N.Z. STATE SCHOOLS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 December 1933, Page 2

N.Z. STATE SCHOOLS

VIGOROUS ATTACK ON SYSTEM.

TRAINING COLLEGES CRITICISED

DUNEDIN, December 16

' Allying himself with Dr.* J., B. Condliffe in the view that the state of education in New Zealand is ; spoilt by the unchecked and unbalanced system which has cost the Dominion half a century’s cultural progress, ,and provided a happy hunting ground, for political, economic, and religious quacks, Archdeacon L., G.. Whitehead (warden of Selwyn College) launched a vigorous attack on State schools during his address at the break-up ceremony at St. Hilda’s -Collegiate School. Speaking, he said, as one whose trade'was that of a schoolmaster wlio had taught all classes from the lowest of primers to the highest secondary forms, he found little to admire in State education in. New . Zealand. A system of education-was a useful and necessary institution, but it could also be very dangerous,.especially in a country like New Zealand, where the only serious rival,.of the State school was the moving ■ picture, Primary schools provided by the Government in this country, hri considered, suffered from several grievous defects. One was their deadly uniformity another their j-igid-ity, and a third the bureaucratic influence under which thej’ laboured. They Were bttd faults, and could he easily explained by reference' to ‘the system of grading teachers, the influence'of train-ing-colleges, 'uniform text books, and the system of school inspectors. -Finally there was the other, great consideration which was comprised-, in the fact that too often the Minister for Education was an uneducated man,

' He had in the' past been. outspoken on the subject of inspectors and training colleges-, and had since no cause to revise his views. Notwithstanding that a Dunedin editor had suggested that he was being facetious when he urged the abolition of inspectors, he was still 'convinced ' that' they were', a nienace to the; system, . and although lie had been dpjighted- tojseoA^of=the training 'collfegesjtile Dpniiriipjti'■closed hnfii' they ; were , a)r.(icine/.n\yay with.'' .They weretp;?'. no' the' ! ';studerits who ;werp who: >ylre, latfer irainp^ ;■ by the stu dents.; ■ the | child at, a pripia^y school int Hie; sU’n.y; of, education and ' -instruction: ?! Atasked'’': Archdeaeon Whitehead.. ;■ At jAs <; orAl4“ yoiir s of. age most'bf ■tl|bm h'a'A/^Cci’<leA'thattthey 'did not wan^iv.td' : s learAny, : morei; ,7 Thby thought .theyVhen r f , everything there was to kiip-nt That' Iwas'.the fault of • a system,' lvhichi'did"not. - encourage "the urge to jeapii. . The lore- of; knorvledge for -its;;o>yn, sake, .if it were,to, flourish; needed a far 'more leisurely, and - cultural system' : qf . education than that which existed to-day, and he thought that oiie of the great functions of tlie pHvate schools: of the country was to present a fittingly striking contrast to that system. The more there were ,of them the better. Education 1 ” was not the teaching of shapes of letters or tricks of arithmetic. Too often arithmetic was turned into roguery and,literature into lust. Real education was the perfect exercise of a kingly continence of body and sou].