CADET CAMPS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 133, 27 May 1908, Page 2

CADET CAMPS.

DO THEY JLNTJSKFISBE WITH SCHOOL WOIIK ? Per Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A deputation ol' Urn headmasters of the city and suburban schools waited on the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Education, this afternoon, to protest against the cadet camp system. Mr. W. Hill, of the Grafton school, said that tlioy were not opposed to the cadet movement, but only to the camp, and in that ho was speaking for all the masters of the city and suburbs with the exception of two. It was impossible to carry out the school work with its present ciOwdod syllabus. ]f such camps were to be introduced, something would have to give way. Other teachers spoke in the same strain.

Tlie Minister said as lioad of the Department lie liad quito an open mind as to tlie utility and wisdom of tile eunipS, Ho was certain that unless the ollicers of the cadet companies were determined and were whoitvlieaii.edlv in favor of the camps, the latter could not Imt be harmful. (Hear, hear). The Department simply assented to the camps when the officers of the different battalions wanted them, and when there was a feeling amongst the officers that it would he desirable, the Department did not push matters at all. He placed a lugu value on the cadet movement generally, as regards its educational value, but he thought thore was always a disposition to run this too much into the linos of military education, .jj e desired the candidates to remain under the control of the schools. He would look with disapproval oil an attempt to control tho cadets from outside. Xothing should come into it to disorganise school work.