EDUCATIONAL

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1930, Page 8

EDUCATIONAL

HON. HAHItY ATMORE

CHRISTCHURCH, Eeb. 8

Speaking at the laying of the foundation of the new wing of the Avon-side (/'iris’ High School the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore .said that lie felt sure that pupils at that school would he a credit to it and to the On tinier Square School with its great traditions. The whole Dominion had great educational ideals. It was impossible that things could he otherwise in view of the type of men and women who* came here ill the early days, especially those who came to Canterbury. Bring-

ing high ideals with them, they immediately set about establishing, if possible a better system of education then they knew in the Old Country. They succeeded, particularly in Canterbury, which had .some of the finest education at establishments in the Dominion. The value placed on education was shown by the fact that in the Domnion’s schools there were 250,000 girls and boys and the cost of education was £4,000,000 a year. The taxpayers evidently felt that the children should be well developed educationally. IM PO RTA XT A ANNOUNCEMENT.

The Minister said that Mr Sul-

livan had spoken of the importance of every child having the right of second-

ary education if mentally fitted for it. Without anticipating the report of the Education Committee, he could inform Mr Sullivan that this year probably an announcement would bo made in regard to secondary education designed to meet the needs for development of each individual girl or lay It would not aim at uniformity. He liked to think of secondary education as something

that would be offered to each child after bis or her particular aptitude had been discovered. It was desirable that every child, after completing the primary school course, should have secondary education to meet each case. REQUIREMENTS OF THE AGE. Education was not merely a matter of learning dates and historical events. Equipment to earn a living must be the first consideration ; but man could not live by bread alone. There should be an educational policy that would provide for vocational education, but not in water-tight compartments. This was a changing age. A hundred years ago, peasants knew from their own experiences what kind of lives their children would lead after leaving school, j To-day, that was impossible. It could not be predicted what the next ton year would bring forth, bile was in a state of ilux. The educational system must be in the same state. In addition to developing physical and mental powers, higher ideals must be inculcated, and the highest ideal was service.

THE NEW ZEALAND DEMOCRACY. New Zealand thenSvould have a democracy that would enable it to make notable contributions to the world’s thought and views. The war could have hoen avoided if there was a higher standard of intelligence and of ideals’ The war cost CT0,000.000 and 10,000,000 lives. It cost Cooo to kill each man. A little more intelligence and the terrible ealnstrophe would not -have occurred. Every mother and every fal her must know that there was something hotter to make of their hoys than gum bidder. They should ho pqiiipod physically, mentally and morally, <o tabes places of power in public life

and in private business. There was more applied Christianity now than in the past directing the world’s policies. Some people said that the world was “going to the pack.” That was wrong. There never had been the same measure of Christian alturism. For New

Zealand, the hope of the future was in u the girls and boys. For that reason he cheerfully found the £4,000,000 for education. PRINCIPLES CHANGE.

He. dissented from the practice of blaming parents for lax control of their 'dldren. Parents had not the same opportunities in that direction now as parents had in the past. They now had

to rely on the teachers and teaching was the greatest profession of all. Atitude to the economic position counted

more than home influence in the ulti-

mate result, and the teacher became more important in modern life. New Zealand was fortunate in having a particularly good type of teachers.

| He believed that New Zealand could i lune the leading democracy of tlm , whole world. Its population was small ; i on the basis of figures it might he insignificant, yet it had placed mea- ; Statute Rook the most advanced meaures in the world. Delegates from many nations were sent to study them. It was not impossible for New Zealand to evolve the world’s best educational system. He could pay a tribute to the private schools, because they also were training young New Zealanders but be was determined to make the I national system a more dangerous competitor of the private schools than it bad been in the past. If ignorance could be banished from New Zealand this Dominion would do things that the rest of the world would copy. Even’ child should have an inalienable right to the best education, so that he or she should be able to rise to the highest physical, mental and moral stature. In the primary schools, in necessitous cases free school’ hooks were provided. Cabinet at his request had readily agreed to the same arrangement in secondary schools. He had asked Cabinet also to agree to establish secondary schools correspondence courses for children in the backblocks; and now any child in the backblocks could by that means, he taken up to the matriculation standard. In other ways the system was being improved. He was convinced that the high ideals held in New Zealand would he reached. The Minister wished the school increases prosperity. It had done re- ( mnrkablv good work, he said. The aecommodation to he added would enable it: to do more. Tn that school, in those beautiful surroundings, he did i J not doubt, girls would continue to he developed into women who would he a j credit to New Zealand and who would . share in ihe highest ideal, service to! Hie community, '