TREND OF EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2760, 2 May 1916, Page 3

TREND OF EDUCATION

"AN ARISTOCRACY, NOT A DEMOCRACY." Speaking to a Dominion reporter yesterday, tlio Hon. J. A. Hanan, Minister of Education, emphasised tlio remarks lie had made at Hamilton in respect to the neglect of certain phases of education in this country, a summary of which was telegraphed through the Press Association. One great trouble that he saw ahead was the task of educating people as to how they should be educated. "There's Hamilton, now," said Mr. Hanan, "surely it is an agricultural yet, though we have supplied everytliing necessary for a sound agricultural course, there is not a boy taking it, though they come in from the farms and places for miles round by bicycle and pony. It is as bad with the girls. It has been pointed out to us that this domestic economy course was realty necessary, and we agreed that the education of girls into the intricacies of home management was a sound movement. What do we find— not a single girl took the course. What is coming over the community? Whilst we are flattering ourselves we live in a democracy, we are raising an aristocracy as far as labour is concerned. The farmers, I suppose, are doing so well that they seek to put their sons into professions, whether they are fitted for such pursuits or no, and the girls apparently don't want to learn housekeeping. Where the workers of the future are to come from I don't know; but it appears to me that we shall have to try and educate people on how they should bo educated. Our system seems to be all wrong!"