EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3877, 3 July 1928, Page 24

EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP.

CONFERENCE IN CANADA. ■NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTATION URGED. Representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, the Manufacturers’ Association, and various educational institutions to the number of about 50 assembled in the Somerset Lounge, Savoy buildings,’ at 10.30 a.m. on Friday for the purpose of meeting Professor Osborne, representative pf the Canadian National Council of Education. The president of the Chamber of Commerce (Mr J. Taylor) occupied the chair. Mr Taylor said it might appear at £rst sight that chambers of commerce end manufacturers’ associations had very little in common with university professors, but on reflecting that a business man’s chief business should be not to worry over material things, but to see $o it that his sons turned out to be better men than their father, and that his daughters grew up as good as their mother, it did not seem out of place that they should devote an hour on a busy morning to listen to a gentleman who; had come from the sister Dominion <?f Canada to explain a great ideal to them. Any overseas visitor could count on a cordial welcome at their hands, hut when they remembered the splendid display which their Canadian brothers in Empire made at the recent Exhibition they, were prepared to receive one of their representatives with open arms. He knew that ananv; of them, like himself, had been privileged to hear Professor Osborne at she Rotary Club gathering on Thursday, jnd ho words 1 of his could convey to those who were 1 not there the treat that was ii store for them that day. Professor Osborne not only captured their imagination, , but his charming manner had won their;,, hearts. Before asking the Deputy Mayor to extend an official welcome to ffieir .visitor he would just like to say So Professor Osborne that if, like his ' distinguished fellow-countryman, Professor Stephen Leacock, of M’Gill University, JeTvas thinking of writing a book entitled “ My Discovery of New Zealand ” they felt sure' he would temper justice with merpy, remembering that this was but a young country and that their faults, if *ny, were those of youth.—/Laughter.) The Deputy Mayor (Cr Douglas) said he was very sorry that the Mayor was not able to be present. Only about half an jiour had elapsed since be had been asked Bo act on Mr Taverner’s behalf; otherwise he would have been better prepared So say a few words of welcome. It gave them great pleasure to extend to Professor Osborne a warm welcome to the aity. They were proud of the city, and yroud of the educational facilities placed m their midst, and they were pleased to meet their guest as a representative of our great Empire. On behalf of the Mayor, his brother councillors, and the sitizens he extended a hearty welcome 3o Professor Osborne. Professor Osborne, who mentioned that it was possible that. he might write a look about New Zealand, said he thought Shat very often they did not realise as thoroughly as they should the tremendous bond that existed among all the nations in the British Empire owing to the fact 3hat they possessed a common language and a common literature, the expression sf_ which had a very marked effect. He might mention that he had never been more stirred than when he had heard ay rang chanted by English choir boys in She English language. Although he was a Canadian, and the Canadians lived a Song way from the centre of the Empire, they rejoiced in the heritage of English Speech and the great English literature. At the same time they must- not be misfed into thinking that the mere possession Of a common language, great heritage as 4 was, would overcome all difficulties. English was, of course, the universally triumphant language of the United States, and yet in spite of that common language, and in spite of fairly similar parliamentary institutions, no one could doubt that a very considerable aloofness had developed in the policies and tendencies of the United States and those 6f Great Britain. He was one of those who believed that in the last analysis and at bottom when any great crisis Emerged the moral reaction in the United States would be substantially that of a British country, but for ordinary purposes they must not think that a common language was a sufficient bond. It was possible for nations to develop diverse and incompatible tendencies in spite of a common language, so they must not be content, as British citizens, to think that because they spoke a common tongue they could afford to trifle with the organic bonds which, he was convinced, were essential to give body and substance to their common subject. They had to get the organic form in which to express ideas, and while their noble speech and common language were a great possession as an inheritance they must exercise the vigilance necessary for the maintenance of Imperial solidity and Imperial vitality. • Professor Osborne said he wished to express his sense of obligation at being permitted to meet a number of representative citizens in Dunedin. He wished to State in a few words what he wanted them to do. A citizen’s conference on education in relation to character and citizenship would be held in Vancouver at Easter in 1929, and he wanted to secure the attendance of a delegation from New Zealand that would represent various aspects of life in the country and be an attestation to Canada and the world in general. The conferences that had preceded this one had been of a very imposing nature. The presence of delegates of the kind he had mentioned would bo an attestation of the common effort

which Canada desired to make with other portions of the Empire in order to make education minister towards the production of great citizenship. The previous conferences were held in Winnipeg in 1919 in: Toronto m 1923, and in Montreal m 1926. Montreal was the commercial, metropolis of Canada. It had a population of 1,000,000, and -there they had the propinquity of the two great races-rthe trench and the English. All the conferences had beeri of a thoroughly representative character, and had been conducted under admirable auspices It. would bo admitted, therefore, that the enterprise he repr-.sented was abundantly vouched for by the standard and of the people connected with it What they were trying to do,was to em pnasise the importance of interest on the part of the citizens at large in . the work of education. He had been for 35 years ir the University of Manitoba; he had been connected with it ever since he was a boy; he was supposed to be an enthusiastic teacher, and yet one of the confessions he had to make was that education, if left alone, if left to school teachers and professors alone, tended to become a v c r y perfunctory and dull thing.— (“Hear, hear.”) And what, it would be asked, was he after? His answer was, Citizenship and education. And. let them consider, who were in the schools? “ Your children and mine,” said the speaker, “ so that we have the personal interest, in the first place, of the future of our children; we have also the* destiny of the nation in our hands, and in a real sense the destiny of humanity.”—(“ Hear hear.”)

If they left the schools alone, all by themselves, and if they left the teacher to think he was at a job that was hardly a man’s job at all, education would become a contemptible and almost negligible thing. If the children were the hope of humanity, let those interested in their welfare do that which would convert a perfunctory process into a process of power, with resulting benefit to the children. And what would convert the process in that way? The eye of the nation would do it. Why, he asked, was he speaking with some power at that moment? It was for the reason that the eyes of his audience were upon him. The eyes of his audience were his need. Their personality was touching his, and it was from the contact of personalities tha L rich power sprang. Let them get the eyes of the nation on the schools, let the teacher know he was the custodian of the prospects of the nation, and let them convince the children that they were the hope of the State. There was no good or great thing that might not come out of the rude log schoolhouse or the palatial school in a city.— (Applause.)

Someone might say to him: “ Carry out your proposals in Canada. What business is it of outs?” But he was positive that people with Scottish traditions behind them .vould not take that view. (Applause.) “We are trying,” he said, “ to get the eyes of the Canadian people on the Canadian schools, and we are trying to give a national, an Empire, a world significance to them. If Canada can do it in one breath New Zealand can do it in another breath, and Australia in another. Therefore, it in well that we should confer as to how things should be done and as to what methods might be followed in the different countries. It is not a thing that cm be done in a spurt. You may arouse the spectacular attention of the citizens and train it on the schools and let it pass. But eternal vigilance is the price of everything, am} the idcr. is to kej up the attention of the whole mass of citizenship, not for a moment but for all time, so that, in accordance with the honoured tradition of the country the eyes of the nation shall be settled on the school.” That, he added, was what they hoped the relations of the citizens to the schools would be.

He would like to create a little organisation in Dunedin that would make it it; business to take the measures necessary to secure the city’s portion of the New Zealand delegation to Vaucouver. Canada wanted a delegation from this Di minion—not one or two, but 10 or 15, outstanding men who would represent the various aspects of the community—-a delegation that, in regard to number and quality, would enable them to say that the convention included the representatives of many other portions of the world as well as those of Canada. They would like the educational machinery of New Zealand represented by a certain number of professional men connected with education, and they wanted, in addition, a number of the citizen of New Zealand—men interested in education, in citizenship, in the Empire, and in humanity. >

He came to New Zealand with letters of introduction to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Education, and others, before whom he. had placed his mission, and he hoped to get the assuiance before he went away that it has been viewed in the most favourable light. At this great convention they wanted representation from the Government of New, Zealand, from the University, and from the Chambers of Commerce. On the boat which brought him to New Zealand there was a manufacturing fur merchant from Vancouver on his way to Australia in the hope of developing a trade in furs/ That sort of thing would not develop unless business men jnet together, and that would be one- of the incidental matters to receive attention at the convention. Therefore, they looked for representation from the chambers 'of commerce and other bodies., ;

. .A voice: ; Rotary Clubs.; ' j. Professor Osborne said, Yes, certainly from Rotary Clubs. Rotary Clubs in Canada had’ contributed largely to ’ the

cost of past conventions. This was not a movement on the part of big' capitalists to influence the mentality of the children -of the country through the schools: It was a public attempt to use th.e schools in the higher sense of nationality, of private conduct, arid of public service.—(Applause.) . Further, they wanted the representation of teachers’ organisations, secondary school teachers and primary school teachers. In closing with a few more’ words on the; subject of his mission, the speaker said: “If you have no sense of the venerable past, if you have no imaginative view of the possibilities of the future,.if you are concerned only .with your own bread from day toi day, you wall let it go; but if you are people of the great Imperial stock you will take a wider view of education and you will say: *ln all these young countries we will take education out of the hands of the machine politicians and the dry-as-dust pedagogues, we __ will energise our schools with great ideals of public service, and in that way we will demonstrate our power to the world.’”—(Applause.) Professor Osborne added that, instead of according him any vote vf thanks for his address, the meeting might substitute a motion embodying the concrete suggestions he had placed before it.

Professor Lawson (Otago University) said that their visitor was deserving of their thanks for the very real way in which he had stimulated their imagination. Professor Osborne had a vision of a better state of society that education could bring about by the encouragement of the highest traditions for which the British race had always stood.— (“Hear, hear.”) It would be advisable, he thought, for the Chamber of Commerce, University people, and others to hold another meeting with a view to asking the Government to consider the question of sending representatives to the convention. He asked, would it be in order to propose such a motion? The chairman said there could be no objection to a motion of that kind. Professor Lawson then moved—" That in view of the extreme importance of education and citizenship to the present and future well-being of the British peoples, this meeting urges the Government seriously to consider the advisability of sending representatives to the convention to be held in Vancouver.”

Professor G. E. Thomson (Otago University) seconded the motion, and urged that a committee be set up to carry on the work Professor Osborne had begun. Mr J. Rennie said he did not think they were going the right way. A committee should be set up, representing the University, the Chamber of Commerce, the Educational Institute and the Rotary Club, to consider the matter and take what steps it saw fit to send representatives. Vital representatives ought to be sent from the city. If the matter were left in the hands of the Government it would be treated in a perfunctory manner. He had been so impressed with the address that he considered the large cities in the Dominion should have representatives at the convention, and therefore he proposed, as an amendment —“ That a committee be set up, consisting of representatives of Otago University, the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, the New Zealand Educational Institute, and the Rotary Club, to take the matter into consideration with a view to sending representatives from this city to the convention at Vancouver.”

Professor Osborne said that the proposal in regard to representation from Dunedin as Dunedin satisfied him, because if he could get the same thing done in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland it would provide for numbers as well as distribution of representation.

The chairman suggested that the two motions might be passed, the one being complementary to the other. The amendment proposed by Mr Rennie was seconded by Mr J. C. Stephens. The motion and the amendment were then put to the meeting as separate motions and were carried unanimously. Mr W. J. Morrell (Otago Boys’ High Senool) said he hoped the resolution moved by Professor Lawson would be sent to other commercial and educational bodies with a request that they should confirm it. Collective representation to the Ministry, not merely from one meeting but from a number of important bodies, would carry soine weight. It was agreed that the presidents of the associations named in Mr Rennie’s motion should confer and appoint representatives of their respective bodies to act on a joint committee to further the object Profesor Osborne had laid before the meeting. A LUNCHEON ADDRESS. A short but interesting address' was delivered by Professor Osborne at the University Club following a luncheon on Friday. There was a large attendance, and Mr T. R. Fleming, who occupied the chair, introduced the visitor. He said that Mr W. F. Sligo, who was to have given an address that afternoon, had kindly given way to Professor Osborne, who had consented to speak. Professor Osborne said that he had visited the Otago University on the previous day, and had been greatly impressed by its physical aspects. He wished to compliment those who had been responsible for the erection of such noble and handsome buildirigs, which were a distinct credit to a city' the size of Dunedin, and showed the value' of the Scottish heritage 'which 1 the city pos-

sessed. ■ In the province of Saskatchewan the thoroughness and progressiveness of the Scottish race was exemplified in the university which had grown since 1905 to the position of having no fewer than 19 buildings, beautifully designed in stone, which had been constructed at a total cost of 3,000,000 dollars, together with an estate of 1300 acres. The university was one of the most venerable and admirable institutions of society, for its mission and duty were to conserve and increase the world’s knowledge, but it had to be remembered tnat the quality of its work depended on the spirit of its dealings with the youth of to-day. The supreme need of the world was peace. If the universities taught selfishness and egoism and fostered the spirit of war, the educated brain of man, unaccompanied by high and proper ideals, could destroy society with aeroplanes, bombs and poison gas. On the other hand the universities could be a great and influential factor in the promotion of peace. “ Humanity was on the march,” and it was for teachers of both the upper and the lower grades to decide the direction that great march through the desert of time would take. At the close of Professor Osborne’s address, Professor Fisher, of the Otago University, proposed a vote of thanks which was carried in the usual manner.