POWERFUL FORGE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 182, 19 November 1941, Page 2

POWERFUL FORGE

EDUCATION AS AN INSTRUMENT

MISDIRECTED' EFFORTS

Many public men in New Zealand, including the Solicitor-General, Mr H. 11. Cornish, K.C., have recently been paying attention to the need for care in educating the rising generation to its individual, national and international responsibilities. If anyone doubts the power of education in transforming the outlook of a Avhole generation it is only necessary to let the mind range over Central Europe, where misdirected education has been directly responsible for the greatest human disaster in history. That is an arersting lesson of the damage that might be caused by mistakes in anj r degree in the teaching of the millions of young people who are taking the places of their ciders in the world of affairs (says the Waikato Times) . Young Germany Misled' Hitler planned in the minds of young Germany a certain conception of life which, though it cut clear across all the elder virtues and stai> dards of conduct, had a certain at" traction for young people who lacked experience to counteract their temptation. Young Nazis were taught that they were a race of supermen, immeasurably superior to all other peoples; that they had a divine right to conquer and rule; that the most violent methods to attain a position of superiority were perfectIa t justified in such god-like creatures. Young Germany believed this ns young people l will—it was tauglil so realistically. This was mass eduction on a scale, never before attempted and it snccceded even beyond the wildest dreams of Hitlei himself. The harvest is being reaped in Europe now. "Education" haa given Hitler a mighty destructive machine with startling suddenness. This is proof enough that education 'ind propganda arc amongst the" most powerful instruments in the hands of man. Weakness in New Zealand If Hitler had been a different man, rf his Nazi system of education had been honourable and human, the world Avoulkl haA r c been spared its nresent ghastly ordeal. Is it an"? wonder, then, that men in responsible positions in New Zealnad and elsewhere arc asking themselves AA rhefher this great instrument Oif education is being employed Avisel.v and well? What might not be made of the British race if Government and other institutions set their hands to ft definite objectiA'e, good or bad 1 Certain Aveaknesses are being manifested eA*en in* the young people of New Zealand. Those responsible for this trend are the people at heme and abroad Avho are setting the example for youth to emulate. Germany has shown that the veneer of civilisation is thin indeed and that It is possible in one generation, for Germans at least, to revert to the laws of the jungle.