POPULAR EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 30, 30 October 1918, Page 3

POPULAR EDUCATION

DEMOCRACY AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

AN INTERESTING LECTURE

In the Central Chamber of Commerce lioom last evening, Mr. AY. D. Bay ley, of Winnipeg, teacher of citizenship and history, delivered a lecture, under the j,nspices of the AVorkers' Educational Association, on "Democracy and the Public Schools." Professor Hunter presided, and there was only a moderate attendance. In his opening remarks the • lecturer referred to the general unrest not only amongst workers but also among capitalists. Tlio world, ho considered, was on tho verge of a period of reconstruction. He was not one who believed that general good would result from the war, but the war revealed certain things that must l)e encouraged in tho future. The drab uniform of the soldiers was not so attractive as the red and gold previously worn, and yet the drab uniform was held in honour. When we had awakened to the great fault of poverty, then the people would honour the uniform of the State. When the Parliament of Great Britain was forced to face a great war the Government ' turned from private to public enterprise. For efficiency and economy in industry there was nothing like national .'"Toe*. In 1 snutlit u law has been passed requiring everybody to do some ful work. Primarily it was passed to keep the workers at work, but there was no reason why the principle should not apply to the system of reconstruction after the war. In. the rationing system there was recognised another principle, be.Ti;;sf> everyone was provided for whether rich or poor. The war had chovT. thiit '■ ation could be organised nationally and Great Britain had done marvellously in that direction in a few years. When the peopla 'acrJed the industrial system in the- same way it would be found that the people would respond to the service of the State. What was the need of the British Empire that would abolish poverty? To his mind the greatest need was a Socialist conscience. He frankly confessed that he was an idealist. It was the ideas in our mind that could transform tho world. What we needed then was a socialised consciefice. If we transported every industrialist and placed every bit of machinery in tho hands of the Government there would be no gain, unless there was a socialised Our conscience had been developed in honest dealing individually, but when it came to tho Government or corporation we thought nothing of getting a free ride on the tram, or "doing" the Government. We wpuld ncrt sell our conscience to one another individually, but with respect to the Government wo thought nothing of selling our conscience for. a, postage stamp. Our churches were still held by 'theology and dogmas which slung to individual salvation; and when he came to look at tho Press he found it a profitmaking concern. He did not look (a the leading articles for socialising the conscience, and he certainly could not look to the politicians. He must perforce look to tho proletariat for the basis of developing this socialised conscience. Tho great fault of the workers was their ignorance. It was their misfortune. In order to build up the co-operative commonwealth an individual conscience, thinking socially, was needed, and one of the great'things was to remove ignorance. Only about 50 years igo the British Government first made a grant for popular education. A school building was in itself an education, for it was a monument to tho fact that it existed for service and not for profit. The public schools were teaching equality, and he referred to what was being done in Winnipeg in that direction. With all those good things about a school, a school was not necessarily a good thing. A hundred years p.go Canada and the United States were at war, and the Duke of Wellington said that the nation that dominated the Gireat Lakes would dominate North America. There was to-day an imaginary boundary'between the two countries, and never a shot had been fired over that boundary. 'The five great questions between Canada and the "United States had been sottled by arbitration, and»yet that fact was not given any prominence in Cauadian history as taught to Canadian children) The peace between Canada and the United States was brought about and maintained by disarmament. This fact was not taught to the children, but the great battles wero ! fully (lescribed, and 60 the schools wero emphasising • militarism. The glory of British history was its progress towards liberty. It was not that we were good, but that we wero better than we used to be. If the public schools wero to be educative then out national songs must be brought up to date. Many of our national songs wero written a long time ago, embodying the ideas and sentiments of that time ,and were not in nccord with the sentiments of to-day. He dwelt forcibly on the scheme of educating children, and pointed out tliat it had taken us many hundreds of years to oomo up to our present civilisation from savagery. A child when born was a speechless and helpless little savage in the cradle, and in 15, oi' at most 20, years, the child had to be taught up to out present position. The child of the. Indian required five or six years to reach the level of its parents, for it could learn to ride and fish and build a wigwam. The Indian did not require a specialist to teach his children. Children wero naturally international, until they wero taught differently in our schools. He suggested that reforms should be instituted in our schools, and universities. Popular education ivas the great stronghold of democracy if properly handled by the democracy. Several questions wero answered by the lecturer, who was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.