EDUCATING SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 238, 26 June 1918, Page 6

EDUCATING SOLDIERS

TUTORIAL CLASSES AT THE FRONT

ACCOUNT OF THE SCHEME

LETTER FROM MR. J. R. KIRK

. An interesting account of the beginnings of a scheme of educational classes for troops on active service with (he British I'orces, including the New Zealanders, i) was given in a letter from Mr. J. It. Kirk, now an officer with (he forces, to the Director of Education, and re.-.d by Dr. Anderson at the meeting of the CounI. cil of Education yesterday. In civil life Mr. Kirk was 'a solicitor at Gisborne, and a member of the Council of Education. It appears that he is now taking an active part in the direction of the . education' scheme so far as it applies to the men of the New Zealand Division. i The idea is to occupy the men with useful studies in their spare time when they are not actually figiiting the enemy. . Something, of the sort has been rendered advisable by the extreme length of the war, and the long separation of so many of tho men from their civilian habits of i thought and action. It is hoped that the classes will servo to keep the men occupied during the period of dcmobilisa- - tioii, which must be a fairly long one. The letter, which is dated, Prance, March 15, runs as follows:— "Yesterday I had a splendid privilege: • the Army authorities have decided to set > machinery in motion with a view of providing as far as possible that on demobilisation tho Army will he allowed to • go back to civil life as good citizens, with as little educational loss as possible. A conference of representatives from all the British armies in Prance was held at General Headquarters, and, with a New . Zealand Colonel, I had the privilege of representing the New Zealand Division. I cannot tell you where Sir Douglas Haig's Headquarters are situated, but as I approached the place it recalled ■ to me many of the fairy stones and pages of romance I had read as a child and a youth, and I could.quite picture a chivalrous cavalier on while palfrey riding | -to the ramparts, there securing the fair j lady and galloping oil on tho love adventure of his life.' On this particular j trip 1 saw neither while steed nor fair j lady, and we sped alonj in a modern I 'Yauxhall' provided for us. Two generals, one of whom presided, wero r.t the conference, as well as colonels, majors, captains, and lieutenant.-. I lie total number/present being twenty, and so well does the officers' unii'arm camoullage one that it was not until the conference adjourned to luiicii liiat 1 asvei-iained that one of the captains (with whom, by the way, I had lunch) was an English lord. I ."But the conference. It was one of the best and most resultant in work accomplished that J have ever attended. No one spoke for 'effect,' and everyone was- animated by. a common desire to achieve the end sought, without waste of any words or of time, and 'tc- get on with the war.' We had hoppd to Lave Professor Gilbert Murray, of Oxford, with, us, but as no civilians were allowed to cross on the day on which he was coining over, he was prevented and delayed. He would arrive after we left aud review' our work. The necessity for some educational scheme has arisen owing to the length of the war," and to the fact that many, quite naturally, are becoming a little anxious as to the social life of the future and the difficulties it may present; while the complexity of industrial conditions and the problem of reconstruction after the war cause some concern. Then again, some means must be available for keeping the men's interest when an armistice is arranged or demobilisation is being carried out. With these aims in view, we were called together to set up the framework and produce a scheme elastic enough to be applied with bene; fit in any unit wherever and however situated.' We decided that an officer at G.H.Q. should be Director, and that thereafter the policy should be stated by a body advisory to him, on the principle of the New Zealand Council of Education, which I described. We shall go slowly at first, appointing lecturers on civij and Imperial topics, economy, waste and salvage, tho dangers of a present peace, history in various branches. These, we think, will interest the men, and side by side with them we shall have classes established in agriculture, business efficiency, science (in- ; eluding something practical like efficiency with gas engines), citizenship, history,' economics.. Imperial geography, English and French. We shall establish libraries, provide literature suit- 1 able, and Arrange for the direction of ' leading by a modified system of cor- ' respondoneo, class. Woodwork, smithing and Iwdtniaking will also be taught, as will also other subjects suitable to the locality in which troops may be, ' e.g., fruit-growing and poultry keeping. < To those who imagine that troops are constantly in the front trenches fight- f ing, tin. scheme may seem hard to carry out, but it must be remembered that for ' weeks a Division will be out of the line ! resting. 'Besting- usually consists in most strenuous technical schemes, but J it is a relief from the front line, and . so a rest. Then there are the conval- 1 escent camps and bases, .always holding large numbers of men. A class will be J continuous for not more than six weeks, ' and 1 think that the scheme will bo productive of great good. By provid- J ing un interest for the men it will help j to keep up the morale, so essential to ' success in (he field, while it will-be a l means of men keeping in touch with their work or studies, and in some, in- ' deed many, cases, will provide them 1 with a new outlook and a distinct traini«g. j "Ten thousand pounds are immediately { available-for books, tools, etc.,.'and this J with valuable financial aid from various Y.M.C.A.'s will be sufficient with which to make a good start. 1 shall let you . know how the proposal develops, and l with what, measure of success. It is Olio that interests me deeply, and will, I believe, .be yet recognised as of great benefit to the Empire."