TOO STEREOTYPED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1040, 2 August 1930, Page 6

TOO STEREOTYPED

PROFESSOR ATTACKS EDUCATION SYSTEM FATAL TO CENTRALISE That education .in New Zealand Is too stereotyped, tending to bring forth a generation- of standardised citizens of too staid and law-abiding a character for real progress was the charge levelled by Dr. A. B. Fitt. M.A., Professor of Education at Auckland University College, in introducing a discussion on educational questions before about a hundred Auckland school teachers last evening. It was the initial meeting of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Federation of Teachers. Speaking on the lines of an educational comparison between the Dominion and other countries. Dr. Fitt said he agreed with the remark of Dr. J. B. Condiiffe that “New Zealand stands almost alone in subjects which can be gained purely by instruction.” The teachers were certainly all firstclass instructors, although not perhaps teachers in the real sense of the word. Much education was lost by book learning being over emphasised. Schools and colleges here showed a peculiar uniformity Dr Fitt said. In the past there had been cuily the one general type, but this wa 3 now being , remedied and a little variety of teach mg introduced. The post-primary courses and methods of training all teachers were outstanding examples of uniformity. In few respects was the Dominion inferior to Australia, especially its leader, Victoria, where Dr Fitt had studied education closely. There was little doubt that New Zealand was much better in the general effect, but Victoria was much the superior regarding methods of training secondary school teachers. The average achievement was higher in the Dominion. UNITED STATES RECORDS The United States showed some records of which New Zealand could not boast, but she was hampered by the people themselves. One of her greatest problems was the widespread Illiteracy amounting to possibly 20 per cent, in New York. The United States spends a huge sum annually, compared with New Zealand, on the teaching of agriculture. On the other hand, Denmark, where agriculture is the great industry, will not allow this to be taught to children before they are 15, but more than half go on the land. The call is in the blood, as the country has just emerged, comparatively speaking, from a feudal system. Culture, “that something which saves from the tyranny of work,” should be more prominent in our education. Dr. Fitt believes. He quoted Dr. Condliffe’s ’New Zealand in the Making” to show that the country was developing a stereotyped, monotonous stamp of people—a mediocrity. There was not sufficient initiative developed for leadership, not sufficient of the spontaneous creative spirit. “We are too coldly efficient,, staid, and law abiding,” said Dr. Fitt. “Teachers are taking too one-sided a view of man as a creature who merely absorbs learning.” A people should be creative in art and ideas for true progress and happiness, and to this end music, the arts and creative work should bo encouraged In schools. BEST READERS An American survey showed New Zealanders to be the best readers of serious literature, but this did not help the creative spirit. Intellectually the Dominion was abreast of the world, but her insularity and homogeneity tended to make the country run in a rut. Some change was certainly necessary, but this must not be in the direction of centralisation. Dr. Fitt admitted tjiat he had not read the report of the Education Committee, but said that good would come of it if it improved the means of reaching the child and gave more scope for the teacher’s initiative. “We have already centralised too far and must begin to decentralise if we are to be more efficient.” Dr. Fitt told his audience. “The cost may be greater, but this cannot be considered when the efficiency of the whole educational system is at stake. Several members then gave their views on points raised by the speaker.