MODERN EDUCATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16873, 9 February 1929, Page 16

MODERN EDUCATION

NEW METHODS AT HOME HUMANISING THE LESSONS FREMANTLE, January 23. Comments on the work being done in England by educational authorities to improve the curricula of schools and to interest adults in advancing their education status were made to-day by Air. (!. S. Browne, vice-president of the Teachers’ Training College, Melbourne, who returned to Australia on the Orvieto. Mr. Browne said that after an absence of live years from England he had particularly noticed the progress which had been made in improving school curricula. At present the authorities were giving particular attention to primary schools, where children from eight to ten years were educated. A committee had been endeavoring to humanise school lessons by getting away from the old, formal type of lessons, and making them more interesting. Already many fine text books had been issued on various subjects, which made a strong personal appeal to scholars. They were compiled more from a psychological basis than a coldly logical one. Mr. Browne said that one of the most important features of educational work in England was the way the authorities were realising the value 'of wireless broadcasting. The British Broadcasting Corporation was interested in the extension of the . correspondence work being undertaken by the educational authorities, and was using wireless >as an auxiliary'. Lectures on various subjects were delivered through the aid of wireless, and the result had been that thousands had felt the desire for greater knowledge < and had joined up the correspondence’ classes and night schools. Tiie British Broadcasting Corporation and English educational authorities were envious of our Australian position, where there is ample opportunity for using wireless extensively for educational purposes among people in the backblocks.