PLACE FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 190, 8 May 1940, Page 5

PLACE FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Effect Of War SPECIAL AIMS EXPECTED TO RETAIN SUPPORT Belief that, though rhe war may reduce further the number of parents who will be able to pay fees at. private schools, such schools will always receive support because of their special aims, was expressed by Mr. R. G. C. McNab' iu his presidential address yesterday to the annual conference of the Association of Meads of Registered Secondary Schools. “Each of us in our own schools, has personal knowledge of what war means iu private anxieties about, friends ami ex-pupils, in the increased need for calm and thoughtful work, iu the need for keeping true and wise the perspective of our pupils.’’ Mr. McNab said. “New Zealand teachers mastered these difficulties 25 years ago and will do so again in the liest. interests ol boys and girls. Home will have other anxieties reflecting what was said a few weeks ago by Sir Cyril Norwood when be prophesied great difficulties for the English public schools and predicted great changes necessary to make the economies which will allow them to survive. , “The last war spread wealth and enabled more parents to pay the fees required by schools like ours. This war may spread wealth still more, though in New Zealand there are other social, political, and economic changes which have already increased that spreading, and it may be feared that the layer may beeoipe so thin that the number of people able to support private schools will be greatly reduced. No doubt economics and changes will be required of us, but I believe schools of our kind have so much Io give (hat they will always command the support, even at the cost of sacrifice, of many of our fellow-citizens. “Each of our schools has its own individuality, its region of independence, its special educational aims, its particular emphasis in mural and religious training, its buttress of organised or unorganised support by churches and other bodies. All have, I believe, sincerity of aim and thoroughness of method, all have ideals and traditions. On this theme no enlargement is required, and there is the encouragement that no good, unseifish thing will be suffered to perish by our countrymen. It is for us to maintain and strengthen the goodness and unselfishness of our schools.” .