MOVING PICTURES

Evening Star, Issue 20132, 23 March 1929, Page 7

MOVING PICTURES

INFLUENCE ON THE CHILD MIND ADDRESS ON VISUAL EDUCATION A high! y-interesting address on * Visual Education ’ was given to the annual meeting of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute yesterday by the president (Mr W. E. Abel), who said “I have. chosen ‘Visual Education’ as the subject of my address because there is in our schools to-day a very marked advance in the use of visual aids of many kinds. So much money is being spent in the purchase of pictures bearing on the subjects we teach, so much time is spent on a study of them,- so much time and energy are being put into picture projects by our pupils, and so much time is being spent in taking pupils to sec moving pictures that [ fancy the time is opportune to make a survey of the position and endeavour to put a right value on this development of educational practice. “Educational authorities are now enjoining teachers to bring their work into closer touch with life. John Adams, in ‘The New Teaching,’ lays great stress on the necessity of dealing with real things. Perhaps the greatest educational authority Otago ever had the late Senior-inspector Goyen, was equally insistent upon it. And so what must not be forgotten is that pictures are just pictures, and cannot really lake the place of real things where contact with real things is possible.

“In the teaching of geography and Nature study, ami perhaps local history, there is, of course, the school excursion ; but that deals only with the immediate district, and naturally pictures suggest themselves. In this connection it is advisable not to lose sight of the value of the blackboard—tho most dramatic instrument in the classroom in the hands of an artistic teacher. Adams mentions the stereoscope as having a big value in visual teaching, and no doubt it would he il stereoscopic view's of the right kind could be obtained in any quantity. “Many of onr schools arc now equipped with au opaque projector, such as a delineaseope or a balopticon, and I have no doubt that, rightly used, these machines have an educational value. To use one of these machines to show pictures as pictures is not worth while, but to illustrate a lesson already taught it has a distinct value. A library of illustrations of lessons must 1)3 collected, and that ought to be.done

by the class teacher and the pupils. I have found, and, no doubt, so have all users of the opaque projector, that it is valuable in showing geographical and historical pictures particularly. A picture can bo held on the screen and interpreted, and the impression, made on the minds of the pppils is vastly greater than the fleeting impression of a moving picture run through often at an absurd speed and without comment. “Many years ago our schools were supplied hv the department with a series of historical and geographical

picture cards that were made use of at the time, but 1. am afraid they nic now lying dust-covered in cupboards and storerooms. The series contained a number of reproductions of famous historical pictures and views ot English, European, and colonial hie and scenerv. T found a selection of these valuable for use with the dehneascopo in illustrating lessons in history and geography. There is a great wealth of material available for such lessons. A collection of excellent photographs of our Mount Cook region shown to pupils bv the delineascnps may not be as good as a trip to ibo Hermuago. bub may be the next best thing lor most of our pupils. , This brings ns to the use of Hie lantern and slides. Because most of our

schools are now fitted with electric light, and because of the finer definition obtained by the lantern, and because of the fact that our opaque instruments are also adapted lor the use of slides, I think I can see the lantern again coming into its own and miring a big .educational value. It ought to he the function of the department and boards to collect libraries, ot slides for tho illustration and historical, geographical. and natural history lessons. One secondary school I have visited has a, library of over 6.000 slides, and a lantern lecture is given by the head master everv week. Here I may mention that the growth and deve opment of our - own city can bo splendidly illustrated by a valuable collection oi slides in the possession of the Mi’l.v Settlers’ Association, the secretaiy of which is pleased to lend them to schools. The lantern has advantages over the kinema in that the latter gives a general impression of things, while the former furnishes an opportunity to study the outward appearances of things., and to practise seeing things. I am of the opinion that there will be a revival and more general use oi the lantern and slides as an educational instrument. Education authorities must make use ot; modern inventions wheie they can or get right out of touch with life. . , “The kinema lias now reached, a stage of almost mechanical perfection and photographic excellence. It is too late to describe it as “ this crude, misguided. insidious thing influencing the world.” It is extremely foolish to antagonise these great agencies by indiscriminate ill-timed denunciation. Better far to win the sympathy of those

running our public amusements t.ian to stand on a lofty pedestal and play the superior part of censor. ' much doubt whether wo have any • >gnt, except as public citizens, to criticise the form of entertainment provided lor adult audiences; but iinc.cr whatevei circumstances our pupils aro coming in touch with moving pictures. I think u comes within our function to ask w.iat effect is the kinema having on our children physically, mentally, am morallv. hi son* American States and in England an attempt has been made to use the kinema lor educational pui* poses, and films depicting geographical features, historical plays, and natural history have been const! acted and used in those countries. Some time ago the Auckland Head Masters’ Association i(I think) earned <1 motion that until such time as films could be shown to pupils in their own schools, they would not bother vuth educational pictures, and they had _inv sympathy, But it must be recognised Lb at the conditions they and we an desire are not yet within the range o practical procedure, and that u oui pupils are to see such_ films they must at least bo gathered in centres to do “On several occasions during the last low years films of an educational nature have been shown to our pupils. One particularly good picture showed a crab actually placing stones on its back as a protective measure. Wnat kind of crab it was and what water it lived in I do not know. On© showed a cuckoo landing on a lark’s nest in order to deposit its egg. Each inciI dent was a strange natural phenomenon, but I doubt whether it is worth while to lose in the case of some schools.

a half-day to see even striking natural incidents of that kind. An hour’s ramble on a beach, in a plantation, along a stream, up a high hill would afford, opportunity to study Nature at first, hand, though no chance of seeing a cuckoo or a crab might present itself. . Alter all, secino- moving pictures in artificial surroundings of facts of Nature may he quite good, but it is not first-hand Nature study, and under present conditions 1 doubt the value of it all. "While T recognise the value of the pictures thus shown to children as pictures, I am not convinced that their educational value is sufficient to justify the expense ol time, trouble, and money. I do not say that'an odd picture may not he worth" while viewing, but, speaking generally, I believe the cinema ,as an aid in the education of children has yet to prove itself. “ One company has a small home machine showing films, several of which have been -sold in New Zealand. This < machine provides quite a . good little homo entertainment, but its value is much discounted by the limited films available and their price,. A considerably bigger machine and more and better films must be produced before educational authorities would he justified in spending money on cinema plant. , , r , “I understand that the New Zealand Publicity Department has gone to considerable expense m making good films of New Zealand scenery. The officers of the department have photographed many of the interesting and beautiful spots ol this country, and excellent films have been constructed. Those arc the very views our children ought to see; but for some reason, perhaps a good one, the right to release these Now Zealand pictures has been given to an American firm, and local proprietors seem unable or unwilling to procure them. The one good New Zealand geographical him that 1 have seen shown to children hud the serious delect ol being lai too old. , . . , . ■•ln the subject ol history, teaching has rocentlv emerged from what lias ben characterised as a welter ol kings and dates and battles, so much so as to be almost h new subject in the_ syllabus. The object of the teacher is to make the past live. He does his best to reconstruct past events, and uses pictures and dramatisation ior his purpose. But what a field is hero for the cinema. Dot ns hope that in the not too distant future, some ol our wealthy American and English universities will associate themselves with a worthy educational experiment and our pupils may be able to see living dramatisation. The historical novel is too Jong and olten too difficult lor class room use, wliei'eas the. cinema with its instantaneous and vivid appeal can present the subject rapidly and forcibly. It is a pity we can do so little to create a- demand lor pictures like ‘Bobin Hood’ and ‘ feearamouche.’ . , . “Some illuminating research work has been undertaken by a member oi the teaching profession to discover ■what proportion of our pupils is coniine into touch with the ft lias been found that out ol over fa,OU( pupils from Standard I. to Standard VI. reported on, 4 per cent, attend pictures more than once a week, !■) per cent, go once n week, per cent. <r o irregularly, and. 15 per cent, go rarely or not at all. And when it is remembered that the figures cqvor children in Standards I. and 11. and JIT., where the average age is seven, eight, and nine, it will easily .be scon ■that the percentage of pupils in Standards ]V.. V., and VI, must be very hHi In fact, it is safe to say a pupil of “Standard TV.. V., or VI. who does

not attend pictures is a rara avis. It may be of interest and have, a considerable bearing on our attitude towards the attendance of children at picture shows to learn that the information collected by the research worker shows very plainly that the most frequent attendees at pictures are the children who reside in those parts of the city containing the homes of the working and labouring classes. That, or course, is perfectly natural. A home that possesses a good library, ft gramophone, and a wireless is not likely to fuinish patrons for the pictures to the same extent as one without those amenities, "The moving picture is striking y eloquent. It demands very , httle mental effort, and the plastic mini s of our children are deeply impressed by what they see. Frequently incidents of a terrifying nature are shown, and in the case of young children the result is often nightmares and sleeplessness. Dramas depicting . crime and sex interests are played with intensity and sensationalism, and they influence the imagination and curiosity of the child, give him a false impression of life, and create an unrest that may lead to mischief. _ The worst feature of manv of the pictures seems to mo to he the fact that so many of them are false. There is little true, to hie in many of them. The people in them are unreal, the situations seldom have any reality, and the result is that immature minds are given a false impression of life and conduct. “Tho report of the Child Mel la re Commission of the League of on the cinematograph question m iJ-'S stated that of 250 popular films analysed in three countries haphazard, 97 contained murders, 51 contained adulteries, 19 contained seductions, 22 contained abductions, _45 contained suicides. I do not think that the films shown in New Zealand are as bad as indicated by these figures, but I do consider that manv films are not suitable for presentation to our children. While I believe that it is better for our children not to sec most of tho pictures shown at ordinary entertainments, f believe that there is very little evidence that pictures cause juvenile crime. The evil effects arc exaggerated. “Our picture proprietors are no doubt doing their best to furnish their patrons with the best type of film they ‘ can get. Many of the pictures arc excellent; good pictures, good music, and luxurious comfort combine to give many most enjoyable evenings. To many it is quite safe to take cbil- ■ clren. But there are others; and I would venture to say to parents: Make certain that the picture is innocuous before you allow your child to go. Jo ; the proprietors of theatres I would ■ sav; Discourage the attendance of ■ children at night. Yon do not need them; your theatres arc full of adults. Advertise matinees for children when you hare suitable pictures only. Don’t be afraid io say that a picture is not suitable for a juvenile audience. I | venture to say that business,would not be injured by such a course. The only alternative is an agitation for stricter i censorship. I believe that films ought to be classified—-(1) fit for any audience, (2) fit for adult audiences i only, (3) fit for children. And that no , children should be admitted to films of class (1) and (2) unless aceom- ' panied by a parent. “I hope this statement will not be construed as an attack on pictures 1 generally. It is not meant to be such, but is prompted by the conviction that we teachers are to a large degree the guardians of our pupils.” On the motion of Mr G. T. Palmer, . J[ r Abel was accorded a hearty vole of thanks for his address.