TEACHERS OF HISTORY

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1923, Page 3

TEACHERS OF HISTORY

ADDRESS BY PROFESSOR .1. B. 1 ON DI.IEEE. A meeting of tin* New Zealand Historical Association was held at Cattleri„ir\ t i,l lege on Wednesday evening. Dr .!. Might presided over a good atlmi*c. u'hii h many studonis.

Professor .1. I!. CoiidlilVe gave a very interesting address on the Teaching of History in our Schools and Colleges, with reference particularly to the Social

and Economic factois in the history ol Mediaeval England. Tho lecture was iilu-i rated wish a large number of very line lantern slide- portraying the life ~f Mediaeval England, and at tlu* same time giving a practical iltu-traiion of the pictorial method of teaching b;--t ril'V.

The importance of -oral and economic factor- in history bad at hi-t come to he recognised, lie -aid. Ibe teaching of history in most text books, however, still paid almost complete regard to tin* mere slipcriieial and comparatively unimportant and external events, to tin* unforliinae neglect of the greater factor' of social and economic It ie.

-History.” said Ihe speaker, "is so olteii regarded as a subject ill si linols to be taught bv anyone who had sufficient spare time." It was given most unimportant position in the eomculum. and taught along hue* which led to most student- gaining a very Slipcriieial and fallacious knowledge of liu* subject. Even in our universities it wa- possible lor a student to gain very high honours with such a knowledge. It bad been relegated a subordinate position to the moi-e formal sub-

jocts. The Mediaeval age was hut typieal of miter ages in the history of England. Hut ii was little short of a tragedy to nl Ihe great formative periods ol .I, id - ,, that its history should he lined mainlv to such superficial events as wars. The -social ami artistic |j K . „j the .Middle Ages resemhled m ,1,,, . i-r,K id Greece, imporrancc the gnat J-o Lit stature was spring.ng mlo hie. Ihe ..ceai university and its collegiate syslc,!i was beginning m develop, mom about LWI A. D. miter tlm Lmel, Death) them was very appar. mJ he move towards the welding ol the >'mg--1,-lt people mm one race, the deudop,ucnt of national law and a national b These social events could he taught i„ a far mom interesting ehddren, and m a far aiom vivid and ma list,.- way. by dramatic ami I»<’< "l™ 1 methods. The child could build tried,,kval house- and play with them ami <( , nail, far more useful knowledge than hv means of oral answers am! d,otideas, l.itenuure tat ion on absti.u . could he linked on with this stud... B we must aim at influencing the Uys „f the eltihlreii. If we eot.Ul t.mterstaid, and cause ..nr children to umleistnml how our social life has been bit,l up. we would need to have no leaf- ol the dangers ~i social problems. Professor C.iiidlitl’e then showed a j number of very interesting, and -Hen J amusing, pictures portraying social mo ! in England in the Middle Ages t) n the motion i; f M'- \\ • Douglas j Andrews, seconded by Mr E. PurI ~1-iase, the speaker was accorded a very j lit ;in v you l ol thank*!.