School And Football Club Ready T o Celebrate Their Jubilees

Chronicle (Levin), 3 June 1949, Page 3

School And Football Club Ready T o Celebrate Their Jubilees

This weekend visitors from all parts of New Zeaiand willbe m Shannon to take part in the functions arranged to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the Shannon School and the golden jubilee of the Shannon Football Cliib. Former resi dents commenced to arrive yesterday mprning and by tomorrow it is expected that the population will have swelled to almost 8000. -

Gaily-coloured flags are suspended across the streets and the footpaths are continuously lined with groups of ex-pupils, renewing acquaintanceships which have been made in some cases as many as 60 years ago. The celebrations will ofiicially commence this evening, when the combined jubilee ball arranged by the' committee's of the School and Football Club, will be held in the Druids' Hall. On Saturday at 1 p.m. at the school there will be the flag ceremony by school pupils, the ringing of the school bell by the earliest pupil, a roll call of first week pupils byf the earliest teacher, addresses, a procession and laying of wreaths, followed by afternoon tea at the school. At 6 p.m. the jubilee banquet will be hel'd in the Druids' Hall. Commencing at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, the combined church service will be held in the Renown Theatre. The officiating ministers will he Revs. M. J. S. Whe'eler, J. W. Martin and J. Ashworth. The Changing Years. The past six decades have brought many changes in the school itself, as well as in educational thought. The strictly enforced discipline has develope'd into a new relationship between pupil and teacher and an application of democracy in the classroom. The former emphasis on the three R's (reading, writing and arithmetic) is more evenly distributed over a much wi'der curriculum. Prosy and flowery language has given way to more dire.ct expression, while labor-; ious calculations have been re-? placed by the shorter methods more; in tune with the actual experience. In a machine age, there is merit in training to operate the machinei rather than to do its work. The; faithful copying of the earlier drawing lessons has yielded to the child's wish for self-expression, while music,. physical education and history and geography have 'assumed more important roles in the syllabus of instruction. The value of education has also- been reassessed and some post-primary education, which has become free; to all, is now~ a prerequisite ' de-i manded for some trades. . . § Despite these revolu'tionary changes, educationalists still search for solutions to unsolved problems of the system ahd, indeed, of international relations. Education is the problem it is, because of its tremendous significance in character building, which cannot he divorced from learning. Facts alone are futile and the Ijbsorption of knowledge is worthless if it 'does not develop our consciousness and deepen our enjoyment of life. Minister's Message. It is unfortunate that the Minister of Education, Hon. T. H. McCombs, is unable to be present for the celebrations, but the following letter and message has been received from him by Mr. L. J. Bowler, joint secretary of the jubilee committee: — "Please convey to. your committee my thanks for the invitation to he present during the school's diamond jubilee celebrabrations. I appreciate the "invitation and regret that other engagements, which will take me out of Wellihgton during that weekend, prevent my accepting. With best wishes for a successful jubilee." Mr. McCombs also forwarded the following message: — "The jubilee of the shool is an important event in the history of a community, reviving memories of the past and bringing the past and presentpupils and teachers together in a common interest. "Sixty years of history emphasises the fact that a school is not merely a building, but a stream of scholars and teachers moulding a tradition that will grow stronger in the years to come. The present pupils have a responsibility to play their part in enriching. the tradition. This, I am sure, they will do, for I have full confidence in the zeal and strength of "character of the present generation of young people." >