A FULL EDUCATION

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19599, 11 June 1935, Page 7

A FULL EDUCATION

ADOLESCENT NEGLECTED

DR. A. B. FITT’S CRITICISMS

NECESSITY FOR CONSTANT ACTION

Laying particular stress upon the crisis'of life which was reached at the adolescent stage, Dr. A- B. Fitt, Professor of Education at the Auckland University College, . emphasised the need for complete education in a fuller sense of the term when ho spoke at the annual meeting of the Hamilton Y.M.C-A. last evening. He contended that the part that'the youth of to-day would have to play In the ensuing years was far greater than in any previous generation. Dr. Fitt said that the responses to the problem of adolescence would ho of paramount Importance in the unfolding world history of the future. The period of adolescence whs easily the most vital stage of human development, and it was an amazing fact tha. many people were in ignorance ot tho importance of proper development throughout this stage. The physical exterior of the adolescent when he appeared suddenly to emerge from boyhood into manhood was deceiving. Until about 12 ycais of age the boy or girl found life very satisfactory and had no desire to inquire Into ;the underlying meanings of things. Individuality became more marked with adolescence and personalities were acquiring a force, and richness, particularly in the emotional life. There was also a challenging attitude and youth at this stage of development carefully surveyed the past in order that it might obtain a clearer focus on life. Youth had to challenge custom,, tradition and all that had gone before —it was the duty of the adolescent- The sexiial reorganisation was also very important, bringing a new and deeper meaning to life. Thrown Holus-Bolus. “The whole meaning of life is suddenly thrown holus-bolus at these young people," declared Dr. Fitt. “At such a time there is surely a need for every kind of sympathy and steady guidance. There occurs in the individual what is tantamount to a new birth and the whole personality is cast in the mould of adolescence, leading either to a 'Civilised or savage adulthood. Many I regret to see drifting to this latter state." Dik Fitt explained that at this transition there were more cases of. delinquency than at any other period of life, but it also brought about the biggest number of conversions. There .were dangers of inferiority and indifference to be guarded against, and the most general formula of taking a sympathetic attitude towards youth was not of repression but of- meeting them half-way.- -They had a right to their attitude, hut • the adult had an equal claim-to place before them the beneAt of his or her , experience in direction and guidance. Stressing the necessity- for action during adolescence, Dr. Fitt described this as the guiding and steadying factor, a veritable flywheel of life. Some occupation or employment was essential, for the insistent call of duty which emanated from work eliminated most of the personal problems of the adolescent himself. While Dr. Fitt was not’ prepared to recommend that every boy should attend a secondary school of the grammar school type, he vigorously urged that youth should be under guidance until 16 or 17-years of age. It was inflnitely bad to leave the' adolescent to fend for himself. Yet the Dominion had been satisfled to allow half of- its youth to go out into the world by the ege of 14 without further guidance.

Value of Youth Clubs. “Hobbies are essential to the adolescent and every means should be taken to further his interests,’’ continued the speaker. “Youth clubs are capable of performing valuable work by the encouragement of reading and the stimulation of study into world affairs and current problems. it might be suggested that the State should undertako this scheme, but 1 W'ould prefer the local community to shoulder the task, for it alone knows the peculiar circumstances of the province within which it is centred, and its wish Is far stronger than any edict of the State." Referring to vocational training, Dr. Fitt said that there were difficult times ahead of industry and commerce, and every endeavour should bo made to substitute the “hit and miss” apprenticeship methods by scientific training. Every individual should finish his general education before touching upon vocational training, and the-speaker’s scheme would bo to take vocational training from the sphere of the general educationist and place it in the hands of a Government scienLillu department. War an Impossibility. “We face what is essentially a problem of keeping youth occupied, and it. is all the more urgent because of the difllcultics that Ho ahead," declared Dr. Fitt. “Although we are told wc are ‘getting around the corner’ it is going lo take a long lime to overcome the setbacks that the world lias received, and youth of to-day means more to the world of to-morrow than in any past age. There are all sorts of problems, not only economic, that will have lo be faced, and it will be youth’s responsibility." Dr. Flit added Hint If each nation handled Hie problem ..wisely, and If youth were educated to sec what life really meant, war would become a tiling of the pasl. They were being turned back lo semi-barbarism only by a lack of real education.