The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1913. EDUCATION AND THE PRESENT CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1908, 17 November 1913, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1913. EDUCATION AND THE PRESENT CRISIS.

The children from the elementary schools of Britain arc not able to think for themselves. This opinion is expressed in the report of a committee'set up a few years ago to consider the question of industrial education in Britain, and there is unfortunately only too much reason to believe that there is tho same lamentable lack of the power of independent thought among the young people who have passed through the State schools of 'New Zealand. This fact has been strongly emphasised ; by certain aspects of the present industrial upheaval. An education system which does not implant in the minds of the young ; a strong sense of moral responsibility* high ideals of citizenship, and the capacity of forming a reasonably jksfc judgment, has failed in its main object—the building of character. In a country like this, where a system of practically universal education has been in existence for forty years, such scenes as were witnessed in Wellington during, the first few days of the strike ought to be impossible. It showed that there is a considerable element in our population that has very little respect for law. Presumably a fair proportion of those who took part in that outburst of lawlessness mast have had -the advantage of State education, either in New Zealand or in tho Mother Country. When it is borne in mind that obcdie&eo to the properly constituted authorities is one of the fundamental duties,of citizenship, such ,an ugly display of the forces of disorder cannot fail to make thoughtful people feel that* there is something radically wrong with our educational methods. That there is a serious weakness somewhere is now very generally admitted, but there is no such general agreement as to the remedy. In a paper read before tho education section at the rccent meeting of the British Association, Principal E. H. Gkiffiths declared that educational effort should bo mainly directed to making the character and intelli- j gcnce of the child 'so much better' than his knowledge, that increase in knowledge would follow as a matter j of course.

There is also a good deal of disappointment as regards the results attained by our education system in the training of the intelligence. The children are taught a great many subject!;, and seem to acquire much useful information; hut many of them do not appear to know how to use their brains. The real test of any system of education is not the passing of certain examinations, but its influence on the life of the pupil in his social, industrial, and political relationships, after he has gone out into the world. If our young people were taught at school bow to think for thomw.lvcs, would it jjopiljje ttea aiiij.

women to be misled by the reckless revolutionary utterances of which we have had so many examples during',tho last few days? It is almost incdnceivabl-o that any man who has had the advantage, of a Slate ••education could bo influenced by the anti-social doctrines., and the vulgar tirades of revolutionary orators who, play on the passions and * prejudices of ignorant people. One. would have thought that ■ with. the spread of knowledge tho occupation of these nifn would' have disappeared, How could anyone whose school : education had given, hini the capacity for independent thought imagine that {'ho wage-earners can possibly increase their Wealth by deliberately limiting tho production o£ wealth; or how eoAld a man who had been taught the duties of citizenship and imbued with a high sense of moral responsibility, have any sympathy with the class war, the gene- : ral strike, and other methods of barbarism 1 The most effective antidote to the teachings of the agitator ' and the demagogue is that power of '.forming a right, judgments which it should be one of the first aims-'of a national education system to supply. It is only, fair to point out that most of thq . revolutionary propaganda that has been going on in oar midst for some time past is the work of foreigners and undesirable importations from other parts; but these undesirables would soon find ! their way to aior® gullible communities if New Zealanders turned a deaf oar. to their appeals, and- we(o de- ' termined to think and act for themselves. Sound knowledge- and common sense arotho surest-safeguards 1 against the wiles of tho Red Federation and kindred organisations. If the foolish people who aro being led to disaster by tho strike- leaders would' only think -a little more and apply the test of common sense ,to the wild and mischievous theories and palpable, distortion of plain facts, /by means of, which their leaders are' endeavouring to delay their inevitable downfall, the present strike would collapse at ottco like a house of cards before a breath of wind. The evident unwillingness of. the vast .majority of the anions to respond to the Federation's call to "down tools" is certainly a hopeful sign, especially when one hears in mind the persistent and desperate efforts which have been made to involve them in the trouble. It shows that the main bodv of JJcw Zealand trades unionists have not committed themselves to tho' dishonourable breaking. of written; agreements ■an d the pernicious doctrines of syndicalism, and the probabilities are that when the power of the Federation has been broken, the whole Labour movement throughout the Dominion will be placed upon a more satisfactory , footing. The working man and the general public, too, have had a very unpleasant taste of what Federation rule means., and in future we will all realise more fully than before the benefits, of civilised government. Not- only the workers, but people in every state of life, need to recognise more fully their responsibilities a-s citizens.; arid the present trouble should impress on each one of us that, to quote Peofessoh Henry Jones, tho State stands as the common guardian of all just rights; that a-s such, only as such,, it is the defence of every man's freedom and the security.of his own life; and that when its life or its welfare is at stake, everything is at stake. Our . national education system should do more than it is doing to spread higher ideals of citizenship and patriotism.