Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1924, Page 2

Won.u the advertising expel Is we e in loidereme :it Wembley, delegates from vaiinus edui-alinnal rent res througlnuil ihe Kmpire met at the l niver.sity College. Cower-.street. I.niidim. ml the ncla.simi of the Triennial Cniili-rein e id the League of the Kmpire on Imperial Kdilt ati* in opened by 11.1t.11. tin 1 Duke of York.- and discussed important asfei ts uf this i|iiesti,>n. On Ike subject of training colleges, it was slated that .several s. bonis bail made ai rangemeiilfi whereby students in training might attend I‘niveisity cotir.-es in eilin-atinual theory, thus bringing about a tpye of < n-uj eralinn between the training institution and the school; and iL was pointed out by an Australian delegate that State control of ndiu-ntinii hy registration in Victoria had given a great impetus to training, which was now linked up • lo.sely with the Cniver.-ity. Professor

A. Reid (Principal, Natal Tunning College) advocated the tempo:ary interchange of members of the stall's of training colleges at home and oversea, especially in regard to teaching in experimental psychology: while the Duchess of Alhoil. M.P.. who p.iosidcd at one of the sessions, said she would like to see a scheme developed for the inters liauge of teachers between Britain and the Dominions. Sir Ciregmy poster (Provost of ihe Loudon I'niversity College) gave the interesting information that last year there were “IS students in the I'niversitv from various

parts of the Empire. India <oiitributiug no fewer than 108. As a means bv "bi ll intending toaclieis may be tbo better prepared for inllueueiiig the standard of public life and culture, and arousing in their pupils a sense of the importance of the duties of Empire citizenship, it was suggested at the Conference that the whole stains and organisation of training colleges must lie reconsidered. Professor 11. BoniI as Smith. Vi toria I'niveisity. Manchester. pointing out that only if the colleges were developed more on university lines would it be easier for them to send out teachers, efficient in the schools, and at the same time inspiring leaders of the community at large. At a later session. Mr B. M. Allen (Deputy Education Officer. London County Council) gave details of the London County Council scheme for the exchange of teaclicis with the Dominions. and mentioned that alter the summer holidays it was estimated that something like one hundred Dominion teachers would be taking up work in the elementary schools in this country, while a similar number of English teacheis would proceed to schools in the Dominions. The Conference resolved to ask the League to investigate further tho conditions under which teachers, especially in training «■ >!- legos, lould be exchanged between this country and the Dominions.

It wi.l bo observed from the thought tor the times to-day, that this date is .set apart as America’s special day in connection with the Great V>ar. (September 12th. is tho occasion for the celebration of the victory of American arms at St. Mihiol which was one of those series of events which marked the turning point of the war. and the beginning of the end. America is making the day an occasion for mobilisation of national forces, as an indication of the. preliminary steps required for the prompt utilisation of the reserve forces of patriotic citizens, should the security of the country be tlivy'itone-l, ‘lbis

is a practical stop in keeping with tlio ■American ideas for general ]reparedpess, and it is a lesson which should not bo lest sight of. In many countries the lesson of being prepared which the sudden avalanche of the war period brought to the world, has been h.st sight of already. Tims- who resolved (hat never again would the nation fe (alight napping and found unprepared, have lapsed notwithstanding into indifferent eor worse. In the ilesiie for peace and the earnest efforts to secure it. the lesson of the war that r.afe peace can come only from preparedness, is forgotten. The Americans are not j going to he lulled into a sense ol I also in the lack of preparedness. 'I he lorritoiial system is not as active as it should he, and is being eased in many security, and very | roferly they are taking steps to organise citizen result nos, ul-aie- inil't he drawn t!ie nation's .strength in the time td danger. New Zealand is as cul) able a.s the rest respects. .Many line ,speeches a:e (I cing heard in La.rliumciit, end out of it. about contentment of the people* being the security of the (ountiy. But if an enemy were to a| pear suddenly our self-complacency would leroivc a shock if we wore as unprepared as we were in 1!'ll lor the over-shadowing event v. hi-' 1 1 then called op all our resources to combat. But it was eve.* thus. Lord Robot Is was a voice crying in the wilderness urging preparation wiii h tins not begun till the war "us raging. Even then for weeks m precious time tin* situation was not realised, till finally nothing could rave the position nth r than tile joining ol men. nioiiev and munitions into the seething cauldron nf war to ajipease the furies, the I'nitcd States is wise in her a.*tion to-day and other nations lor the sake of safety alul security, world he well advi-.ed to follow a like course.