VALUE OF THE CHILD.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15496, 27 April 1918, Page 5

VALUE OF THE CHILD.

AN EDUCATIONAL ADDRESS SYSTEM MUST BE IMPROVED. LAST NIGHT'S PUBLIC MEETING. A fully representative meeting was held in the Borough Council Chambers last night under the auspices of the N.Z. Teachers’ Institute and the Workers’ Education Association. The principal speaker was Mr H. A. Parkinson, secretary of the Wellington branch of the N-Z. Teachers’ Institute, and he gave a most interesting and instructive address on the education of the child.

Or. T. B. Slipper occupied the chair and apologised for the unavoidable absence of the Mayor (Mr C. E. Mackay) and the Deputy-Mayor (Mr Geo. Spriggens). The chairman explained that the meeting was the outcome of a request from the Wanganui branch of the W.E.A., which had come into close touch with the Wanganui branch of the Teachers’ Institute. Continuing, the speaker Shid the institute had not been sufficiently recognised by the public of N.Z. There was a time when it was a very small affair, and now it had become an organisation of considerable importance. What that body did not know about education was not worth knowing. True there was a Minister of Education and a Department, but what did they know about the education of cnildren? The institute was an expert body of men and women who had given their lives to the work of educating the child, and their opinions should be worth respecting at least. Mr Slipper then formally introduced Mr Parkinson. '"EDUCATION OF THE CHILD.” Mr Parkinson said he had come to put before those assembled the views of the Institute generally in regard to Education in New Zealand. The Institute had for years endeavoured to get from the Government certian educational reforms, and it was finally realised that the Government could not be moved till the Institute’s recommendations had been backed by public opinion. This forth a scheme for a Dominionwide organisation in that direction. Mr Parkinson said that it was impossible for one speaker to say all that could be said on the subject at one meeting. He therefore proposed to deal solely with the “Education of the Child.” He then went on to refer to what had been done in England quite recently in regard to increasing the educational vote, and said the New Zealand Government must wake up to the fact that more attention must be paid to education. The English Parliament were engaged in considering proposals which involved an extra expenditure of over £3,000,000. And this was only the first step in a proposed expenditure of £ll,000,000 in the same direction. Continuing, Mr Parkinson said there were three shareholders in connection with the education of the child, which, he said, represented the capital. 'These were the child, the parent, and the State, and he would deal with his subject under these separate headings. He said it was quite clear that without the shareholders the best returns could not be got from the capital—the brain and body of the children. The money for improved educational facilities in New Zealand could bo easily found in a rich country like this. The value of the child was not appreciated as it should be. The child needed teaching and the highest quality of teaching. Great harm was done by making use of children to work before they were properly developed. Children must be kept longer at school, and one could not get away from the State’s duty to the child. Mr Parkinson went on to say that in 1918 the Government was still educating the child under a system which was designed in 1877. Certainly there had been some additions during that time, hut the principles were just the same. Was it reasonable to expect boys and girls to take a broad, reasonable view of both Government and local politics and take a proper part in public affairs? Every year 15,000 children in New Zealand passed out of school, and only 5000 of that number had passed the sixth standard. The present educational system did not supply the child with sufficient stamina to qualify him to cope with the problems of life. Youth was exceedingly impressionable, and it was very hard to eradicate a wrong impression if the child left school or its educational training too early. The great need of the child after leaving school was general education. There would be great changes after the war, and it was only by general education that a man could be equipped for his industrial life. Authorities and experience had borne that out.

Proceeding, the speaker touched on the physical side of the child’s school life, and advocated better classrooms, more fresh air, and better medical and dental attention. The brain, ho said, could not work unless the body was in a vigorous condition, and the body must be physically fit. This state of affairs could not be brought into being without improved playgrounds, etc. One of the objects of the present educational campaign was to impress upon the unwilling Government that it was not a waste of money to spend it on education, and especially the education of children The better the children, the bettor the citizen. His sole aim was to point out that the Government must be made to realise that many improvements must be made in the education system in New Zealand. At one time New Zealand was credited with having the best education in the world, but not now. With the exception of some secondary and technical schools, this country had stopped dead where it had started in 1877. If the Government would take care of the brains of the children and the bodies of the people, then other things would take care of themselves. (Loud applause.)

EDUCATION EVERYTHING TO A COUNTRY. Mr \V. A. Veitch, M.P., held the opinion that education meant everything to a country. There was a great need for extending the system in New Zealand There never was a time in history that the education of the child was of sc much importance. By this means he would produce ’nis full value to the State. Mr Veitch advocated better treatment by the State, and said that a child must be taught that its country came first. It was all very well to tell men how to act and what to do, but they should have been told those things long ago. The greatest loss to the nation was sustained by the weakness of the educational system. He agreed with Mr Parkinson that there were some good principles in New Zealand's educational system, hut the Government must go ahead and reconstruct the whole thing. There was not enough progress. There was no doubt that the Education Department must spend a vast amount of

money in thoroughly re-organising and bringing the system up-to-date by a complete reconstruction-—a system with its principles free of sectarian influences and secular. The schools must be made more sanitary, and the teachers who had the great responsibilities upon their shoulders should be better looked after in every way. Money should be spent on improving the education of the young before it was spent on higher education. Some credit must be given to the present Minister of Education, but, unfortunately, ae had keen unable to bring his colleagues in Cabinet into line with his views. He hoped the people would go seriously into the proposals, and bring back the people who were striving for reform. The public most back up these men. STRONG RESOLUTION". Mr W. A. Yeitch, moved the following resolution ; “That this meeting of the citizen* of Wanganui urges upon the National Government the necessity of making provision for improvements and extensions in Uic education system of the Dominion, such provisions to include: (a) Greater attention to the physical welfare and development of the children ; (b) an extension of the age of compulsory school attendance; (c) Better technical education both for day and evening scholars; (d)dree secondary and university education to all competent scholars; (ef an extension of the support accorded Workers’ Educational Association classes, both tutorial and otherwise; (f) better school building*; and (g) a larger proportion of teach an to lessen the size of classes. “Further, this meeting urges that such provisions should not be delayed until fter the war, but should be at onoo begun, especially in view of the more strenuous conditions of life anticipated as an immediate consequence of the war.” SYSTEM MUST EXTEND. Mr C. J. Park, director of the Wanganui Technical Collage, in seconding the resolution, said after what Mr Parkinson had pointed out there was need for some improvement in the educational system in New Zealand. Ho con gratae lakd the W.E.A. and the Teachers’ institute for bringing the matter before the public. Those directly employed i* the administration of education realised the lack of interest on the part of both parents and the public generally. He though the scheme which had been launched by both liodies in New Zealand would make the parents and public realise the importance of education in every direction. There was a paramount necessity of making provision for the future, and there was another aspect of the case: education did net offer salaries in comparison with private firms. OTHER SPEAKERS Mr G. S./Thomson gave a short history of the formation and progress of the Workers' Education Association. Uw eulogised the work of the New Zealand Educational Institute, and said the W.E.A. would work with them on similar lines. Mr W. Rodgers said that the State to-day bad claimed that every child was an asset. To his mind the treatment meted out by the Gpvernment to the children to-day made a child a liability to its parents. They should see that the Government did not tolerate any interference with the present system, as there was a danger of it being tampered with by churches inculcating class and denominational hatred. Mr F. Pepper urged upon the Government to adopt a uniform system of hygenio architecture, embodying the open-air method in primary schools. In view of the fathers of our young gen*' ration being called to the front, the State should take on the paternal responsibility of seeing that the children should get a first-class technical education so that their trades and professmw oonld be determined.

The motion proposed by Mr Veitch vtl carried unanimously. In propfsing a vote of thanks to Mr Parkinson, Mr Sewell, a member of the Wanganui Education Board, remarked upon the small salaries school teeehen had to put up with.

A vote, of thanks to the chair etfr eluded the meeting.