ANTICIPATORY HYSTERICS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 83, 5 October 1931, Page 6

ANTICIPATORY HYSTERICS

A REPLY TO MR. MILNER

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Wheu to pessimistic Souls like myself education seemed past praying for the vigorous initiative of the New Zealand Federation of Teachers brought it into the locus of public attention. It even reached the top of the contents bills of the dailies; For this initiative Messrs. F. C. Brew and M. lienner deserve .the lion's share of the credit,: Were they apprehensive? They had good reason to be so. None concerned for education knew.what sinister measures might be- in preparation behind a.screen of anonymous detraction. As Bacon says,"''Talking?brings on opinion and opinion begets substance." The substance beginning to crystallise-out of a stream of comment derogatory to schools and teachers was ominous-enough to cause concern—a concern which Mr. Milner, en-; viable in the aloof serenity of hie outlook, is unkind enough to call hysterical. I think Messrs. Keuner and Brew were right in taking the. bull by the horns. Absolute knowledge, of what was' going to happen in the present flux of political conditions no one could possess. But there was goqd reason to dread a "fait accompli." To forestall it a vigorous and uncompromising lead was given to professional and public opinion. With a considerable and painfully gained knowledge of educational agitation I say that no other course would have succeeded. Mr. Milner's attitud: towards a- real crisis seems, to me ■, academic—a sicklying over of, the native hue of resolution. His "wait and see" policy at this juncture is no better, than a, "wait until you are pushed into a corner" one. At such a time those on the spot who must act to the best of their judgment or risk the issue going by default are entitled to a great deal of forbearance from colleagues at a distance, even though' the latter are not able to see eye to eye. with them. Mr. Milner in that he not; only differs from the Standing Committee, but uses a somewhat turgid ..rhetoric' ("anticipatory hysterics") to bring it into contempt, seems to me to' be lacking in a sense of what is called for by the occasion.- ■ ■ • ' ' ~:..-.i ', .•■';■;.- ; The outcome of the present agitation is bound to be good. Shock;;tactics 'have aroused public opinion. Nothing short of them would have done' so. The public, particularly the parents, are in a mood to sift and to ponder educational issues. In the forefront at the moment are 'secondary educational issues: ■The institute representing. primary teachers has made common cause in maintaining the claims of secondary education. This 1" thinkshows some breadth of outlook. The secondary schools have nothing to which, in the eyes of] an educationist; ( they; are not entitled. They have classes -of twentyfive. They have a per capita expenditure of £25. They have an ample maintenance allowance of £2 per pupil.-, The town primary, school, fairly comparable to the secondary school as regards its needs, is 300 per cent. worset'.off. j*lt has classes of 45 to 60, a per capiU expenditure of £8 to £9, and a maintenance of 10s per pupil. Hence the general;admission ofa]l in intimate contact 'iwith' the primary school that it is skimped and stinted. Hence the axiomatic liuference that the secondary schools have nothing that the primary school'is 'not" entitled tc . . . ■-■■-, ■'>■.■-,;:..■.■; Of course, at a time likethis, it is futile to urge claims as of 'right... All alike whether, governing or governed, are subject to the dictates of necessity. No doubt teachers' incomes will shrink step for step with those of the rest of the community, and unless a way out is miraculously discovered from the existing'financial impasse there is nothing to do but to grin and bear it. But I,: nevertheless,;submit that there is no reason why: 6ur. children should' suffer educations) deprivations to their lifelong disadvantage. Therti are 500 to- 600 unemployed teacheri outside the schools at the present-moment.; Teachers put the children first. I venture to go on to say that their unemployed colleagues come second and themselves third. This being so there can be no .difficulty in meeting the authorities and by an arrangement, as equitable as our disjointed times permit, bringing these 500 or 600 unemployed teachers into the schools. If the only means of doing this is for those lucky enough to be in jobs to "shift up and make room" for their less fortunate' fellows why then it seems to me so it must be. For the main objective will be achieved, and the child, whose interests are the sole avowed' and the only legitimate ground of the'present agitation will be the gainer by receiving a better education than the prosperous past has been able to bestow upon him.—l am, etc., F. L. COMBS, Ex. Pre«., N.Z.E.1., Member Standing Committee N.Z. Federation of' Teachers.