TEACHING BY FILM

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 52, 24 May 1927, Page 15

TEACHING BY FILM

THE CINEMA AND THE CHILD British films of educational interest may shortly be introduced into the curriculum of London County Council schools. It is proposed to carry out a series of experiments with cinematography in the near future, as a result of the attention which has been given to the subject by those in authority. This decision is particularly interesting in view of the criticism of moving pictures for children made by Dr. Edward Lyttelton, formerly headmaster of Eton, in an address at Stockwell on the cinema and English life. Dr. Lyttelton said that rapidly moving pictures over-exerted a child’s mind. He also expressed the view that the presentday films puzzled children, and suggested that pictures chosen for them should show things of which they had some knowledge, or the film should be explained to them as it was being shown. C. W. Kimmins, who has gone Into the subject of educational films 'cry thoroughly, and was a member of the commission which investigated the Question, said that he agreed with Dr. Lyttelton about the need for explaining films to children. "It is very necessary,” he said. “With regard to the strain, the commission which investigated the subject found very little injury was done to the children’s ej*es through watching films. We were, in fact, surprised to find that the doctors discovered so little permanent injury to the children’s sight. •The conclusions we arrived at as to the improvements which could be made ln the showing of pictures have been carried out in the construction of new cinema theatres, so that that matter is really arranged for.” An official of the L.C.C. Education Department also emphasised the fact that the disadvantage of eye-strain was being rapidly corrected by im*>rov®d apparatus. "It is a disadvanK?» e ’” “just as the fact that children have to be in the dark when they see films is a disadvantage, but there are a great many advantages in teaching certain subjects by means of educational films. 11