EDUCATION ABROAD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5369, 28 December 1928, Page 1

EDUCATION ABROAD.

SYSTEMS PERTAINING OVERSEAS.

HON. J. A. HANAN’S IMPRESSIONS. Tile Hon. J. A. Hanan, M-L.C., communicated to an “Otago Daily Times’’ reporter some ideas on educational matters gained by him during his recent tour of the Old Country and elsewhere. “In nearly all countries to cii.y," said Mr. Hanan, “no question i. attracting more widespread public attention or exciting more earnest and thoughtful consideration on t'he pait of tne people than that of education, because it is recognised that education is the lifeblood of a nation, and that it is largely to education that a country must look for the solution of economic and social problems. “Of course,” he added, “traditions and conditions obtaining; in Countries differ. Hence an educational system that may be suited to one country may not be suited in certain respects to another. In this connection the source from which funds to rnejet educational needs are raised or drawn must be studied. Excepting Australia and New Zealand the greater part of the moneys required for educational purposes is. raised by means of local taxation and subsidised by the Government.”

FUNDS FROM LOCAL TAXATION. Asiked if 'he favoured the raising of moneys for educational purposes by local taxation, Mr Honan replied in the negative. He added that other countries were gradually .working in the direction of. establishing. State systems of education, the moneys for which would be largely provided by the State. Even in Italy the opinrj ion was growing that education was a state function. in answer to criticism lately Signor. Mussolixa skid that if the Government ga vq up what was called a “monopoly of the education of the youth” it would be giving up one of its. fundamental, duties, and that the Government intended to further, emphasise its, mission to educate the new generations. He had found in a number of countries where there was local taxation that some districts possessed less educational facilities than others in which the population was sparse and the rateable property low- In a word, there was, not in countries ithe equable distribution of liberal educah tion facilities that existed in districts wherq there was a State system of education mainly supported by State funds. * “As a matter, of fact,” addled Mr Hanan, “education is a State function, it being ip the interests of the State to have, a high standard of intelligent and efficient cjtizensjhip throughout the; country. 1 investigated all the forms of education in a number of the countries I visited, and) as. a consequence of what I have learned, there are improvements I should like; to see made-in the edUca-, tional work in New though to give effect to them would require a great increase in the education rate. There are, however, some improvements that could be made with> out any great increase in expenditure. The opinion I gathered from many educationists is that there is room, in educational work to make it mo r e practical, and! to giyq it more direct bearing on life’s occupations. J believe we should endeavour co have such a system of education as .would improve the quality of all labour, and sp secure trainejd or skilled workers in all callings or vocations which, are of use or benefit to society. It should be an education that would continue with an individual al} t'he, time he is in his Vocation, and all through his life. FORMS OF THOUGHT. “in regard to making an educational system more practical op of a technical character, I agree with those who say we must not lose touch, with certain higher apd more imaginative? forms of thought, without which the most active life loses lustre and meaning. It is ceprtainjv essential that our people should be taught to be efficient in all work that, is necessary for self-support and to obtain a livelihood. It is equally important that they should be taught to live. Borne educationalists are app-rehensive that wq might concentrate too much attention on practical, education as bearing up'op one’s life’s work. They point out that the higher type of training is not contained in facts and’figures, nor in. the expertnefis of hand and eyq. Thia training transmitted by the good teacher to the receptive pupil in a thousand waysIt stimulates t’h.e of youth; it carries the thoughts above the mechanical and trading. world; apd it comprises all. the great intangible body of aspirations that one geneirar tion is bound to hand down to its successor.”