THE NEW TEACHER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 238, 8 October 1928, Page 6

THE NEW TEACHER.

A VCHCE ON THE AIR.

RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS,

In the near future a radio receiving set will lie a necessary piece of apparatus in every school, far supplanting in usefulness the piano or the gramophone. To those who regard broadcasting as a passing phase of entertainment, or even a "craze," this statement may sound ridiculous, but in other lands experiments have been made, such as convince the most conservative educationists of the vast possibilities of radio as an aid to instruction of youth. America was early in the field with the devielopment of child education over the air.

It is claimed that to-day over twelve millions of the school population of the United States listen regularly to the voices of special instructors from broadcasting stations, and the teachers of the big Republic have, as a body, welcomed the new service as an important aid. The work undertaken to date has been largely experimental, and of the pioneering type, but of over 12,000 schools circularised, half have already indicated their willingness to accept a regular service of radio instruction. Information was sought as to the subjects particularly adapted to handling through the medium of broadcasting, and replies furnished a valuable guide to those sponsoring the new movement. Musical appreciation was placed, first, and domestic economy came last of all. This must be rather a blow to American broadcasters, who make quite an important feature of daily broadcasts for the instruction of the housewife.

Teachers expressed confidence in the advantages of geographical instruction, lessons in health, civics and events of the day, but held out little hope for the teaching of spelling, arithmetic and grammar over the air. As a result of experiments in various States, it is now certain that broadcasting will take a? permanent place as an educational instrument in U.S.A. * More interesting, and more thorough has been the exploration regarding the utility of radio instruction in Britain. Under the auspices of the British Broadcasting Corporation the Education Committee of the County of Kent undertook to try out the efficiency of radio instruction during last year. For this purpose wireless receiving sets were installed in sixtytwo elementary schools of various types, in town ' and country. Throughout 1927, children, under the guidance of their teachers, "listened regularly to the broadcast lectures, and the effects of these upon the juvenile mind were carefully studied. Teachers were consulted, and the consensus of their opinions was obtained. It is worth the study of both educationists and laymen. The results disclosed that the broadcast lesson imparted a knowledge of facts, stimulated interest in definitely observed ways, created impressions quite as durable as those produced by ordinary instruction, did not encourage inattention, and were particularly stimulating to clever children. Information which teachers themselves could not have supplied, gave fresh ideas for lessons, and interested the parents in some of the work that the children did in school. There is no thought in the minds of the investigating committee that the loud-speaker can replace the teacher. It requires his closest cooperation, for a concerted plan of action must be worked out between the radio lecturer and the person in control of the class, and this plan must be put into effect both in studio and in classroom. As in America, the investigators in Kent found that certain subjects lent themselves more readily than others to treatment through the microphone. Music was listed as most suitable by reason of the scope which it gave for illustration. French, since the voice of a Frenchman might be heard; geography, as travellers could detail their personal experiences; history, because a specialist having a full knowledge of his subject could supply a vivid background to text-books, as the traveller supplied such a background to the atlas. Dr. Salter Davis, Director of Education for Kent, in a comment upon the experiment, says: "Every Monday afternoon the controller of the 8.8.C. can take out his watch and say, 'At this moment 70,000 children are taking a wireless history lesson. Music on Tuesday, English on Wednesday, and so on throughout the week.' Two years ajro he would not have claimed 20,000 pupils. Two years hence he may be dealing with 200,000. In ten years' time- who can say how many boys and girls will have come under his influence." A? radio education has come to other lands, so will it come to New Zealand; but here, as elsewhere, the trail will have to be blazed, and blazed thoroughly. Such a scheme cannot be made nation-wide till the whole country can be covered dependably by a daylight broadcasting service. For us this time is not yet, but definite areas are already catered for, and in them the f ioneering work may be conducted so that eventually with future developments, the voice of the radio-teacher may reach every child in the Dominion. A.A.H.