THE SCHOOL AND THE NATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 289, 2 September 1919, Page 7

THE SCHOOL AND THE NATION

NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN

PROPOSED NATIONAL EDUCATION BOARD .Mr. H: Parkinson secretary of the Now Zealand Educational, Institute) last .evening addressed tW conforcuco of school committees' associations upon edu'oational matters. " Mr. . Parkinson 'explained the objects and the naturo of ~the institute lie represented.: He stressed the. point that tho, institute was not a mere trade union of teachers, tut .ivtis a body that for , feais had devoted its energies to 1 the .interests ,of education and; not-to, the . mere interests of its members. lie would direct .attention - to -two-subjects.- .The -first . was . the necessity of the national education of., the .children for the future ~welfare of the nation. . He oalled. it .'"tho cultiration of, brain-power." The 'brain-power of ( - the country. .was the (greatest jpower 'of all. J3y, the neglect ■ .'of.- children after their, fourteenth .year, fa! tremendous amount'of force iyrak., lost 'to.the nation,. latent'giftß-remaintng-bid-' ,;don and undeyeloped. : The country- needled, .the. best it could got out .Of its young .{people," and it.was not going to get that . best ..unless it.' fully developed . their ijcill ;«rid their -'will-power, and. formed their ::ideals properly. .'./.Tlio moral -was- thai . .there, musti.b'a .more,: schooling—moro ''ample .prqrtada'aai'edncational .faciliv ties. '. v.- _ ' ■ ..- ..The. awond. eiib'ject he wished to touch :.on was the .'national health. This wna -.Jfifgoly dependent upon the cdre bestowed ,lon. the, school ' children,- The-:school viMildibgs did-not . receive jthe- considera;.tiou .that, was due .-to them .'as public y.'buildings. . .. The , children ( - were '• worthy ,jX>f better, .'and ; better furnish'l ings ''.than' 'they provided with *'to;<lay.., ,The. schools . cjjaild. .without .very, i-groat expense bo made'sanitaryiand ,-»; ell' ventilated,':.'lf '~tho present' schools' were ;- p'ropprly ventilated there': would -bo less talk'.'of"-tho .necessity for .open-air' !.fdiools.;Tho;needs of the .parents should fjiot. be'permitted to 'interferey with .the. .'.opportunities .of the.xhild for, receiving .j a proper education... How was the'child to. meet the claims .of. the State' iri later "'.lifo' if. ifs;.chaiiees'.of-educfltion were-.cut early?. '; ' Speaking upon '! "co-ordination," 'Parkinson'said that at present theiprimv ary, secondary flnd technical schools were. quite, separate' u'oin ouo 'asotJicr' .lEaioh'' i'kiud of institution', was ;run" according/to a system of its hiid.-.its own. ; eyllabus, which .piud not ..tile . slightest ; regard to the syllabuses of the school '.•below or the sohbol alongside.''Through 1 the defects'.of that, state,of affairs,,'''to'. ) Country failed to get/the best from hundreds of young. should be i'a. Single. .'gtfternini' body directing;. the |educational' systems 'of the country. [■.'A..national education, board, was, 1 -'want".'ed."': He,did;.not,mean'by'that., that ■' there, should : :be':!centralised adniinistrai. : tiori.Ho meant.. tliat; - the' . national 1 ' board should plan .out syllabuses and so ,-forfh; but that each local area should , L'ave.iiithdrity' to. carry out the .syllabus -'.in. the manner best suited .to its 'special -' requirements; ...