SCHOOL SYLLABUS

Southland Times, Issue 18846, 11 June 1920, Page 5

SCHOOL SYLLABUS

TEMPERANCE INSTRUCTION. MINISTER PREPARING A SCHEME. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 10. The intention of the Education Department to make arrangements for some more definite instruction of children in State schools in the subject of temperance was announced to-day by the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, when replying to a deputation representative of temperance bodies in .'the dominion.

The speakers for the deputation were the Rev. R. S. Gray, Mrs A. S. Aitkinson, and the Rev. J. Dawson. It was by them pointed out to the Minister that provision was already made by which teachers could give instruction in temperance under the general heading of Hygiene, but that provision was permissive merely, and the result was that no instruction was given. They asked that temperance instruction be one of the ordinary subjects of the school curriculum, in which class tests should be given as in other subjects of the ordinary course of instruction. The speakers made it clear (hat they did not ask for any partisan instruction. They did not ask that the instruction should have* any reference to prohibition, or to voting, or elections, or anything of the sort. What they did ask was that the children should be informed of the facts concerning the effects of alcohol in relation to hygiene or health. The Minister, in replying, said he realised that the deputation had not come to him as members of the prohibition party. He chose to take the subject from the point of view of a parent, and he would take it that the members of the deputation would be content to have the subject approached from this viewpoint. He had a good deal of sympathy with the views of the deputation, and he did not think that any reason-ably-minded parent, be he prohibitionist, moderate drinker, or even immoderate drinker (if there were any such in this country I could object to sound instruction being given to his little boy or girl on the subject of temperance and the dangers of alcohol to the human organism. Once this was admitted, then the question became a practical one of how the instruction was to lie arranged for and how it could be fitted into a syllabus already well laden. Obviously the proper place for instruction of this kind was' under the heading of Health or Hygiene. Already provision was made for temperance teaching, but he feared that this teaching had been up till now mostly of an indefinite character. It was now suggested to him that it should be made much more definite and specific. He was fully disposed to agree (hat the time had arrived when the teaching of temperance in the schools, sound instruction upon alcohol in relation to the human body, should be given more in detail and more specifically. He had been engaged in considering the best method of teaching the subject, and he had already resolved upon a plan of action. He proposed to see that; every 7 teacher in the scheme of work he had prepared for the year should make provision in the lime devoted to Health and Hygiene for some portion of that; time to be devoted to the subject the deputation had come to discuss. He thought that this would be an easy matter. The inspectors would he instructed to see that in every 7 scheme of work the teaccher had given instruction in the way 7 of a scientific matter with regard to the subject of alcohol. The inspector would ascertain from the diary what instruction had been given in this subject, in the course of the year ,and the inspectors in their oral examinations would be expected to put questions to the children which would indicate the nature and extent of the teaching they had received. Mrs Atkinson: Will he give teachers marks for this subject ?

Mr Parr said (hat marks were not given for different subjects now, but the inspector when he came to sum up the work for the schools would have to take account of all branches of (he work, and if a school should he weak in one subject it would be the inspector's duty to draw attention to that weakness.

Mr Gray asked that the subject be not made a subordinate one in the school work. Mr Purr said that this would not, be the case at all. Special attention was being given to it. The subject would be treated much as geography was treated to-day. Of course it would not he possible to give a great deal of time to it. but the deputation could be assured that the teaching would he made much more definite, specific, and real than hitherto. He did not consider that he was qualified (o discuss (ext books with the deputation, but the matter was being considered now by the chief school medical officer (Dr Wilkinson! and he had no doubt that (he medical staff would be able to see that the instruction given to the children was truly given and scientific. Naturally there would not be a hint of politics nr prohibition in this teaching, that he would have to be very emphatic about, but he thought that all parents eould agree, knowing as they did the dangers and evils of strong drink, that it was proper that their children should bo warned against these evils.