TEACHING OF ECONOMICS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 547, 2 June 1933, Page 6

TEACHING OF ECONOMICS

J. C.

TUCK.

Sir, — In this morning's issue of your valuable paper appears an item, "Whose fault", by Mr. A. E. Mansford, mayor of Palmerston North. In his concluding remarks, Mr. Mansford mention^Ithe fact that pupils in our schools (and especially the elder ones) are not taught any phase of economics. That, no doubt, is a fault of our curriculum. Teachers I have known have mentioned this evasion of a — -to their mind — primary subject and have contended that it is a subject that should be taught in all schools to both boys and girls. This must be self evident to all who ta'ke an interest in our everyday monetary and credit juggling. How many of our young men and women start life with any idea of what we are aetually juggling with? Very few, I dare to say and why has this vital question been shelved by those in authority? Has it never occurred to them, or is it one of those subjects that has been kept in the background for fear of people gaining knowledge — knowledge that is most essential in modern life and, as Mr. Man'sford says, in distribution.

One can honestly say that it is only in recent years that people have gained any knowledge of this money juggling business, in fact not until M.ajor Douglas propounded his theorem of just price, dividends and controlled currency. It would be a very fitting gesture if those in control of our schools gave instructions that economics be taught in our primary schools.) The class of economics that teaches the children how to work out the actual production costs, where profits are derived from, and how, where does interest accumulate from and whether it can be got without penalising present or future generations. These subjects are more vital to present needs than a lot of the'boodle that is taught in our schools to-day and I earnestly hope that some of, our teachers take this subject up and at once. — I am. etc..

■Rotorua, 1/6/33.