TE AWAMUTU COURIER. Printed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. MONDAY, 24th AUGUST, 1936. PROMOTING THE FUTURE.

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3799, 24 August 1936, Page 4

TE AWAMUTU COURIER. Printed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. MONDAY, 24th AUGUST, 1936. PROMOTING THE FUTURE.

HISTORY is largely a record of conflicting ideas. Every stage of the world’s progress has been characterised by degress of conflict —by the opposing forces of advocacy and opposition. From the days when the people deliberately broke agricultural implements until the present -agecommunity progress has been retarded by an inevitable process of inquiry. It seems as though human appreciation of development is not as fast-moving as development itself. For many years the motor vehicle was regarded as a danger- by just as many people who to-day view with suspicion the coming of the air carrier; and in our immediate sphere the advanced facilities for education arc not understood, and are resisted. Just as a quarter of a century ago popular opinion clashed on the question of home separation of cream:

similarly as the coming of rural mails was preceded by much bitter controversy, so to-day is there a division of opinion on the proposals for consolidated schools. A more classic example of the conflict that arises between advocates and opponents of change was, perhaps, the selection of the sale day, when neither public meeting nor referendum could define an acceptable majority. But if the past is now reviewed it can well be asked whether all of the pre-inquiry was not wise, serving as it did to focus attention, and in a large measure educating public opinion in readiness for the change when it eventuated. Habits are seldom altered over-night, and it is undoubtedly desirable that there should be a period cf schooling so that ruling habit shall more readily adapt itself to the new conditions. It is a necessary starting point. If it were otherwise, if change were not prepared for by discussion and understanding, there would very likely be widespread confusion, and innovations which finally register progress would suffer violent repercussions of a very damaging character. y Valuable, therefore, is the district questioning of the education proposals that' have now become a ruling topic in this neighbourhood. There is certainly scope for much discussion. With some of our country schools there is already half a century of tradition; they are strongly surrounded by sentiment. Their closing breaks a cherished link with the past. The same, however, was the case with the creamery and rural post office—yet both gave way to the advancing conditions. After all, the future means much more to the average man and woman than the past. To-day we in this generation build on the experience of the past, but it is for the future that we are building. Though we may honour tradition we should never allow ourselves to be held too tightly in its grip, as that would cause us to completely negative advancement. Fear is another master which should not be allowed to warp our judgment, because it must happen that the foolishly timid gain few rewards. On the other hand, it is not wise to be recklessly venturesome. A balanced reasoning which accounts the past and carefully estimates the future is the ideal state of mind to preserve. Neither alarmist fears nor alluring promises count for very much in the planning of the advanced state. Who, be it asked, can have forgotten the imaginary dangers in a system of home separation of cream that made the closing of the creameries seem to be the proposals of a madman ? And yet we have lived to realise that the only real danger lurked in the minds of those who allowed imagination to override judgment. The closing of rural post offices was thought to be the end of all district convenience, and volumes could be written to describe the conditions that would arise with the changing of the market day! Although we may laugh as we recall those fears to-day, it is just as true that imagination holds as prominent a place in this enlightened age if some of the fears about the consolidated school are considered. Nevertheless, it is wise that there should be so much pre-discussion. There are, however, relevant factors which cannot be ignored. Essentially there is the widespread desire for higher education in an intermediate school for the senior scholars; but that, in tum, has brought with it ■i demand to consider the financial aspect. There has come the realisation that the provision of transport for a portion of the country school, with the retention of the school for the primary division, means a doubling of the expenditure* Can this district uphold a claim for that ? It simply means that we have no claim on the national taxpayer for all the cost of the present schools plus the cost of transport in addition; and, therefore, our choice must lie between an abandonment of the claim for an intermediate school or the adoption of a system which transfers rural school costs into transportation services. Another very relevant consideration is that although consolidation may be an innovation in our community it is a well-tried and thoroughly proven system elsewhere; and, as though to answer all the valid objections and alarmist fears expressed, it is a remarkable fact that no rural district has yet retraced its steps from consolidation. On the contrary, areas of consolidation have inevitably enlarged themselves in deference to the demand of people who, r.eaf enough to see and realise the advantages, insist upon participation. And this, surely, goes to prove that the consolidation of schools must ultimately become universal.