EDUCATION REFORM

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1929, Page 3

EDUCATION REFORM

APPROVAL OF MU ATM ORE’S POLICY. AUCKLAND, June 6. Owing to the unavoidable absence of the Prime Minister, the Mon Harry Atmore represented the Government iid was the principal guest at the Auckland Advertising Club’s luncheon. Mr C. H. Codlin, manager of the Auckland “Herald,” was in the chair. The Minister addressed the gathering at the invitation of the chairman, and dealt with the necessity for a change in the educational system on the lines of his previous public utterances.

At the conclusion of the address, Dr E. P. Neale, secretary of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, said that lie counted it as an honour to he called lipoll to propose a vote of thanks to Mr Atmore for'his able and interesting address to the members of the club. The question of education reform in this country was a most difficult one, hut Mr Atmore had convinced all of them that lie was working on the right lines. (Applause.i IFor years our education system had been too much dominated hv traditions copied from the Old Country, which were quite unsuitable for New Zealand conditions. He instanced the study of French in our secondary ■schools. This was the outcome of the fact that England was only a few hours’ sail from France, hut New Zealand was very much further afield. It would ho much more logical if the children in the schools of the Dominion had to study Japanese or Maori. The question of the bias which the education system should give was a most important one, and they were pleased to have Mr Atmore’s assurance that he would sec to it that there was a bias in the direction oi farming pursuits. There was, of course, the danger that we might go too far. At the present time, only a small section of the population was engaged upon work on the land, ft was certainly a move in the light direction to create a taste for the land, hut side bv side with the Minister’s efforts there would require to be increased facilities for settlemnct upon the land. Air Atmore had before him a man-sized task, but niter listening to his address they were all convinced that there was a man-sized mail in charge of the portfolio of Education at the present time. They all wished the Minister every success.

The motion was carried by act-lam ation and with much enthusiasm.