CAMP CLASSES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19555, 10 February 1938, Page 5

CAMP CLASSES

SCHOOL UNDER CANVAS AUCKLAND EXPERIMENT STUDIES OF EIGHTY BOYS )'. OPENING OF THE YEAR (Special to the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day. The first school under canvas in New Zealand is being conducted at the beautiful Hunua camp, where 80 boys and eight teachers from the Normal School, Epsom, under the direction of the headmaster, Mr. G. K. Hamilton, are spending the first two weeks of the scholastic year in field work, in nature study, geology, physical geography, applied arithmetic, and sketching.

The camp school is an experiment in adapting the curriculum to the hot February weather according to suggestions made to the teachers in a circular letter from the Director of Education, Mr. N. T. Lambourne. ;In bright afternoon sunshine scattered groups of youthful geologists, clad in khaki shorts and shirts and wearing broad-rimmed sun-hats, were seen climbing high up on the green side of the hill. They were field parties studying the geology of the Hunua basin.

A practical turn is given to the classes in arithmetic by such exercises as the measurement and estimation of the wire necessary for a given fivewire fence, an area of a field and the number of superficial feet of timber in a grove of trees. Art Master's Difficulties The art master has only one difficulty, to determine which among the host of very beautiful subjects shall be sketched by his pupils. Inspired by the presence of so much loveliness the young artists have already reached a high standard in their work. In the evening the observational work done in the various field classes is analysed and consolidated by class discussion, lectures and blackboard demonstrations. Singing also has its very popular place in the evening programme and the camp songs learnt under the direction of the music master will long remain as happy reminders of the school at Hunua. Plays written and staged by the boys themselves are creating exceptional interest. One young playwright confided to his teacher that he was presenting a murder and was himself appearing as the undertaker. ' Enthusiasm Evident Summarising his impressions of the camp as an educational experiment, Mr. Hamilton said: "In all my 30 years of teaching, I have not dealt with a scheme which has created so little difficulty and aroused so much enthusiasm among both children and parents."

Apart from its directly instructional value he considered that it was worthy of a permanent place in educational practice, because it brought the pupils and teachers to know and appreciate one another under specially favourable circumstances. It was an ideal introduction to the work of the school.