CALLING A HALT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 456, 15 March 1909, Page 4

CALLING A HALT.

TOO MANY SCHOOL DISPLAYS. PROTEST BY THE HEADMASTERS' ASSOCIATION'. Tho Wellington Headmasters' Association las issued a manifesto on t-lio subject of eliool displays, which should afford the eduational controlling authorities and tho gen-!i-al public some food for serious rellectioil. V sub-committee appointed by tho associ.v .ion to prepare a draft liumifesto on tho gen. >ral question of school displays, and the in« :reasing tendency on the part of the coiltrolling authority and tho public to regard -ho organising of such public functions in ivhich school children should or should not take part as tho professional function of tho teachers, presented its report at a meeting of Llie association held on Saturday morning, and, after somo discussion, it was adopted. The text of tho report is as follows:— A Reproach to Public Bodies. "Your committee must at the outset call attention to a very curious anomaly with respect to the duties thrust upon teachcrs. When any other class of tho community undertake public duties for tho benefit of tlioir fellow citizcns, they do so as volunteerSj puro and simple. No ono would dream of insisting that these outside enthusiasts should bo compelled to do anything in their leisure timo for the delectation of the general public. Your enthusiastic organisers and entertainers would stand aghast were any public body to hint at compulsion. Tho public likowiso would bo shocked. How curious it is,that in this 20th century theroshould bo one class expected, and in somo cases required, to undertake outside duties without a shadow of consultation. That it should bs so is a rcproac.h to the public bodies which require tho performance of these outsido duties; and is a grave reflection upon tho members of that class whoso apathy permits of such demands being made upon'them. Old Traditions and Customs. "A timo was when, in other lands, tho master was used for various menial purposes. Tho old traditions and customs dio hard, and to-day, in our progressive Dominion, tho samo mean view of tho functions of a schoolmaster still persists. Directly a public body resolves to hold n demonstration, its members look round and find volunteers who will undertake certaJn portions of tho work; but teachers aro not treated as volunteers. They are directed to undertake these extraneous duties. Tho teachcrs aro nopointcd the real executive comlnittec, and presently find themselves engaged in tho pcrforinanco oi extraneous duties of an arduous character, and sometimes of a repugnant descripc desires to spend an especially huppy day, a day that will be romomborcd, until something bigger and noisier i 5 organised, and again without consultation it is docided that tbo teachcrs shall.organist) tho children—the proscnec of tho chiltlrca will attract the parents and olhfcr relations —and then something will result that tho photographer can immortalise. A lower lovol is, of coursGj readied when such demonstrations, tho organisation of which lias been thrust upon public school teachers, arc niado for tho purpose of gratifying tho personal anubition of somo local public men, or, it may be, in assisting in tho promotion of some public servant. Arc we not humiliated in confessing that we meekly assisted m such celebrations ? The School cadets. "Bound up with this matter of school displays, is tho further cjucstion of the uses to which cadets and their officers aro put. As onmually established, tlio iutention was excellent littlo display, tho very minimum of uniform and military appendages, efficient drill, practical training in tho uso of a riflo: theso wero tho admirable aims. But there has been a decline: there liavo been many lapses; tho display element has grown boyond control, has overshadowed tho other essential aims. What is now magnified is the picturo tho littlo boys make: and honco i they and their teachers aro dragged at tho heels of the volunteers oil high' days. and holidays. And how- do tho teachcr-officors like it? They.aro not invited to have an opinion in. tho matter. Certain highlyplaced officers realise that tho cadets mako a picturesque and attractive element in a holiday crowd: and therefore they aro called out just as if they formed a portion of the defence forces of the Dominion, whoa these aro paraded for spectacular display. Certain it is that cadets should never) bo called out to march in procession, to lino the streets, to do duty quite alien to the intention of tho organisation. The questioa of tho cadets, their organisation, and the uses to which tlicy aro put is so important that it is to bo hoped tliis association will at an early date, deal with it in a separatl report. Controlling School Sports. "It might bo well, at this stage, to recall tho fact, well-known to all parents, that teachers—botli men and women—devote a good deal of timo outsido of school hours, to their juvenile charges; games are organised ami boys and girls aro twined to play these games. By many teachers, a very considerable amount of leisure time is given u]> in training children to play football, cviekot, tennis, hockey. All this has been done uncomplainingly: and why? Becauso tho men ami women doing this wero enthusiasts and volunteers; and tho extraneous, self-imposed duty commendcd itself to them. Parades of' teachers and pupils and cadets on public occasions aro repugnant to the great body of teachers— 'are upon them from outside; hetica tho dissatisfaction when such occasions occur. What the Board Should Do. "Your committee would like to placc on record the fact that for many years thero' has been the best possible relationship existing between the Wellington Education Board and its stair of teachers. In fact, both north and .south, tho local board has had moro than a local reputation for fair and considerate treatment of its teachers. AVo hope, therefore, for tho help and sympathy of the board in putting this matter of public display on a satisfactory footing. Tho question might be asked whether tho schools should ever turn out: the only possible answer is that each case would' liavo to be considered on i ils merits. Certainly tho arrival or tho djJpdrturo of a Governor; tho visit of some distinguished visitor from overseas; tho anniversary of the change of name from colony to Dominion; these cannot bo deemed of sufficient national importance to warrant a display. The case would bo dilferent were somo great" event to tako place which stirred the enthusiasm of nil, something that deeply touched tho life of tho people:-and on such an occasion we feel confident that teachcrs would bo the first to. volunteer to assist. Ono aspect of these parades wo consider particularly barbarous. It is bad enough that men should take charge of pupils and attempt to manage tlicni in the public tlioroughlaros: but :v very much lower level is reached when women are compelled to marshall children in the public streets. Nothing can be said in support of such a profeeding, and it has continued simply through sheer want of though?. Points for Consideration. "As a practical outcome of this assoiiation's delioerations, it is hoped:— "I. That pu'nlic bodies—tho (loverp.nent, the Education Board, entertainment com. mittees on public occasions, will cea?o making demands, as a more matter o' courso. on teachcrs and pupils of the publu schools. That should teachers at any time be asked to help, they must insist cn previous consultation: and it must be clearly understood that, as citii'.ens, (hey no free to give, or to withhold their assistance according as the occasion commends itself to thorn or not. That no woman will, at any time, be expected to undertake, by way ot spectacular display, school duties outside iho school grounds. "Tho great body of the public, we believe, is with us in lluw reasonable demands ol ours, and success cannot lull i.ttend our efforts at reform if teachers haw patience and persistence, and loyally stand by whatever decision is arrived at by th> organisation to jWhich they belong."