The Dominion. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1915.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2578, 28 September 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1915.

ENEMY TEACHERS * The Alien. Enemy Teachers' Bill, which has now been circulated, deals with a very important question in a broad and comprehensive way. Its object, is to give legislative effect to the sound principle, recently laid down by the Prime Minister, that it is not desirable that unnaturalisecl alien subjects should continue to bo employed either in our university colleges or public schools. The Bill provides that it shall not be lawful for tho governing body of any public educational 'institution to employ as a teacher any person "who is, or at any time has been, a subject of any State with which His Majesty is now at war." The present crisis has impressed upon . British people in all parts of tho world the need of making the school a_ more effective training Ground for citizens than it lias been in the past. The report of the Education Department recently presented to Parliament lays stress upon "the grave moral responsibility imposed upon the school in the formation, through example, precept, and wisely directed tradition, of.Habits and ehttraotai' will afterwards make tfea gaol

'citizen." There arc, of coursc, different ideals of citizenship, and it is the British ideal that should bo implanted in the minds of British boys and girls. Tho people of New Zealand desire that their children shall be taught to love and understand those splendid ideals of justice and freedom, honour, and duty which we belicvo to bo tho sure foundations of national greatness. The fact that Now Zcalanders aro now helping to mako history oil a vast scale has brought home to us with new force tho importance of the school history lesson. Wo are beginning to realiso that history might be made tho most intensely interesting and the most living subject in the school course. But thoro must be no shadow of doubt about the sincerity and enthusiasm of the tcachcr. Children arc quick to distinguish between tho truo note and tho false. It would not be in accordanoo with the fitness of things that our ohildron should receive their idoas regarding tho great events in our national story, or their conceptions of citizenship, from alien enemy teachers. In many of our schools at' tho present time the teachers aro doing good work in helping tho ohildren to follow in an intelligent manner the causos and the progress of tho tremendous conflict in which tour Empire is at present engaged. In a recent address, Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., stated that one of his boys nad learned so much at sohool about the history and traditions of the British Navy, and was so enthusiastic about it, that he himself was impelled to study the subject afresh in order to.keep abreast with him. Could that happen under, say, a German teacher? The spirit of the Navy should inspire our lads with -a desire for public service, and tho -realisation of the great things tho nation expects of it must in turn increase, the determination of the Navy to live -up to its best traditions. The bravory of our soldiers is an equally inspiring theme. The great schools of Britain havo responded nobly to the nation's call. Take Harrow .as a typical instance. Of 2313 living Harrovians of military age, over 2000 are on active service. Tho war has created a new senso_ of' patriotism among the boys, and it is the duty and privilege of tho_ teachers to do their. utmost to maintain and intensify this spirit of servicc. The nation ' expects the teachers in our public "■ schools to make their pupils feel that their own country is worth living for, and worth'dyirig_ for. How can this be done by foreign teachers from enemy countries. A writer in a London journal discussing tho public schools of Britain in relation to the war, makes a reference to the obligations resting on the teachers which it is well to bea,r in mind when considering the principle raised by the Bill introduced by the Prime Minister:

The ideals of life (he wrote) must be delicately yet rigorously planted. Chivalry, honour, uprightness, and purity were never so much in danger as yesterday, and the public school masters .who cherish and foster these ideals in the yonthful bosom render enduring service to their country. Should wo look to the countries responsible for the frightful atrocities in Belgium and Servia; for the dishonouring of their pledged word;, for the wholesale murder of:helpless women and babies ; for the waging of warfare against innocent non-com-batants; for the sinking of the Lusitania and similar crimes, to provide teachers for our schools to cherish and foster these ideals?