EDUCATION AIMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 229, 21 June 1919, Page 8

EDUCATION AIMS

FORMATION OF CHARACTER

VIEWS OF MR. T. S, WESTON

An address on ''Education from an Employers' Point of View" was.delivered last, night by Sir. T. !>'. Weston, e.\-presi-dent of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, at a. meeting of the Women Teachers' Association. .Miss N. E.X'oad presided.

Mi'. \Vostou said at the outset that ho did not think that, (he employer had any special point oi view differing in any way from that of any <>'hcr good citizen, lie rather deprecated the idea that employers should be considered as different from other people in Ib.i community. lie would say (hat there wero thiCR objects in education—l,l) tho imparling of information l 2) iho inculcation of methods of ntudy, and (!)) tlio formation of character. These thrco aims ho had probably staled in inverse order of importance. The formation of ■character was of paramount iiniKirtanee. Tho "bread-and-butter" finalities ■ most to bo commended were, honesty, temperance, industry, and thrift. A cation possessed of these virtues woniil mako for success. lie mentioned some, of theso qualities which wero most important in men tu have charge of big tindo'.'lafc'iigs, and principal among them ho placed fairness and frankness. Wilhout those attributes no maji iiouid successfully control other men, and tho control of men was one of tho most important, as well as olio of the most difficult of tho duties of a controller of a big business. There were always positions at, the top in this country, and in no country in tho world was there so near an approximation to equality of opportunity as in this country. The homely virtues he had named wero the basis of all tho higher qualities required for success in big positions. It.could not bo denied that- these virtues were not appreciated and respected so generally as they were long ago. lie would lirso teachers to givo as much attention as possible to t,ho shaping of tho diameters of i-hil-dren. He held very strongly tho Mew that 801110 form of elementary moral philosophy should lie. taught in tho schools, either direstly or indirectly. As the basis of all this teaching he would mention tlio two precepts: "Do unto others ns you would time they should do unto you," and "As a man sows, to shall he also reap." Ho referred also to some of ihc aims to be kept -in sight in tho imparling of instruction. A few of i-lie Mutters to which he attached importance were attention to detail, persevereuce, and industry. These equalities should bo regularly inculcated, ho thought. ■\s to tho requirements of a school course of instruction he would say that it would be wiso to 'stick to tho tluvo K's" until children were thirteen or fourteen years of age. With these subjects he would have a littlo geography, history, some physical culture, and an elementary knowledge of physiology and tlio laws of. health. He thought it might bo Advisable also to give lo boys somo knowledge of « handicraft. _ As to education afler the ago of thirteen or fourteen, there arose questions of difficulty. Be was of opinion that only some children were fitted to bene, (it 'from a secondary education. He be. lieved Htoro should be many scholar, ships to give opportunities to those qualified to make use of tliem. Those scholars not suited for higher studies 111 ui6 secondary schools might bo given some form of'technical training. In tnc uuversily. ho was opposed to early special" isalion. , , , lie had been ashed to make some reference lo the question of allowing lime off to apprentices to attend technical classes. Tho opinion of employers throughout New Zealand had just been 'taken oil (his question, and all save n very few employers had said .-hat tliei'U would be very gravo difficulties Olid doubtful advantages in allowing (Ins concession to apprentices. It was nuesJ lionable, they thought, whether the bulk of tin* aptfiTutices would suiucttTit advantage of (lift technical classes to compensate for the dislocation of business that it would calisc. It was t.iotig.-it that the hoiirs of labour wero not so long in this country as-to prevent toys eager 'to learn from going to school in Iho evenings. His own opinion, supportoil ),y his own experience, was Onit no good came of "coddling, and that nothill" of value could be- obtained without sacrifice. It was possible to overdo sentiment, and it was just possililo Ilia, there was too much misplaced sympathy for the ne'er-do-well. - He expressed very strongly his opinion (hat teachers should be better pan for the very important wort oone by lllem. Thanks wero accorded to Mr. Weston for his address