RADIO IN SCHOOLS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 December 1927, Page 1

RADIO IN SCHOOLS

LiKSCLTX OF DECENT TEST. WELLINGTON, Dec. 20. Some success attended tlie experinent of teaching school children by tireless, which was conducted by tlie ICducation Department last week. The irogramme, which was broadcast from station 2YA. was transmitted to a 'roup of selected schools from Whangarei to Invercargill, the object of the test, the first of its kind in New Zeaand. being to try the possibilities of what might prove to be a new method if imparting instruction. Sixtv-four schools have reported alI'oadv, and of this number 50 give their reception as excellent, and state that every word could be beard. Seven schools give their reception as good, but a little marred by atmospheric and static; five report upon the reception as poor, and much interfered with by static; one gives a report that the reception was very bad ; and one, Genavy. Waikawa. Southland, reports that it could hear nothing at all. There does not appear to be any definite geographical grouping of the schools whose reception was not excellent. For instance, West Christchurch gave their reception as poor, and Linwood’s was reported to lie very good. Again, though Auckland City’s was j poor, a Northern Wairoa school was excellent. The successful results of the initial tests are likely to induce the authorities to go further into the .matter. Finance, at the moment, will he a stumbling-block. since perltianent installations of receiving sets of the typeused for the experiment would intoivc considerable expenditure. Hie cost would, of course, he reduced considerably if arrangements could be made to relay the programmes from the other central stations, and thus permit of the use of smaller and less costly receiving sets in the schools. The practice of relaying would also minimise the risk of poor reception at schools in isolated areas.