A CLEAR PHILOSOPHY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18089, 16 May 1933, Page 4

A CLEAR PHILOSOPHY

. NEEDS OF COMMUNITY | BASIS OF TRUE EDUCATION An address on various aspects of education was given by Professor "W. IT. Gould, of Victoria University College, at (lie conference of tlie New Zealand Educational Institute at 'Wellington. Professor Gould said that the State 'engaged in many activities, all of them !no doubt vastly important, but none of j greater importance than its educa11ional activities. All thinkers of the past had recognised that one of the first duties of the, State was to foster education, but lie greatly feared that I some modern States were only concerned with the control of education. Fostering of education might, lie readily admitted, involve some measure of .control, but, in his view, fostering .and control were not precisely the ' same thing. Their own State, in pariticular. had the tendency to assume j control, and in that respect had departed radically from the traditions ' o +l the Homeland and the practice of i the United .States.

| TRUE TO TRADITIONS i Looking back on the years that saw the birth of the New Zealand Educational Institute, said Professor Gould, lie could not but feel that the New Zealand Government was then true to those traditions, and that its attitude : was largely responsible for the early | success of education in the Dominion. Tie congratulated the pioneers present 1 on the part; they had played in laving such worthv foundations, without .which the Institute could not have grown to its present dimensions and importance. They had given service of which they might justly be proud. Proceeding to analyse the reasons for the success and efficiency of the ’ pioneer teachers, Professor Gould said that the results were not achieved bej cause the teachers were so skilled in the art of teaching or so highly trained in the technique of their profession, but because they were animated by a sense of the functions and importance of education and saw the needs of the community. It was not to be wondered at. then, that in the latter part of the nineteenth century New Zealand was definitely .placed on the educational map. He felt, however, that the Dominion had relied too much on its past reputation and had not moved forward.as it should have done, always adjusting its system to the growing needs of the country.

FETISH OF UNIFORMITY

Individuality was another factor in the success of the pioneers. Professor Gould continued. The fetish of uniformity -was not imposed upon them, as it had boon imposed on a later generation. They were loft to make their own decisions, and in consequence developed a high sense of responsibility a,nd a personality. What of the teacher of to-day? he asked. He believed that the presentday teacher was better trained, better educated, and had a better knowledge of the technique of his work, as well as that essential qualification, a better knowledge of the psychology of his pupils. Indeed, he had in a marked degree all those qualities that were necessary for the success of any educational system, and yet, although lie worked harder ‘than his predecessor had done, there was a greater disparity between his possibilities and his achievements.

MANY-SIDED DEVELOPMENTS The aim of education was the development of the child, but that development was many-sided, and the philosophy of education must grow and be modified as the community changed and grew. He was convinced that the great thing in education today was the need for the development of a clear philosophy growing out, of the soil, as it were. That philosophy must come from the atmosphere and needs ,of the community life. The teacher of to-day did not have the blind confidence in his work that was common 50 years ago. Old ideas wore being constantly re-examined, and it was not exceptional that education should bo in some doubt as to the direction in which it .should move.

SUBVERSIVE TO PROGRESS

Tho teacher of to-dav had become too much a mere carrier-out of regulations, which ( robbed him of initiative and the feeling of ripe responsibility, Professor Gould continued. To those who realised the essentially vital nature of education a smooth-running machine on such lines was subversive to true educational progress. Teachers themselves were not wholly to blame for the position, but he felt that unless a larger measure of responsibility was vouchsafed to them the personality of the teaching services would slowly and inevitably deteriorate. He believed that the great work ahead of the institute was to fight so that the teacher might he captain on his own deck. Anything that would raise liis sense of responsibility and assist him to appreciate the fact that he was personally and directly responsible to the community for the welfare of the young people in his charge would enhance the worth of tho services he had to give. Professor Gould expressed optimism regarding the future. Whatever he had said, New Zealand’s teachers compared favorably with those in other lands he had visited, and they excelled in the technique of classroom practice. They lacked the spirit of adventure that was so characteristic of their kindred in Great Britain and some other countries, hut that was to be attributed to the conditions under which they worked, conditions which, he believed, wore merely temporary. When New Zealand developed a philosophy of education based, on the requirements of the community she would make herself less dependent upon other lands and would, he hoped, initiate rather than slavishly imitato.