EDUCATION IN THE NEW ZEALAND ARMY

Korero (AEWS), Volume 3, Issue 14, 13 August 1945, Page 7

EDUCATION IN THE NEW ZEALAND ARMY

A KORERO Report

pinions in favour of the establishOpinions in favour of the establishment of an Army education scheme in New Zealand were being voiced as early as 1940. From that time until the inception of the Army Education Welfare Service in September, 1942, public opinion became steadily stronger. There were many offers of help from local education bodies and private individuals. As time passed, New Zealand watched Army education schemes being put into operation in Britain, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. In December, 1940, the Dominion Conference of the Workers’ Educational Association passed a resolution urging the Government to institute adult educational work among the New Zealand Armed Forces as part of their training, along the lines adopted in Great Britain. The W.E.A. offered its cooperation in any such educational work. In Britain, however, where there was no reason to suppose that the demands of military training were less exacting, the general purpose of the British Army education scheme as given in the Haining report was “ to provide some means of mental stimulus to keep the men’s minds interested and alert,” which seemed to imply that military training alone would not do this. Adding his weight to this opinion, the Director of British Army Education said : “ There is a persistent demand for education, but this is very strong only in so far as the process can be linked up with the future prospects of those demanding it. Technical, professional, and academic instruction is asked for.” By the beginning of 1942, conditions in the Armed Forces, both within New Zealand and overseas, demanded the establishment of Army educational facilities. Many thousands of troops were in camps throughout New Zealand, while thousands more were in other than fighting units overseas. Mobilization had

reached the stage where men of the 18-20 year old groups had been called into camp. Public opinion, as well as that of the men themselves, was urgent that arrangements should be made to enable those whose technical or professional training had been interrupted to resume their studies while still in the Forces. Many had been in camp for months ; others, in fortress areas, were weary of the monotony of the daily routine. The war was two and a half years old and would presumably not last for ever. Men now had the leisure during their military training to look forward to their return to civilian life, and wished to equip themselves for it. Tentative Scheme suggested In March, 1942, at the request of the Minister, the Director of Education (Dr. C. E. Beeby) furnished a draft of a tentative scheme for Army education. The aims of the scheme were twofold : to help maintain morale, and to facilitate demobilization, and rehabilitation by preparing for Civil life and citizenship. Dr. Beeby laid down as a fundamental principle that it would be essential for some part of Army education to be accepted as an integral part of ordinary A rmy training. A purely voluntary system operating in the men’s leisure time after a heavy day’s work could have useful but very limited application. If this principle were accepted, it followed that the main organization for Army education must be within the Army itself, and the greatest possible use be made of Army officers and N.C.Os. Selected officers and N.C.O.s should be given some training in educational methods. This would necessitate a central Army School of Education. In September, 1942, Lieutenant-Colonel D. G. Ball was appointed Director of Army Education Welfare Service. An

A.E.W.S. conference was held in Wellington, and it was decided to base the organization of the scheme on the foundations suggested by the Director of Education, taking into account the views of the General Staff as expressed by the General Officer Commanding and by the Adjutant-General. Some months were occupied in building up the necessary organization and in the choosing of suitable staff. The scheme began to provide educational facilities early in 1943. These were available at first only in New Zealand, but were soon extended. During 1943, A.E.W.S. extended its services to the 3rd Division in New Caledonia and elsewhere in the Pacific. The newspaper, Kiwi News, was established and maintained by A.E.W.S. Special arrangements were made to provide instruction and entertainment for men in the Pacific Forces who were awaiting return to essential industry in New Zealand, and also for troops returning from the forward area. Apart from handicraft facilities provided, seven lecturers despatched from New Zealand gave a series of lectures on general economic and social subjects and on matters of interest to farmers. A Pacific Kiwi Concert Party was organized to provide a type of entertainment that the men had not had before. A Repertory Party also went on tour and was much appreciated. Talks and advice on repertory work were also made use of. A visiting pianist also gave his help, sometimes giving recitals on his own, sometimes giving a joint entertainment with the Repertory Party. He also organized instrumental items by members of the Forces, and gave invaluable assistance. This entertainment and instruction was provided at a time when, owing to the withdrawal of men for essential industry and the consequent reorganizaton, a large number of the troops could not be employed in ordinary military duties. Early in 1944 the advance party of an education staff was sent to the Middle East. Rehabilitation was by this time an urgent problem for many

men. Since the welfare of the Division was already very well looked after, it was unnecessary for the service to include that among its other jobs, so it took the name of the New Zealand Education Rehabilitation Service (N.Z.E.R.S.). Educational facilities and rehabilitation advice were provided for New Zealand line of communication troops in Egypt and Italy. E.R.S. officers later travelled to the United Kingdom and catered for the needs of repatriated prisoners of war, many of whom had a stay of several months in Britain. Within New Zealand, educational facilities were extended to more than one hundred military camps throughout the country. All the facilities of A.E.W.S. were available to the Navy and the Air Force through their respective educational services. University and Professional Study Courses A.E.W.S. has been able to place its facilities at the disposal of servicemen, both in New Zealand and overseas, who wished to study for University and other professional examinations. Necessary text-books were despatched to many strange places, and, by arrangement with the examining bodies concerned, examinations have been held on board transports, in the Pacific islands and with the 2 N.Z.E.F. in Egypt and in Italy. Candidates have also been kept informed of wartime concessions, and negotiations carried on on their behalf. Servicemen have made good use of these facilities. There have been more than 5,000 enrolments in New Zealand and the. Pacific, more than 8,000 from the Middle East, and 226 from the United Kingdom. Of candidates who recently sat examinations in Italy for the University of New Zealand, 80 per cent, obtained passes. Vocational Training Study course booklets, edited, illustrated, and printed in New Zealand, have been available. There are twentysix study courses, covering most of the

known vocations. The A.E.W.S. has also organized classes in technical and trade subjects such as Motor Engineering, Shorthand, Carpentering, and Plumbing. Fifty-two technical class subjects have been available to servicemen students, and have been very widely used. Arrangements were also made for A.E.W.S. and E.R.S. to supervise trade, technical, and Post and Telegraph Department examinations in Army units both in New Zealand and overseas.

Current Affairs Discussion Groups Current Affairs Bulletins have been issued fortnightly, about 15,000 copies of each issue being distributed to the Forces in New, Zealand and overseas. About 16,000 copies of Korero have also been distributed fortnightly. Discussion courses on twenty-six different subjects have been published. Other publications in New Zealand have been a reference booklet, “ Careers for Servicemen ”, and two elementary self-teaching primers, German for NewZealander s and Italian for New-Zealanders. In the Middle East the E.R.S. published Cue, a magazine for the troops in Egypt and Italy, of which 7,000 copies were distributed fortnightly. Information pamphlets on Egypt, Rome, Florence, and Venice were printed ; and every serviceman returning from the Middle East or from the United Kingdom received a copy of the Rehabilitation booklet, “ Serviceman into Civilian.” In the United Kingdom, E.R.S. published Southern Cross for prisoners of war. Each issue was 1,000 copies. Information pamphlets also were distributed to returning prisoners of war during their stay in the United Kingdom, and the information service, which oper-

ated both in New Zealand and overseas, was widely used. Several thousand written queries alone were answered. Library Service In co-operation with the Country Library Service, the Library began distribution early in 1943. Since then, about 1,000,000 books a year have been issued in New Zealand and the Pacific. Three thousand cases of reading material were sent to Egypt and Italy to augment supplies purchased from Britain and the United States. A special request service was inaugurated which was able to satisfy thousands of requests for technical books and for others of an unusual character. Periodicals covering every phase of New Zealand life were sent overseas, in addition to special New Zealand Libraries of Information prepared for the purpose. Overseas periodicals were also distributed. Films Films have played a large part in the leisure life of troops in this war. The information supplied has varied between the cultural, the educational, the militarily useful, and the purely entertainment. A.E.W.S. supplied thirteen 16 mm. units to the Middle East, two to the United Kingdom, and a quantity of New Zealand National Film Unit Reviews, as well as film-strip projectors. The film section was also responsible for the maintenance of eighty 16 mm. sound-film projectors belonging to the three Services in New Zealand. Informal Education and Welfare Activities The servicemen who wished to study in their spare time, numerous though they were, constituted only a minority. The majority were eager to find some instructive and entertaining way of spending their spare time other than by study. For these, the A.E.W.S. provided a representative choice of recreation. The provision of musical facilities in New Zealand camps encouraged the formation of orchestras, choirs, and operatic societies. The Army Operatic

Society, C.M.D., for example, produced The Pirates of Penzance, The Gondoliers, and lolanthe, thereby raising a substantial sum for patriotic purposes. The arts were also encouraged, and an Artists in Uniform exhibition was held. A total of 550 entries was received, from which 270 were accepted. The exhibition was shown throughout New Zealand, the proceeds being devoted to the patriotic funds. The display included more than 700 exhibits made by men of the 13th Brigade at Vella Lavella. In the middle East, where men awaiting passage to New Zealand often had a lengthy wait in Egypt with little to do, hobbies huts were equipped. For those interested in dramatic work, more than 350 sets of plays for production and for play-reading were acquired. The New Zealand Combined Services Sports Committee used the A.E.W.S. as its organizing channel in arranging sporting functions in Rugby, cricket, hockey, swimming, boxing, and basketball. For those interested, and they were many, tours were organized to places of historical interest in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Italy. Educational officers and N.C.O.s in New Zealand Forces Clubs in Cairo, Bari, Rome, Florence, Trieste, and Venice made regular features of such expeditions, which were a great success. Rehabilitation The A.E.W.S. was fully informed of rehabilitation policy, benefits, and procedure. Servicemen queries were answered promptly and with authority. Every effort was made to ensure that when a serviceman returned to New Zealand from overseas, or when his term of home service was drawing to a close, he had information as to the postwar prospects in his pre-war occupation, or in any other he might wish to enter. He also had access, through the A.E.W.S., to all official rehabilitation publications, and to such periodicals as the New Zealand R.S.A . Review.

All returning servicemen received a copy of “ Serviceman into Civilian,” and all, before returning to New Zealand, had completed the rehabilitation form 59a at a personal interview with an E.R.S. officer, whose advice was available to all. Not only were lectures delivered by E.R.S. officers at base and transit camps, but also at least one officer accompanied each draft back to New Zealand on its transport. The rehabilitation information given to troops derived from an A.E.W.S. liaison section at Army Headquarters. This section provided authoritative answers to all overseas inquiries, distributed policy memoranda, publicity information, and case histories. The section also transmitted applications for bursaries to the Rehabilitation Department, and arranged for the decision to be relayed to E.R.S. in the Middle East. Most of A.E.W.S. facilities have been available to repatriated prisoners of war in the United Kingdom. Tours and University short-leave courses have been in considerable demand, as men hastened to make use of opportunities which might never again be encountered. Attachment Scheme Troops in the United Kingdom were also able to make use of the attachment scheme, by which a man could be attached to industry, trade, commerce, or profession for a period varying from a few days to six months. Attachments could also be made to farmers in order to take full part in the life and work of an English farm. Liaison was maintained with the British Ministries of Labour, Education, and Agriculture, who advised the Dominion Education Officer of the attachments available. Pay and allowances were at Service rates. The A.E.W.S. has tried to make each man and woman realize that their individual post-war fears and aspirations are not a lone struggle for accomplishment. It is not possible now to judge the success or failure of A.E.W.S. That must be postponed for a term of years.