EFFECT OF ALCOHOL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2193, 4 July 1914, Page 9

EFFECT OF ALCOHOL.

A SCHOOL SUBJECT NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE REQUESTS, • - I T,' o compulsory teaching of scientifio temperjnco in European aud Name 6jhnols Has advocated jos'erdaj Ly a , ciopuf alien from the New Zealand Alliance, which united upon tho M ; m»ter of Educniei. (lho Hon. James Alien). ;'Jhe dfnutation was introduced bv Mr, 1.. JI.-'Ltt, M.l'. I The Rev. J. D'iin->on, secretary of ] thj X> a- Zealand Alliance, stated "tha*. fie hed been instructed by tho lcccnt Donrjihon conference to " c o« the Minlat, r at the, earliest moment, Mi view <? ilie possibility ol an amending Educafon liiU coming doiin Jlia session. • ' Ho e,,iigratiilatcd the Minister on nhat iiaj ahead} been deno oy tlio giving of nura: Instruction" iu the echoo's Under tho school regulations moral instruction nas provided, and tho whoiars were to - bo taught te nperaneo in eating and diinking, of Mio effect of alcoholic beverages, and the mjurious effect of clcohol on tho body. He wanted to j/imt out that the said that tho e subjects "ma\ bo treated. - ' Jliey he- - neved that meant "must bo treated," ond if so they vculd like it emphasised.,. Uicy also suggested that it should bo part of the'inspectors' duties to examine the pupili on that point. It seemed to *hem as important that tho child - should know tiic effect of alcohol en *ho bod} as that ho should know tjiat two anti two made four. A headmaster in cue of tho public «choo:s hed to'd him that if there we.ro fifteen half-hour hsson= during the '}oar tho ground v.ould bo cohered in Standards 4, 5, ard 6. He also desired to urge t.iat in Training Collides subject of -.cicntif.c temperance should bo taught, so ' t!ict tho teacher *v.oi''d bo thoroughly, > trained to'npart instruction in th<? primary and secondary schocls. Teach the Maoris. They wan f ed to urge, also, that tho subject should'be iavLnt in the Maori rchoo'.s, as neii as the European school?. - They recognised that +herc were greater difficulties in connection v.'tli the Maori schools, such as the d'fficukias cf getting teachers At the same time they s thought that 't was a. matter "of su- , promo-'■nnortanre that ?uch a subject as s"ier.tit\c temperance should bo Imight vnder tho attention, and inpros:ed upen Mao*; children, as noil a= European ch Hrcn. The Rev G Knr'.vlcs Smith said tint lie wanted to 3p"ak as an ox-certificated _ teacher. He-know that the school avllabus ivas fairiy crowded, and the teacher would necossirih give the least timo and attention to'•hose =nl whirh were not 'coming i.nder *hc revien oF th" msnector Relieving as they did that such 'nn importai-t matter shonld J be frrm the beginning they eb- | sired ihat it ->houI(: be one of the snV jectron which examination should taVo nlace. Othersiso ther, v.-as the danger that it vou'd not receive the attent'o.i that it desert-rd. They were prepared, in o'der to a ; d tho teachers in 'heir , work, to have experts go TOtird and give sc : rrti r ie demor.srraiioiis on the effect of n'cohol. He was not suaGcstin;; tint anybody shcuM be allowed into the rchools. The Maori needed the if-strih-tion as mucn as the European children. Tlia f.llnlstsr's Reply. , j In replying, Mr. Allen said tint tho Department wrr? anxious that *ho "Maori children should learn tho full facts of alcohol, jnst is it was taught in tho ordinary . schools The regulations were-quito clear upon the matter. lln tho Regular'\,ns for Native Scnools, 11910, under the head of "Morals," ir." wis suggested that the toieher should give simple loi'ors en various subjects Amongst those' svbjects -was of tercperance. More than that, Mr. J. H. Popo, late Inspector of Maori Schools, had issued a sma'l book entit'e'd "Health for tho Manr," and that was issued foi iiistmction "in tho schools It dealt with th« subject of temperance. Both, therefore, by xegulit'cns and illustrated literature,' they were doing ail they could to let tho Native ch'ldren k':ow what might be tha fu'l effects of alcohol. In the ordinarj fchoo's provision was mado for moral toaehlng, and charts wcro hung up pointing out definitely what was the- s scieniifK! view of tho effects' of alcohol.

Ho did not sea his -ray to make -the snbject compulsory. tendency was to rather do away with tlis 'compulsory subjects in tho syllabus, and_ lay dowa definite line's of education. They want-, ed to teacher, in jnitia-, tire. He wouH rielp tho deputation as much as Tie could with Tcpard to tho' toa'-hins;"des ; red, but he did not feell inclined, at tho present time, io eompel tho teacher to do it by law or regulation. 110 v> as not prepared to allow outside experts in th'e schools to rivo dctnonsirctifES. If ono was allowed io phow tho eSect of alcohol on i certain tissues other experts would come; to show v.hat. w as not iho effect of dxiak i and'tlio~sclloois - vronld be turned into bear gardens. Ho had ovry confidence in the teachers, ?nd as" tho trainin? of tiachcrs went,on in thoj % Training Colleges tho efTect would bo , - to rooro and more carry out the moral and physical training of tho scholars, j TIo bciicvod tliat was as importint i_ - 1 tho'cducatior.al training, for it le<l ap to. and fitxed tic youth, for the latter. ; Mr. DaT,son: Can you suggest o test j at the end of tho year? Mr. Allen: I presume the "Insparfor* cx?m'ne3 or. this question of moral v trainmi;. Ho ought to do fo, nnd I presiime he does. I tri'l inquire and sen if it is so. I Tho deputation' then withflreTrj