REGENERATION OF DENMARK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19485, 9 May 1933, Page 4

REGENERATION OF DENMARK

INFLUENCES OF EDUCATION. ADDRESS BY MR R. STEWART. “The Regeneration of Denmark through Education" was the subject of an interesting address given by Mr R. Stewart to members of the Timaru Rotary Club at their luncheon yesterday. Rotarian President W. D. Campbell presided. Mr Stewart described Denmark today as probably one of the finest agricultural countries in the world. Lord Bledisloe recently had said that no industry was more dependent upon science than agriculture; from none had agriculture received greater benefits, but to none had it given less acknowledgment than to science. Unfortunately that was, to some extent, true of New Zealand. A little over a hundred years ago the national fortunes of Denmark were at a low ebb, and agriculture was backward, but to-day the Danish farmer took his place in the world as one of the most scientific of the age. Denmark was, in proportion to its area and population, the greatest grower of farm produce that history had known. It was a small country of 15.000 square miles, supporting in comfort a population of 3i million people, and also exporting immense quantities of agricultural produce. The change in fortunes had certainly not been due to any natural advantages of the country. The land i itself possessed little fruitfulness and was not rich in soil; nor was the climate favourable to agriculture, for the winters were very severe. The climate generally was much more severe than that of the South Island. “How, then, have the Danish farmers overcome in a great measure the natural disadvantages of their land?" continued Mr Stewart. “The answer is that the Danish farmer went to school.” The farmer’s whole outlook on life had been changed by the establishment of people's high schools for adults, at which all the students, both men and women, were between j the ages of 18 and 25. The founder of the movement was Nicholai Grundtvig, and he held a unique position in *the history of his country. The first school was established at Rodding in 1843. but not much progress was made in the next 30 years, due to war with Germany between 1863 and 1864. Today Denmark had 60 of those schools, and one-third of the pupils were supported by the State, but the measure of support was not sufficient to meet the whole of the expense of the short courses, the students being encouraged to make some sacrifice in order |to receive their education. The inclusive fees amounted to about £4 a month, and the total cost to the State was £25,000 a year. The aim of the people's schools was not so much to teach exact knowledge as to develop minds too long accustomed to move in a narrow groove. The greater number of the schools taught no farming subjects at all, agricultural science being fully dealt with in other institutions, and the services of trained experts being made available to farmers. In the people’s schools emphasis was laid on Danish language and literature, poetry and music, and the economics of business, both private and national, were discussed. The young men usually spent five months during the winter at the schools, and young women were in residence for three months during the summer. The speaker then dealt fully with the curricula of the schools, and stated that the students did not go there to learn the sciences connected with farming, but to learn to be good citizens and to open their minds to intellectual interests. Especially did they learn to co-operate with their fellow workers so that they could j unite as a team for the common end. Nothing was more remarkable in Danish life than the habit of cooperating for definite business ends, but successful co-operation was possible only among a people intelligent enough to take long views and to work for their individual benefit and the welfare of the whole community. It was now' generally recognised that the { main factor in developing the feeling of good will necessary for the complete success of co-operative institutions in Denmark had been the education received in the people's schools. "One thing we can learn from Denmark’s success is that, while it is important that science should be called in to aid the farmer in his work of cultivation, it is just as necessary that farmers' sons and daughters .should I have minds enriched with a broad general culture." said Mr Stewart, who concluded by quoting Dr. Fisher's j words, "It is sad to reflect on the vast ! sum of happiness which has been lost I to the world by reason of the persistj ence of the absurd superstition that education should cease before adult I life begins." ! On the motion of Rotarian F. I. j Washbourn, the speaker was accorded I a vote of thanks.