THE BRAIN POWER OF THE DOMINION.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 September 1910, Page 3

THE BRAIN POWER OF THE DOMINION.

AN ARTICLE FROM SHARLAND'S JOURNAL.

In its issue for August, Sharland's New Zealand Journal comments as follows upon an important subject to the whole dominion :— In last month's Journal we urged that the important work of the contiol and organisation of the forces of education should be in the hands of the .proficient men of our Universities; nnd that the University should hi the centre and training ground of our brain-power for commerce, industries, education, administration, ni'ti agriculture. Education would of course include the primary and technical departments of training. In short, the responsibility of developing and guiding the brain powei ot the dominion would bo left to a CVuncil of State, with subordinate br-dies, which would be composed ol the most intelligent and expert men at the command, of the democracy. Tt would he their function to sec that the brain-power and strength of the people were trained and utilised to t ! 'o utmost service of ,the community They would view education

from the height of the University it, tlm kindergarten, from the student to the scientist, from the apprentice to the large employer of labour, and see that men were trained as experts lor the important oflices of administration, agriculture, and industries. Just as the Defence Council and tin Admiralty Board organise armies, armaments, and the" munitions oi war, so would the Council of State direct ami use the brain-power aim Pi;orgy of peace. hi order to suggest t!:i chaotic stfite into which the important department of education has I'lllen, wc would point to the followm. 1 ; incidents that have occurred during tin

Inst, few weeks: -- (1) At a meeting of the University Council it was pointed out that the mining department of the University was overlapping the teaching oi the Technical College in certain subjects and that the matter of fees prid to the University Professors required investigation. ' (2\ Under the Local Government Mill ir ; is proposed to transfer to new CMincils the work and functions o. existing .Education Boards.

(3) That education shall, to some extent, depend for its maintenance upon local rating under the Local Gcverninenfc Bill. (1) At a meeting of the Trades anc. Labour Council it was urged that workers should be provided'with additional facilities for securing economic education. 50 Professor Eastorliold, at a meeting of the Farmers' Union, empi nsised the necessity of establishing a chair of agriculture at Victoria College. (0) The chairman of the Auckland Ponrd ol Education moved, at a recent meeting, resolutions, (a) That agricultural science be made a ,spec<a (subject in the curriculum of ali cenntry high schools; (b) That tin ?ehool garden should bo encouraged, etc.

{'() Dr. McDowell, in the course o. a lecture, urged that the Auckland Chamber of Commerce should assist L'io University Council by giving it advice, etc. (3) The Hon. George Fowlds said, in n recent speech, that the whole system of making grants, as at pii-. sent was rotton to the core. (9) At a meeting of the Auckland Education Board it was alleged thn commercial geography was noi tiiught in the public schools, and that it was possible for a youth to pass the sixth standard " without knowing where London was. (10) The announcement that one oi nur most brilliant scholars. Uv Sis- «-■• , the Rhodes' scholar, v as leaving X T ew Zealand to continue he studies in England, and, possibly, to devote his services to any coiintn r.thor than the one of his birth am training.

( 'IV Herald correspondent wntes:-"Mr M. X. Ziman, the Auckland Rhodes scholar, has put ii, a busy term;- FJaliol. and is now in tt.wn studying hard for his Indian Civil Service ONnmination." Here is another instance of a brilu.nt man being lost to tho service oi tin.'•dominion, simply because our system of education and State managejnfnfc makes no provision lor utili's\:>y men who have cost the Seven--went a largo sum to educate. Do vv not require capable administrate rs of State departments, harboui boards and cmmr-ils? Have brains beyond the capacity of the Junioi Civil Service no value in New Zen land i-

(12) 'T don't think |hat trio present system of olecling education beards tond.s to put on those board.inen who have a good knowledge 0 | "durational matters," said Air tt M Thomson, ALL'., in the House! last month.

J he above statement is a sunimaj » tcr only a few weeks, but when \\\ think »,| tlio.furl.t !',„• grants, the battlo over the rniversitv site, tin creation of a syllabus and new i-c<ni-liifctrms at AVelliiiKtoii, the inipetuoV demand for technical and agriciilU-i-"l education made by different, dis tricts and the occasional .political scuffles over teachers and benefits. ,u r'-M)' that, we are not premature in n'lcmg that these impnilant matter, should be referred t oexport intelligf.nee, so that we may secure coherence, organisation, ami, above al. things, that, efficiency which means pi ogress and prosperity to the dominion Professor Hunter. o. Wellington, has stated that the ex ai- illation system of our Universities conduces to cramming rather thai. t;i the highest training of the stufitnt, ami in every branch of educatioi) there are weaknesses an.; strong points. Preliminary to the femntion of a Council of State, tin Government, should lie urged to establish a Royal Commission of Rdmention, with powers to investigate tl.' systems of Germany, America, and other countries, and to care I'm lb itif|uire into every phase of trainim incidental to the activities of tin drrmnion. Such a conunissioi. might be composed of our Univorsitr Professors and the highest evK'H intelligence the Government oai. command. _ In England, an agitation is .{.'.rowing for the formation o. a Council that will organise and rli roj't the brain-power of the nation, as it_ is felt that Germany oossesse: an immense industrial a Ivanta"* over England by the fn-t that shels guided commercially ov such an ex"ei? n, '} y - c )}' Q (,f this subject to be of the gravest importance ti New Zealand. Lord Islington jointed out in a recent ikHtpss 'clhv l- knew of no more iniTmrtnnt work t be discharged in New Zealanr. ju.d in al the other dominions "M In .Majesty, fchnn the work o preparing the yo,n. S .M-generathn!'o the race ami competition of life.