turn the child all time against literature by offering him too soon something beyond his comprehension. Retain nis desire for reading, and the beauties of real literature may be gradually introduced. While we might agree in part with Miss Loudon, we feel that on the whole the editorial staff are making a real effort to meet the requirements of the children of primary age. That they fail at times to please us all is surely human. We remember an occasion on which the editor, faced with just such I a charge in a meeting of senior l-mnrl-masters. asked 'hr T "ar-hr ■■ •

each grade of journal. He did -o w i “' one or other of his four choices, each of the other 19 headmasters pre-e..* violently disagreed. However, we do agree with Miss Loudon that at all times the standard should be as high as can consistently be mastered by the pupils of the various age groups.

Tale-piece Recently a very competent teacher announced that he was leaving the service and going into business. It was suggested to him that the NZEI was fighting for a new and improved salary scale. His reply was significant: “I have not time to wait for the new scales My family is increasing now.”

To all teachers, and to all readers, including all on whose corns he has ii-t.r-v ••rtently trod during the year. ■•••" i -!.os a merry Christmas