FILMS IN SCHOOLS

Southland Times, Issue 23379, 10 December 1937, Page 12

FILMS IN SCHOOLS

BRITISH EXPERIMENTS The use of films in schools for educational purposes is gradually increasing in England, Scotland and Wales. The latest information is that 1000 projectors have been installed and that many more schools will shortly be equipped. High as this figure may seem, it is low when .compared with the number of schools with their own apparatus on the Continent and" in the United States. Germany has 20,000 schools out of 55,000 in which films are an accepted part of the teaching system. In France, 9500 projectors are in use in schools, and in the United States 10,097 schools out of 82,000 are similarly equipped. While the number of projectors in use in these countries is much higher than that so far reached in Great Britain, it has to be remembered that schools in Britain total only about 30,000.

The London County Council is conducting experiments in teh use of films for instructional purposes, both in the classroom and in local cinemas. About £2OOO has already been spent to further these inquiries. Investigations have also been made by the Middlesex Education Committee, and in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester and Wolverhampton. Opinions formed as a result of investigations are that the film should not be used as a substitute for information which can be obtained at first hand; but it can describe customs and habits in foreign lands, important industrial processes, the production of various commodities and methods of transport. It is also useful in demonstrating the development, movement and environment of plant and animal life.

Films can be a powerful ally in developing appreciation, stimulating imagination and arousing interest. Sound films can help in the teaching of literature. It is not suggested that they should take the place of dramatic activities, but they would serve a useful purpose in helping children to visualize certain scenes.

The results of many experiments have shown that films not only make a good impression at the time of showing, but that they help the child to remember what he has been taught.

One most outstanding result of the investigation is that the films have created a greater interest in the different subjects, and this has led to wider reading and increased activity on the part of the pupils. Teachers who have used films have found them very stimulating, and have developed a new outlook on their subject. They, like the children, are aware that reality has been introduced into the classrooms.