PANEL DISCUSSES EDUCATION

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27410, 24 July 1954, Page 8

PANEL DISCUSSES EDUCATION

Variety Of Questions Answered

UNIVERSITY DISCUSSION GROUP

The University .Discussion Gromj which for the last few weeks has been supplying plenty of humour anck surprising theories, met yesterday to consider a very general topic, “education,’’ and though logical answers were few the crowded hall was able to extract great pleasure from them. The panel, Mr A. J. Danks (chairman), Mr P. J. Lawrence (education) Mr J. M. Shorter (philosophy), Dr’ A. Crowther (psychology), and fessor H. Field (education), considered about a dozen questions, ranging from spelling in New Zealand to the Dominion’s school leaving age. The question, “Would reform in the spelling of English be better than continued attempts to teach New Zealanders to spell?” prompted Mr Danks to say that when he entered teaching he was told, “There’s nothing to it an apple in one pocket and a strap in the other.” One member suggested phonetic spelling as a method of removing errors, but another disagreed, saying that the idea involved serious complications. professor Field said: "Good spelling is something like good manners.” Given the final word, Mr Danks said: “And anyway, phonetic spelling would mean the end of the pun.” "It is widely claimed that the pres, ent methods of selecting university students are wasteful of staff time through admission of too many thirdrate students,” said another question. The panel was asked: “Why does the university not use some of the welltried psychological selection methods?” Dr. Crowther said he was not in favour of making an overnight decision for using psychological methods in selection. He thought too little was known about selecting a good student from the bad.

The group was asked whether the processes of education were greatly furthered by community living. Members considered (1) the large family versus the small; (2) the bungalow with its high fence versus the flats with certain communal facilities; (3) the student at home versus the student in a hall of residence. The answers included: that persons in flats shut them* selves up tighter than those in bungalows; that students are often put to better advantage by living together and beinfr able to discuss university work. Some students, one member said, had often felt that by living at home they missed mental stimulation. To “Can the schools be expected ta cope with problems of juvenile delinquency?” Professor Field said: “Thera is pretty firm evidence that delinquency shows in a child before he is 10 years old. If these signs are picked up early something can be done, and is being done.”