"SELF-CONCEIT"

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 92, 9 December 1931, Page 2

"SELF-CONCEIT"

NEW ZEALAND LOSES HER INFERIORITY COMPLEX. MODERAITOR'S VIEWS. How New Zealand had swung from an inferiority complex in educational thought to a form. of self-conceit was frankly outlined hy Professor J. Collie, M. A., moderator of the Presbyterian Chureh in New Zealand, while addressing the students of Scots Col- jJ lege. In the earlier days of New Zealand's educational history our removal from - the -great centre s of learning of the old world induced the idea that we , could never equal the attainments of | the British" students. This outlook had changed and we now displayed [ a slight tendency toward self-conceit. "We discovered in the Boer War 1 that our soldiers 'were equal to British I trained men and we have also discovered that New Zealand trained men can he come equal to anything produced in the world," the professor said. "Instance of this is given in relation to an examination which took place a good many years ago now in which two of the entrants have come out to be leaders in the intellectual and administrative spheres of life. The one who came out aij the top is now known throughout the world, Sir William Marris. H.e wrote the school song of the Wanganui College at which he had heen a student. .He entered into the Indian Civil Service life and has risen to he the Governor j of the United Provinces. Combined with this he has attained to great

literary and scholastic ability. Another student in the same examination, lower down in the list, is to-day well known as Lord Rutherford. These examples should give incentive to all boys and should be an indication to. | them of what is possible in the at- I ttainment of ability and influence if j they with interest and diligenee ap- 8 ply themselves to the advantages I they possess. j Stressing the aims of education, the j professor said it was not necessary to j have elaborate equipment for the ac- | quiring of knowledge. What was required essentially was the will to learn. "This overcomes other deficiencies and triumphs over various hindrances," he said. "Instance of this is found in the past where boys without the modern facilities were able to attain to great heights of educational equipment and to serve the world through this with efficiency. However, the balance must be kept and in these days hoys with such facilities should do even better in the educational sphere than those who had such hard struggles with eircumstances in the past."