THE SCHOOL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10294, 31 May 1919, Page 6

THE SCHOOL

IDEALS OF EFFICIENCY

LECTURE TOUCHING IMPORTANCE OF. SOCIAL SIDE.

At tho New Zealand Educational Institute (Wellington branch) last evening, Mr J. S. Tennant, 31. A., delivered an address on ‘ ‘ldeals of School Efficiency.” Mr O. N. Haslam presided over the gathering. 3lr Tennant said that the greatest; efficiency could be attained on the social side, and to that side he paid most attention. He contended that the •school must attempt to make good the loss of sunshine and .brightness experienced in many of .the .big cities. Church and family life did not appear to he keeping pacc with tho requirements of the times, and tho school should step into the breach. There was a tendency to-dav to unload many duties on to the school. In education the individual side must be overlooked to a great extent and a great deal of attention should bo paid to the fitting of the child to take liis part in the community. The communal influence had been in schools- from the beginning in a way, and wo had now reached a stage when certain recognition was given it. Public opinion profoundly affected all mutters, and it was a wonder that the school had taken so little trouble to help to frame public opinion. It was possible for a school to teach properly all those fundamentals which went toward making the, good citizenship. To make the schools the real salvation of our civilisation wo must first of all have better trained and better educated teachers. Secondly, the teaching profession must be recognised as at least the equal of any profession in social standing, remuneration, and thoroughness of scientific training. Tho university was the, place, in which to provide for this. Next there was . the necessity for more self-discipline. Then there should be more living, trying, doing, thinking and less preaching, learning, cramming. No institution in the world, not even the Church, had such opportunities as the school had for moral teaching. He advocated small classes, larger rooms, and betterequipped schools.