NEED FOR LEADERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 149, 12 July 1937, Page 4

NEED FOR LEADERS

Education on Wrong Lines atmore scheme not wanted The Atmore {3cheme at present being considered, the object of which was to dissolve the boards pf government of secondary schools as at present con* stituted, was not in the best interests of education, sjaid Mr McKenzie, Wellington branch chairman of tho Wellington College Old1 Boys' Association, and a member of the school 's board of governors, when speaking at the Hastings branch reunion on Saturday. Mr McKenzie asked that the matter should be given eontlderation and that pressure should be brought to bear upon thc loeal Members of Parliament by the branehes in eaeh district to pxeserve the present system of control. The wisdom of the present system had beon proved, he said, and it had stood tho test of time. "We all feel proud of our old school," said Mr McKenzie. "It comes next to our own families in our regard. We see old boys of the Wellington College as leaders in all walks of our national life. They are outstanding in the medical, dental and legal profossions, and at the present time there are five judges in New Zealand who are old boys of the school." Such a record as this, he thought, could not he suvpassed even by fhe great schools of England "I read in the Press a few days ago," said Mr McKenzie, "that English newspapers were predieting that it would soon be necessary for Britain to get her leaders from the Dominion?." How could this be, he asked, when men in England were being trained and educated for the work they would taka l up, while in New Zealand to-day the

position was being neglected and the schools were working"' on the wrong lwsf " If fhis continued, how efiifwt m*& countyy produce the pga _ it • produced? Instead of turning our attention to the aesthBliip ride, bur principal aim should be education. The. . iiations of Europe were payi% PVPW ~~ attentfon tq education, and if w§s |iot unusual abxnad to find a farmhand able to speak two or three languages and think nqthing of if. Wo wero incliued to be too ihsular, He was sowy to find, from inquiries he had made, that there. wero no old boys of the Wellington College taking a prominent part in ihe civic life 'of Hastings, "Wa' must tyain cnjjr yqgug men to ha the leaders of this Mf McKen#0. "Wfiy shoiud it that almpst all the leaders of tkg pQuntry to-day^ have to bg brought from other eountries to teach us what we ghpuld, best knOw ourselves? Yet this is true.?*