BISHOP’S VIEW OF EDUCATION

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1931, Page 6

BISHOP’S VIEW OF EDUCATION

ADDRESS TO TEACHERS

TRIBUTE TO GREAT WORK DONE

CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 14

Some aspects of his recent, trip Home to attend the Lambeth Conference were dealt with by Bishop West-AY atson in an address at the Teachers’ Summer .School- yesterday , afternoon. The Bishop said that Ids journey had been a great education to him, and he would like to see school inspectors and other pieople in prominent educational positions able to go round the world to witness the wonderful work being done in education elsewhere.

The Bishop said that he had been accused of being a large question mark because ,h e had asked so many questions, and one thing educationists could do was to teach those under their charge to ask the right questions when they wished to gain knowledge.

A FOOLISH QUESTION

In New Zealand great things had been achieved in education in a com-paratively-short time. Just befoj e tlie speaker left England there was a great increase in the number of young people going on"to secondary schools, arid' somebody a-skjedC where..- were -blackcoated jobs going to he found for all those who were attending the secondary "schoolsr That ' was "a foolish" question to ask, as if education were only necessary for those'in black-coated jobs... ;tr 'When he came ; to New Zealand the Bishop noticed that a much greater proportion of tile children were attending the secondary schools. It seemed that the ideal of education had gripped the mind of the people. He wished to pay a tribute to the great work that had been done for education in this country, and for that the teachers acre largely responsible. Referring to the “incubus of the examination system,” the speaker said that it was easy to throw stones at it, but it was difficult to know what to put in its place. Although the examination system hung over the school, prevented elasticity and hampered the teachers, and although its removal would probably benefit the brilliant pupils, it would have a bad effect- on the bulk of the pupils who worked best under compulsion.

CAPITAL OE COUNTRY

It had been said that’ the most valuable capital of a country was the brains of its able citizens. The thing to aim at was the creation in this country of institutions where the really able people could develop their special abilities instead of having to go abroad. Were we affording them the opportunity to give to this country the best service possible? During his world trip, the Bishop said, he tried to .see what he could of universities and schools. He saw schools in various parts of Australia, in Palestine, where there was a great educational work going on, and in Canada. It had been extraordinarily interesting, • College House had been referred to. by Mr Purchase as a training ground for ministers, but it was more than that. The Pilgrim Fathers had dreamt, of a Church of England University, with other colleges round about. That had not- come about, hut Christ’s College there had been an upper department, and that had survived in College House where at present threequarters of those living there were students at Canterbury College. It was hoped eventually to bring about something of the atmosphere of the church colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. -V :' k,

WELL ENDOWED IN AMERICA

Dealing"’ 7 with conditions In the United States the speaker said that the- universities were extraordinarily well endowed with money. It was to be hoped that when the value of the universities became better appreciated here the people would feel the desire to assist in improving the libraries providing better equipment and attracting to this country brilliant men from elsewhere. In Canada and the United States too, much attention was paid to the value of lectures and not enough to research. A Sydney head master pointed out recently the wrongfulness of giving students facts and not teaching them to think. The education system would not become really great until it had got rid of that fault The Bishop said that lie hoped the teachers would listen to those who “had had a vision,” and would take hack with them renewed vigour in their work.