The Dominion. FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1916. OUR NATIONAL SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2745, 14 April 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1916. OUR NATIONAL SCHOOLS

The annual meetings of householders for the election of school committees, which .will take place on Monday next, will afford citizens an opportunity of showing that they are really interested' in the education of the youth of New Zealand. Tho closer the co-operation between the home and tho school, the parent and the teacher, in regard to the upbringing of our boys and'girls, the better will be the results achieved. Every conscientious teacher likes to feel that the parents of his pupils care something about'his work, and that they take some pride in the well-being of their (district -school. The influence of the great war in which our Empire is engaged is pervading every department of national life. It is causing us to revise our educational methods and ideals.' We are all hoping that after the conflict is over the world will be made a better place to live in, and we have a right to expect that our schools will play an important part in the work of reconstruction which must begin when the present orgy of destruction has ceased. In of Matthew Arnold, we are now "moving between two worlds, the one dead and tho other powerless to be bom;" Now is tho time to prepare the way for tho coming of the new age. Its character must largely de'pend upon the typo of citizen which is,now being_ formed in our schools. If our Empire is to bo. set solidly on unshakable foundations, its citizens must be strong in body,, alert in mind; and morally sound. The essence of good citizen-' chip is willingness to serve the State. Rights imply duties,-and privileges entail responsibilities. The war has impressed upon us tha inestimable' value of a keen sonse of patriotism. A deputation which recently waited upon Me. Arthur Henderson (Presi< dent of the British Board of Education) urged that patriotism should bo made an integral part of school teaching, and that thd duty of citizenship and the responsibilities of the Empire should be emphasised. Mr. Henderson expressed his'hearty sympathy with the suggestions mado by the deputation, and promised to. givo careful consideration' to anj' practical proposals which may bo placed before him. He might well have gone further than this. H/i might have given 'an assurance that the educational experts employed by his Department would be requested to go fully into the matter, with the object of giving the teaching.of patriotism a much-more prominent and definite place in- the school system than it at present occupies. Our children ought to know what British citizenship means; what Britain 6tands' for in the world; what true freedom is. " It is said that-"what-ever we wish to sec introduced into the life of a nation' must first be introduced through ite schools and universities." This may be an overstatement, but it is sufficiently true to amply justify the demand that our children should be taught tho elements of good citizenship. ■ It should always be remembered that there are bad .ways ,of teaching patriotism as well as good. In an article in the Nineteenth Century, Lord Crojier contrasts the British way with the German way. We have been too mucH inclined to bo content with the go-as-you-please _ method, whereas the German authorities have. aimed at guiding the thoughts and actions of every citizen from, the cradle to tho grave, in order that his complete personality should ba subjected to the will and dictation of a non-moral State. . Commenting on this statement, Lord. Selborne, in-a speech in the House of Lords, remarked that the greatest danger in tho world at the present moment was that education should be purely material. It was this spirit'of materialism embodied in Germany 'that wo were fighting. We must*-teach our children that', it was not merely profits or. wages that mattered, but tho sense of responsibility and the power of sacrifice. Sir Michael Sadler,, a distinguished British educationist, reminds us that the school should bo a. preparation for life; that education should not only aim at intellect, but-character", and that it fails in its task unless it the mind and at the same time purifies, guides, and strengthens the character. But if the war has emphasised the supreme importance of the moral aspect of oducation, it'has also shown the urgent necessity of > making our education system more practical and more efficient, frqm the industrial point of view.' More attention must he given to technical instruction in order that our lads may go out into the world better equipped for tho actual business of life. Mr. Tlogben has recently drawn attention to some of the weaknesses of the New Zealand school system, and' his remarks deserve the careful consideration , of householders. No one can reasonably contend that we are training our young people in the way that will contribute most to their efficiency as craftsmen. Further advances nSust be made in the matter of vocational instruction. The fact that. New .Zealand is an'agricultural country does not find anything like adequate recognition in our education system. Something has been done to remedy this glaring defect, but much more remains to bo done. The problems in connection with continuation' classes are also pressing for solution, and the Educational Institute has de-, cided to commend' them to the attention of the householdersat Monday's'; meetings. Unless the general publie displays a keener interest in these matters ' reform will proceed at a very slow pace. The continual pressure of public opinion is needed to ensure steady progress. The householders might with advantage give expression to their views on some of the points which have been touched upon.