"SOCIAL ASPECTS OF EDUCATION"
ADDRESS TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE THE PRESIDENT'S VIEWS The president of tho Now Zealand Educational Institute (Mr. C. E. Munro, of Auckland) yesterday addressed tho institute upon "Social Aspects of Education." About 65 delegates were present. "All writers on education in tho last two or threo years," said Mr. Munro, "iny stress on the importance of (ho recognition of tho social aspects of education. They desire to get away from the ideal of the efficiency of the individual and seek instead the training of tho individual for tho general good of 6floLoty. This task is not wholly for tho school. The home, the Church, the vocation, the Pros;, society itself, each must take its slia.ro. But with every ohango in our social environment more and more is being laid on the school, and it has now to face duties that have not been required of it until recent tilmes. The modern conception of what may now 1>? reasonably expected of the school has been staled by one prominent writer as follows: 'The school is a great moral institution and much, perhaps too much, is expected of it. It aims at turning out pupils efficient in every sense of the word—physically, intellectually and morally. It has always claimed to proviso ail intellectual equipment. But unless it has also fitted ils pupils to take their placo in the social world, imbued ihem with a lovo of virtue no less than of knowledge, and inspired them with noble ideals of life and duty, it has to that degree failed lo fulfil ono of the main functions for which it has been called into existence.' Now is it possible for the school to attain this high Ideal, or is it only a dream of the enthusiastic educationist? I believe it is possible. An Instructive Example. "Let mo quote from Benjamin Ifidd in his 'Science of Power.' Writing of tho determination of the whole German nation to seize world power by any means, ho states: 'In that process in mcdorn Germany by which the psychology of a whole people was changed in a generation. the fundamental fact to be grasped is that tho seat and centre of the vast experiment throughout the whole period of accomplishment was in tho mind of the young. It was tho German education system w.hieh created the psychology which carried modern Germany into the world war of 1914 with all its far-reach-ing consequences. Tho result wo have seen; the whole German nation was animated by one ambition—lust for world power. Had the leaders of the nation devoted the same amount of effort and_ organising skill to tho inculcation of' really worthy soeial ideals, thero is no place among civilised nations to which their country might not have aspired nnd attained
"Having established that tho school can provide the means of social I raining, how is the ideal to be attained? I am of opinion that there are three ways: First, through th" corporate life of flic school; secondlv. through the methods it employs; thirdly, through its studies or curriculum. "Corporate Life" of School. "In the past tho corporate life of the school has been in a great measure neglected. Our education system has demanded that ihe enemies of the teachers and the energies of their pupils should be expended in preparation for the visits of the insncctor. lint if the schhol is to fulfil its function of providing a means for social training, a broader outlook must be taken. Let us remember that the social life of the school is the soil in w;hieh. in a natural way, the personal qualities grow which are the foundation of all character, loyalty, truthfulness, and justice. It develops in tho_ pupils a spirit of eo-oneration of service and of subordination of self-interest to the general welfare. Tf Ihe management of the social aetivit ; es of the school is left as fnr as possible to the pupils, they receive training in administration and self-direc-tion, as well as in leadership and the power of directing others. These are losFons in social education indispensable for future citizenship. They cannot be learned from books; they can be learned only in notion. And just as the school should be divided into a number of groups for social training, so it should bo a social unit comprising nn actual community in itself and reproducing in its equipment and activities as far as may be desirable features characteristic, of ilio largo society outside. The school cannot givo a preparation for social life unless it reproduces in itself tho typical conditions of social life. I believe one of the great weaknesses of our Xew Zealnnd schools is over-government by the teachers. The, fault is not the fault of tho teacher. It is the fnult of Ihe system which places from GO to 110 children under the care of a teacher and virtually makes him a drill sergeant. There can he no real education, uo develonmcnt of tho individual, under these conditions. How can there 'be nnv development of a -social efficiency when the teacher's time is taken up with repressing that very energy which only needs directing into the proper channel to make for the right development of the pupil ? Methods and the Curriculum. "In educational methods again the problem of the Inrge class must modify our conception of what is possible. All will agree that the methods of instruction followed in the school may make for good citizenship by cultivating a sturdy spirit of self-reliance nnd independence of tliought or they make for slavish imitation and helplessness; nay. even worse, they may make for evasion and deceit. Further,'.school (raining should bo based as far as possible on the principle of freedom and self-guidance. Children should bo allowed to examine and experiment for themselves. iM-liey nra to grow up active and self-reliant citizens. The teacher, instead of being the lawgiver, must be the helper. The methods indicated of socialising sohool work are being attempted in kindergartens and Montossori institutions, but so far I enn find little trace of their application lo the standard classes of our primnry schools. "Dr. Morgan, in 'Problems of Xational Education,' in lloalinf with tho question of school studies, asks how may the curriculum and the general '.tork ef tho school contribute more largely tor ards tho realisation of tho ideals and Ihe requirements of social life? And he answers tho question in tho following wo'ds:— 'Every study and exercise of the school may bo for the purpose, provided the tenches is himself imbued with social ideals. lie will then make tho social efficiency of his pupils nnd all that this implies the chief aim and purpose of what ho does. The. social aim involves tho moral aim of education, for tlipro can be liltle nioralily apart from social ends. It involves [lie knowledge aim, for every item of knowledge is of potential value In .social welfare, a.ml the greater the knowledge an iidividunl possesses, the higher in general is his social efficiency. It involves the vocational aim, lor no person is socially efficient who is unable lo earn a livelihood.' Tho final and comprehensive test then for tho inclusion or exclusion of a subject in tho school curriculum is not so much the pleasure or advanlago it brings to the individual or tlio extent to which it conduces the harmonious development of his powers, as the degreo in which it increases his whole efficiency so that society may in his after life derive most benefit. Training for Leisure, "Ono important outcome (f social education should be the ability lo uso leisure wisely. Science and invention' tffnd more to econoi/.V !he lime of all sections of the community and ndueo Ihe amount of human loii and incveasc the leisure ol the people, lint slioi'teuing the hours nf labour without at Ihe same time enriching the mind nnd widening (ho outlook of the irorko; 1 by education is simply to give him n.ore l'f.urs in which to wnsto his mental and moral powers. The old narrow and ln.salisfving education leaving half tho powers of tho individual undeveloped, nod his interests laiuoly untouched has failed to exert much influence oii the occupations oj leisure. Tho unsatisfying education must bo replaced by wider education utilising to n greater exlont tho active and social instincts of tho pupils and
giving a training that has <i closer bearing both oil social life and the uso of leisure. Great Bar to Reform, "But to ivaliM tho social aims of education wo must have changed conditions. \\o must bavo smaller classes. Linger classes up to 110 arc certainly amennblo to instruction by skilled teachers, lut not to education in tho broad and social 6enso. 'Mass methods and nieclnv meal discipline,' says a recent writer, 'can never produce social individuality,' Wore tho country to rcaliso the great social and educational waste produced by the present system no arguments would block reform. I .should be talse to the trust repascd in me if I did not publicly draw attention to tho necessity for reform in this direction, and the institute would bo failing in the interests of the children of the Dominion were it not to insistently demand smaller classes where children can bs efficiently educated and trained for their ekic and social responsibilities instead of being merely instructed in herds for exam'nntion purposes. Tho class of GO is neither a fair nor reasonable condition. 1-lvery school day the best efforts of thousands of skilled workers aro frustrated by this one wrongful condition. Ivvery school day the interest of thousands of children aro sacrificed to it. Every school day miracles of discipline and drill are accomplished by the more capable teachers, and ignoble tragedies enacted nnd endured by the less capable. The miracles arc not the sort of miracles we aro needing, and the tragedies ouzht not to happen in any school and need not with classes of reasonable size. Neither the so-called success nor the obviou« failure iB accomplishing education in any true sense. We need to make up our minds whether our training colleges exist for the production of teachers or of drill sergeants. The Teacher's Part. "In conclusion, let mi} emphasise that tho results of our education should be the socialisation of the young and their preparation—intellectually, morally, physically—to take their place in. society'as good and efficient citizens. It should give them a knowledge of their complex social environment and enable them lo adjust themselves to it. It should give thorn nn insight into human institutions nnd a sense of their obligation? to the community and imbue them with a spirit of social service, for society can exist a.nd advance only by the continual interchange of services among its members. The fourth nnd last condition for the realisation of the social ideas of education lies in tho. teachers. The wholo life of the community flows through tho schools, and the teacher.? there aro not only trainers, but makers, of society. Their success must be measured, not merely by examination tests, but by tho number who go forth from t-lio sohool prepared and keen to play their part a? loyal and efficient citizens. Let the teachers once realise their power, let them prepare themselves for their professional work by a definite study of social theory and combine this with a certain amount of social practice—let them bring to this work of training for social joi'vice the same zeal and fidelity that they exlvbit towards other aspects of education then will their influence extend and the moral and social spirit of .our people will bo what they will it to be." Mr. Munro received a voto of thanks for his address.
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 84, 3 January 1920, Page 9
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1,949"SOCIAL ASPECTS OF EDUCATION" Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 84, 3 January 1920, Page 9
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