HIGH SCHOOL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 23 December 1927, Page 3

HIGH SCHOOL.

WINNING ESSAY. The following essay, -written by R. M. Barrcr, was ana Red the ina/e of five guineas presented by Mr 0. E. Daniell for competition at the Wairarapa High School:— -MV FUTURE—WIIAT HAS THE SCHOOL DONE TO PREPARE ME FOE IT? In such a. subject we would consider the broader aspect, the totality of the influences of the school, _ rather than the somewhat narrow or bigoted application to self. Every school is a living organ whose functions arc to develop the creative urge latent in every pupil to increase and to teach tolerance; to lead in the ways of citizenship. Let it be pointed out that education properly means “a leading out,” not “a putting in.” Education should aim not so much at study as at development; and it is development that begets progress and national prosperity. Carlyle has asked, “How can a mechanical, inanimate gerund-grinder, the like of whom will, in a future century, be manufactured at Xurnberg out of wood and leather, foster the growth of anything; much less of Mind, which grows, not like a vegetable (by having its roots littered with etymological compost) but like a Spirit, by mysterious contact with Spirit; thought kindling itself at the fire of living Though?” And this is a true saying, and worthy of the remembrance of mankind. The school essays, through this spiritual contact, to develop and create individually the gregarious instincts of the pupils; for co-operation in school and playing-field will lead to co-operation in the broad fields of life. We hope, we trust, that, educated with such ideals, we shall thrpst aside the effete and toxic principle of “every man for himself,” and strive for the common weal. If our school does this for us, as we believe it is doing, then shall the hardest labours be repaid a hundredfold. For does not this broadening spell progress? And does not progress mean Imperial gain?-

Consider-now the development of the creative urge. This is latent, potential in every human being. But it is the mechanical gerund-grinder who, by turgid repetition, destroys the germ of this faculty, rather than fosters its growth. In the realisation of this, our teachers, pursuing the most modern methods, seek to arouse imagination, will to produce, and self-reliance. So sings the bard: — “Self-reverence, self-knowledge, selfcontrol, These three alone lead life to sovereign power.”

This poet has understood the essential principle, “know thyself.” And wo believe in “knowing thyself” each faculty of imagination, or of keenwilled self-reliance, has been tested and developed to its utmost possibilities, by a modern education, such as we all have undergone at our school. It is the creative urge brought out in so many that aspires to invention, and who -knows in the present age of momentous discoveries, where invention may lead? It may appear as the dream of a fevered mind (vet tilings that the ancient held just as fanciful have been realised, in the aeroplane and the wireless), why should not creative man (never the mere imitator or repeater) in some future century people the stark void? It is thus that we feel proud of the manner in which our desires to produce and invent have been fostered so carefully at school. Surely was never greater benefit conferred than this.

Mankind is slowly realising that the bigot cannot survive. Tolerance is essential in a reasoned state. The mental narrowness of the Bolshevik is a terrible example of intolerance. Men like these, believing to progress, retrogress —unable to perceive that man must not destroy if he would create. So they would sweep to death all who stand in the way of a mistaken ideal —-Bolshevism; nor consider for a moment that it is the greatest minds in the world they destroy; nor discriminate between tho guilty and the innocent. Such a state cannot endure. But education, as wo know it here in New Zealand, in our own High School,

turning from egoistic distortion, aims at a reasoned forbearance, and lias instilled into us all the ideas of advancement, and, in godly cycle, kindness, humanity, charity and, we trust, moral good. This is a great debt to any school. Yet this is not all.

For, to turn to the scope of citizenship, we have been taught the elements not only of such matters as public speaking, essay-writing, and the beneficial results arising from the apt expression of goodly thought and of reasoned argument, but also that pub-lie-spirit, that esprit de corps so essential to a great political career. Our educators—which alone is the correct word to use —have been at great pains to produce the broadminded spirit so prized through all the British-speaking world. Under their tutorship even the dullest mind must react to a certain degree, even the most unimpressionable gain some conception of that spiritual nexus which is the public school unity.

Such a unity as this upholds Empire in the grimmest corners of the earth, such a spirit is worth all your mechanical efficiency, all your oft-repeated training. It was this spirit that enabled the untrained Briton to cope with the super-efficient Hun. And the spirit, please God is our spirit,'gained through tire medium of the school.

We must turn now from the grandeur of the conceptions we have set forth and qualified already, to enlarge upon benefits hardly less splendid, but more individual in application. It is the training we have had to prepare us for our professions that we must now discuss —the cultured education that bespeaks the individual’s love of art and literature, of the beauty of sweet nature, her streams, her song-birds, her jungle-growth, her wild life. In a. school like ours each individual receives care and attention. Every life well-spent is invaluable to an Empire so great as ours. Our Dominions must be sustained, and this can be achieved only by the efforts of each member of the community. He must attain, the maximum of efficiency in his trade or craft, and therefore early teaching, if correctly applied, is allimportant in the coupling of manual dexterity to mental alertness. "\\ e trust that vc may all say our teaching is up-to-date and correctly applied, and that in prepartaion for our professions we have received of the best our school/ or any school, can offer. Our training should be all the more valuable in that we have been disciplined in class-room and playing-field; and discipline tempers all that might otherwise incline to the headstrong or rash. Once a pedant (we fear he was a pedant) remarked that “celerity should bo con-tempered with cunctation.” The said cunctation is supplied by school discipline —and we have all had our share. It is thus that, with the benisons of the old school, and due mainly to our education there, wc shall all essay to attain to the highest honours of our respective -crafts, to the betterment of mankind. We who, so many of us, are leaving for ever, have a tradition to bear away that should uplift us to the end of our lives—the Wairarapa High School tradition. Everyone knows the power exercised by Art and Literature, but no one fully conceives how important are the ‘ ‘ humanities. ’ ’ Hen have studied long and deeply the wealth of British literature, the golden thought of our “litterao humaniores.” All must finally confess inability to probe to its depths the splendour of thought expressed. “Sweetest Shakesparc, fancy’s child,” alone provides material for the study of many years. The potentialities of his mind are inexhaustible. Nevertheless, our education has given us all the power to enjoy, if we will, to the limit of our capabilities, the loveliness of art and literature. Who knows but someone among -us, because of the fine influences brought to bear upon us by the teachings of the school may in a future time add something to that jewelled store. For “Imagination’s power creates What fancy only decorates.”

The world of books is a splendid world, a land of lovely thoughts; which we may now enter and enjoy. Nature will appeal to us, for nature lives in our books, and all things, the least to the greatest will on this count, receive kindly tolerance from us, foi remember that / * ‘He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small.” Soek the intrinsic value and meaning in these rough sentences, and let us now conclude with the words of our one-time laureate and English bard, Alfred Tennyson. He appeals thus in his splendid elegy — “Let knowledge grow from more to more, But more of reverence in us dwell That mind and soul, according well, 31 av make one music as before.”