"EDUCATE OR PERISH" AS NEW SLOGAN

Chronicle (Levin), 14 May 1946, Page 7

"EDUCATE OR PERISH" AS NEW SLOGAN

-P?-ess Association

schools can bring about \ changed outlook

By Telegraph-

W ELL1N GTUJN , May 16. "The new world oi'der demands of society a change of the lieart, mind, and outlook of our generation, and it is the t'ask of education, -as of no otlier organisation, to eli'ect this change in the ypung -society which ii=f, our responsibility," said Mr. Alex Hamua, in his presidential address to the annual uieeting of the Kew Zealand Educational Institute today.. Mr. Hanna emphasiscd the need for education in helpiug to solve the grave problems now confronting the world and the trend to return 'to power politics. The domaiii of thinlcing and feeling was peculiarly that of education; the use of its agency fpr demoeracy and enlighten'ment must result in a balanced outlook and energies •' whicli could be directed to lifting hunian wellbeing and internatioiiai security to a higher plane. There were those, said Mr. Hanna, who believed erroneously that a change of' niind>' and outlook could be pvrought onlv by legislative or revolutionary niethods. " ' Educate or perish, ' " continued Mr. Hanna. "Surely it is the niost patriotic if not the niost popular tusk to drive that -slogan home to the 11ational mind." To the men who died in the war, lie continued, there was an obligation so to mould young demoeracy that war would be inipossible because all nien, irrespective of race, colour, and creed, would wish to live in peace. ' ' Wc can pay our debt to the men who died for demoeraey only by using avery endea\ our to viudicate it, " add«d Mr. Hanna. "If we are to accomplish this great and all-important task, we must be more insistent thau ever in our demands "for conditions in our schools which will make the achievemciit of this aim possible — more teachers to do this vitally necessary work, and more room in which to do it. If tlie pupil is to receive porsoinil attention, and if his native endownient of personality is to be moulded into genuine character, these two prerequisites are essential. " Ultiniately our' demand for twico the number of teachers and twice tlie accommodatiou has to hold its own against demands of otlier groups in tlie Uomiiiioii, some of tlieni povverful pressure groups. The clainis of education sliould take precedence over all otlier clainis, because we, the teachers, have the guardianship of a quarter-millian children, and surely thcir interesls are paramount. I sometimes tliink it is by 110 nieans to our credifc that we have acquiesced in the sort of working conditions the systein has regarded as good oiiough for the job. ."All Ihe liopes of , the world, are based upou a genuiue and elTeclive demoeracy. Eor tliis reason alone, what is donc in tlie schools is more iniportaiit thau what is done by any other agency of the Bt'ale. Of Ihe several major factors militating against ediicational adyaiiccmynt, l bclieve an apathetic jiublity igiVofaiil of the neeiis o'f tlie scliool and . respo'nsibilities to mould demoeracy,'] to be the niost povverful."