IMPERIAL UNITY

Southland Times, Issue 20080, 18 January 1927, Page 8

IMPERIAL UNITY

TEACHERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES. “Because children born in New Zealand to-day, not being so closely tied to Great Britain as were their fathers and grandfathers, are apt to drift away from the Old Country, it behoves us to redouble our efforts to keep up the feeling of Imperial unity and kinship with the Motherland.” In these words the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) addressed an .parnest appeal to 200 teachers assembled at Cambridge in connection with the Teachers’ Summer School, reports the Auckland correspondent of the Dominion. “What,” asked His Excellency, "would we like to see most conspicuous in the character of children from the point of view of citizenship, and what ideas would we like to implant firmly in their minds, so that they may be worthy of their country and generation ?” For answer he touched on three considerations, which he regarded as being of vital importance. “There is no need for me to speak to you of loyalty,” ho said. "In no country is it more thorough, and in no country can you get a more delightful picture than by going round New Zealand schools, seeing children in their attitude of loyalty to King and country. It is an inspiration, but it is necessary to remember that conditions change. Lately we have seen in the proceedings of the Imperial Conference how the conception of Empire is changing. We hear the words ‘equality and ‘independence’ used in a way that strikes us as somewhat different from what we have been brought up to understand by those terms. We have been accustomed for years tn sav that the Dominions and the Mother Country are united by a thread as bright as gold, as strong as steel. But with new conditions growing up, and new ideas coming in that thread is being stretched, I will not say dangerously, but to a thinness that makes one anxious lest it be stretched to breaking point. It is, therefore, more necessary than ever that children should be brought up in the knowledge of the ties of blood and kinship, of the glory and responsibility of the great heritage that has come down to them, and of the immense importance of keeping up a wholehearted allegiance to the Crown and person of His Majesty the King.” Continuing, His Excellency said: "Young people should be taught that what a man liecomes in this world he becomes by reason of his own exertions. Help young people to get out of the idea of always looking to the State and Government for help.” Sir Charles Fergusson appealed to the teachers to see glory in their work, even though it might seem at times laborious and sometimes drudgery. He urged them, whenever opportunity occurred, to instil into the young minds in their care, appreciation of the one sure foundation of their lives, the best pattern upon which those lives could be modelled.