PRISON REFORM

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20692, 30 December 1938, Page 10

PRISON REFORM

CONVICTS LEARN FRENCH CLASSES AT DARTMOOR (Times Aair Mail Service) LONDON, November 21. Once the home of French prisoners of war, Dartmoor prison is now a school for convicts learning French, says the News Chronicle. This was revealed in the recent Government report on prisons, and >esterday Mr C. Hartley, a master at Tavistock Grammar School, who is teaching the men, said: ‘The classes have become extremetv popular. I spend only an hour and a half a w-gek in the prison, but marking the men's homework takes much longer than teaching them. They are absolute gluttons for homework, and as a result make rapid progress. I find that a man knowing no French at all usually reaches school certificate standard within a year." Surprise for Official Several of the prisoners could pass higher school certificate examination. added Mr Hartley. When a French Government official visited the prison he was surprised to find men who could converse fiuontly with him in his own language. Three of Mr Hartley’s pupils have written him since their release to inform him that the French classes had helped them to secure employment. One is now a travel agent and-an-other a taxi-driver specialising in showing foreigners the sights of London. German classes are now to be started.