CONTINUING EDUCATION

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1918, Page 2

CONTINUING EDUCATION

1 .EGISLATION CONTEMPLATED

Speaking in Christchurch on the general question of compulsory continuation education, the Hon. J. A. Hanan said that among other legislative proposals that he was submitting for the consideration of Cabinet were clauses giving power to bring about this forward step. He recognised that there were difficulties in tlio way of providing the necessary school accommodation and an adequate supply of trained teachers, hut he was anxious to ’•obtain the required power in the meantime with a view to bringing the scheme gradually into operation. Continuing the Minister said that to have made education free and compulsory up to a certain point was a step to tremendous importance. For the sake'of the indiI viduah no less than for the sake of the i State, the compulsory principle should be extended. There are now two kinds of secondary education —that is to say post primary education—(l) that furnished in the high schools and (2) that furnished in the technical schools. Whatever bo the natural best of clul- ; dren, whatever be their future occupation, a secondary course of one kind or . the other will soon be .recognised as indispensable, and as the State has ‘ proved the wisdom of making primary education compulsory, so will it in time see that what was good for the ' children up to the age of 14 would he equally beneficial for three or four additional years. “We assign too early,” said Mr Hanan, “to boys and girls the moulding of their own lives.’ Good results would accrue if educatin’were continued some years longer . He entertained the sanguine hope that the idea will prevail among the intelligent majority that in the future children should remain longer under instruction and authority than they are required to do now. In this connection rived from part-time day classes for the Minister referred to the benefits deyoung workers.