WORK OF EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 190, 8 May 1940, Page 7

WORK OF EDUCATION

Director Reviews Past Year’s Activities

GOODWILL OF TEACHERS

A brief review of educational activities in New Zealand during the past year was given by the Director of Education, Dr. C. E. Beeby, in an address yesterday at the annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute in Wellington. Dr. Beeby said that his contacts witli the institute had always been pleasant and lie was particularly happy to think that some of tiie goodwill between the department and the institute which his predecessor, Mr. Lambourne, had done so much to foster, had been handed on lo him; . ir "I. should like to pay a tribute to Mr. Lambourne for the magnificent woiK lie has done in the cause of education, said Dr. Beeby. ‘‘After sitting behind his desk for three months I have an oven greater admiration for him than before. If any progress in education is to be made in future it can be done only on the basis of the very fine work Mr. Lambourne has done. Not the least of his achievements has been the establishment of a spirit of freedom ami friendliness between teachers and the department.” Dr. Beeby referred to the impact_or the war on teachers and children. For teachers, he said, the war brought even greater responsibilities than before to the children under their care. The business of the teacher in time of war was to act as a buffer between the war with its beastliness and the children, to present to the children a world predigested as it were to suit their state and to break the force of the war before it reached them. It was a terrific responsibility. Deferring to the importance of the teacher's work, Dr. Beeby said that ail the detailed daily jobs of their craft were of extreme importance and must go on. In a democracy, certain tilings stood out—a passionate love of freedom, love of sweet reasonableness, and toleration of opposition. An educational system that gave those was good, and one that did not was bad. The qualities that were needed in the new. freedom in education were exactly what was needed in democracy —and that was no accident. The new freedom in education could exist only in a democracy, and that was what Britain was fighting for. It was not enough that children should just know the mechanism of democracy, by being taught citizenship and by holding mock courts, but they should have a deep faith in democracy despite its apparent absurdities and the deep muddlements which sometimes occurred.. It was impossible to obtain that faith without the help of the teacher. A Nazi teacher’s job was easy—he had only to teach blind faith and blind obedience in a leader and what be stood for. The New Zealand teacher’s job was harder, as he had to teach not oulv faith in the immediate leader but in 'the whole set of values that lay behind him.

Importajice of Exhibition.

After dealing briefly with the question of war appointments and war sala ties of teachers, Dr. Beeby discussed the educational value of the Exhibition and said he had found it extremely exciting from an educational point of view. The difference in the material available for the education section in 1911 and at the present Exhibition was simply astounding, and the teachers of New Zealand, the department, and the boards had no reason to feel ashamed of the educational exhibit. “Very fine work was done at what we in the department always referred to as the Newtown Hotel,” said the director. “I refer to the hostel in the old Newtown School, run by Mr. Dyer and Mr. Deavoll, of. the Wellington Education Board. The department had very little to do with the accommodation scheme for children visiting the Exhibition, and I should like to pay tin honest and sincere tribute to Mr. Dyer and Mr. Deavoll for the magnificent work done there.” Tiie department had 'two functions, first, straight administration, and second, professional leadership. The present was a moment when professional leadership as a function of the department. should be strongly stressed as the giving of the new freedom in education had thrown new responsibilities on to the whole of the department. Mr. A. .1. Gnshen (Invercargill) moved a vote of thanks to - the speaker, which was carried by acclamation.