The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Sun. THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1942. ARMY EDUCATION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 178, 30 July 1942, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Sun. THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1942. ARMY EDUCATION

*J*IIE Minister of Education gave the House of Representatives an assurance three weeks ago that a scheme of army education was being prepared, and led the House to believe that action would not be long delayed. It is to be hoped that the delay to date is occasioned by the necessity of thoroughly preparing the scheme and not by the opposition or lukewarm support of it by the army authorities. As far as we have observed, not one of the high military officers has expressed an opinion, either favourable or hostile, on the subject, and this silence is not comforting to those officers and men, and their relatives, who know well the need that exists and are confident that something worthwhile can and should be done to meet it. The mere introduction of a system of army education would not ensure its success. The success or failure would be strongly influenced, and perhaps determined, by the attitude towards it of the army authorities in the higher ranks, which would inevitably be reflected lower down. If that attitude were to be that the education scheme was a- nuisance, imposed upon the army by people outside, little that would help to make the scheme succeed would be found possible, and much would be found impossible. It is therefore to be hoped that the introduction of a scheme will be accompanied by a statement of the General Officer Commanding, and by such appointments and instructions as will convince officers and men alike of the importance that Is attached to it.

As to the need of a scheme, who can doubt it? The Government has caused to be mobilised scores of thousands of men, and as far as can now be seen their mobilisation will continue indefinitely. The majority ot them are men more than 21 years of age, and many have been transferred from civil work and responsibility exceeding in importance that which the army allots them. For these the army can never ' h ,°' r . l "°- In a degree dependent closely on the ability and resource cA their officers and the nature of their particular work their arU c f iT len l y may be absorbecl for a time, but seldom to the thf fnl if h T interests. It may be argued that the majority of ; y h , acl rcmainetl in civil life, would care nothing for educational opportunities, and this is true; but in civil life they are l °r u ? e (l tht, . ir Jcisur-o as they choose, while in the army they are not. They feel the lack of mental stimulus. ' '

-to „ Cut prratcr tha , n the nced of the older men is the need of youths. la years of age and upwards, whose experience of civil occupation has Whnt S ['r ih° r " on '9 xistcnt - These one day will return to civil life. What are they to do? What will they be fitted to do? If present conditions continue, many of them will be fitted for little or nothing except unsk lied labour, in which they will be at all' likely tosecure the?r llvp^?h° yment ' SOme of the most formative years of I i rmy i Wl r u ve P rovided for them; they will not find it thev vrm ?h in£ thn°ttvf°r themselvcs - But > having served their country, 4+ :n think that their country owes them something. So it willILih/i °7 e u r e ' T1 1 opportunity to work in accordance with their Individual abilities. But if, as is most likely, scores of thousands of wnV L lised Y ithin a P erlod of a few months, the opportunities Will inevitably be made available first to men who have had experience and have acquired skill in the occupation of their choice. Those who MnflnpH n n °r°' XP r nen i C u who have acf iulred no skill, who have been U™ k f disinclined by their army experience to acquire any will I! a P" or Prospect. The community will owe them a debt but in™L una h |e full y to discharge that debt unless it begins now How long they will remain in the army no one can tell; they may i°iP« a P eriod 2 f y ears of watchful waiting, like the soldiers of Tf Kingdom, where there does exist a system of army education thnr »hof corr } m unity. and the army leaders, have a plain duty to ensure igaln beco P me°clvinan S not U " erly With ° Ut V3lUe t0 them when the r