WELLINGTON TOPICS,

Hokitika Guardian, 22 June 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS,

STATE EDUCATION,

PROPOSED REFORMS

(Our Special Correspondent;

WELLING ON, June 20

Tho Minister of Education has been , hinting lately at impending changes in 1 the education system of the Dominion j that were to lnake for necessary econ- 1 omy and increased efficiency. Presum- ! ably the proposals submitted to the Council of Education on Saturday represent in the Wain the scheme tho Minister aiicl his chief administrative officer, the Director of Education, have been hatching. They provide, it would seem, for children taking the primary school course till they reach the age of thirteen, when they might he expected to have passed the fifth standard, and then being launched upon a post-prim-ary course which would he determined mainly by each child’s “mental equipment and mental attitude,” to quote L e Director’s own words. Apparently the two courses, the primary and the post-primary are to he taken in the same school, the Director thinking “the children would understand one another better and obtain an indirect influence from those following other courses of study.” What is to become of the present High Schools is not indicated.

CAREFUL CONSIDERATION REQUIRED.

The proposals were discussed at some length by the members of the Council, the Director having asked for the criticisms of his advisers, and the opinion of the majority of them appeared to he that the time was not particularly opportune for the change and that in any case the scheme should he very carefully considered before it was put into operation. Local members of tho teaching profession are no more enthusiastic over Jhc proposals. One of them, with thirty-seven years’ experience and a very excellent record, referring to the subject to-day, said that what was wanted more than anything else in the Dominion’s system of education was thoroughness in the primary schools. A thorough grounding in the essentials 'should he the birth-right of every child horn and this could not he given by a system which ended the primary course at the fifth standard and harrassed the child with a score of subjects for which he might have neither inclination nor capacity. If the essentials were taught as they should he, children would leave school with a thirst for further knowledge and the general standard of education would he enormously raised. A SPIRITED REPORT.

Mr George Mitchell, the very earnest and intensely loyal member for Wellington South, has read Mr Brash, the new secretary of the National Dairy Association, a very scathing lecture on what he regards as that gentleman’s implications of profiteering against the Imperial Government in connection with its handling of New Zealand butter. Mr Mitchell does not pretend to know whether the Mother Country lost or gained over her dealings with the Dominion during the war, but he is quite certain, as most other people acquainted with the facts are, that she bore more than her fair share of the “white man’s burden” when the whole future of the race appeared to lie in jeopardy. His lecture concludes with a fervid appeal to Mr Brash “to stop this miserable charge of profiteering.” Less zealous patriots than Mr Mitchell did not see in’Mr Brash s’ statement an implication of profiteering against the Imperial Government, hut many people took strong exception to his assertion that the present subsidy paid to tho butter-makers is purely for the benefit

of the consumers. THE CENSORSHIP. The Christchurch Labour members of the House of Representatives would he well advised did they not rush to the

newspapers with every telegram they dispatch to the Acting Prime Minister instructing that very courteous gentleman upon the performance of his duties Sir Francis Bell may lag somewhat behind the progressive thought of tho day, and he may he just a little disposed to play the part of the old-time autocrat, hut no administrator lias been more frank and open with the public and more ready to give his confidence to members of Parliament. Tho Christchurch Labour members, being gentlemen of ordinary intelligence, must have known perfectly well the reason tor revival of the censorship of certain cablegram."! and their attempt to take party, capital out of the incident is regarded l.civ as both ill-mannered and unpatriotic, even by people whose political sympathies are more fully with Labour than with the present Government.