TEMPERANCE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3195, 9 June 1915, Page 3

TEMPERANCE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS.

WELLINGTON, May 25,

A deputation from the New Zealand Alliance and the W.C.T.U. waited on the Hon. J. Allen (Minister of Education) today, and urged that additional measures should be taken to instruct children regarding the evils arising- from the abuse of alcohol.

In reply, Mr Allen said the Education Department had done a great deal in the direction of pointing out to the children under its care the dangers following the abuse of alcohol. The deputation’s spokesmen had said that in some cases the charts now exhibited in the schools were not serving their purposes, because teachers weis not sympathetic. He did not think anything the department might do would 1 have much effect if the teachers were unsympathetic.

Mrs A. R. Atkinson said the teachers would be influenced, if they were to get teaching marks for the subject. If temperance teaching were made an examination subject teachers would become sympathetic. The Minister: “ I cannot say I appreciate the principle behind that suggestion. If a teacher is going to be judged simply by examination results I don t think h:s soul will be in his work.” Mr Allen added that the tendency of the department was to attach less impedance to examinations and to concentrate attention on the improvement of the children. The department was improving its syllabus from time to time, with the object of educating the children in good citizenship, and more would be clone in that direction as opportunity offered. If some teachers were not sympathetically inclined towards temperance teaching, that was a difficulty that would have to be overcome. The Minister said he would consult the Director of Education regarding the suggestion that temperance teaching should be included in the syllabus of the training college.