THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 298, 26 May 1915, Page 8

THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

EDUCATION OF THE YOUNG. ITS' PLACE IN .SCHOOLS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, La it Xight. A deputation from the Xew Zealand Alliance and W.C.T.I'. waited on the Hon. J, Alien, Minister for Education, to-day and urged that additional measures should be taken to.instruct children regarding the evils arising from the abuse of alcohol. In reply .Mr. Allen said the Education Department had done a great deal in the direction of pointing out to the children under its care the dangers following the abuse of alcohol. The deputation's spokesmen had said that in some cases charts now exhibited in schools were not serving their purposes, because teachers were not sympathetic. He did not think anything the Department might do would have much effect if the teacher were unsympathetic. Mrs. A. R. Atkinson said the teacher would be influenced if he were to gel; teaching marks for the subject. If temperance teaching' were made an examination subject the teachers would become sympathetic. . The Minister: "I cannot say I appreciate the principle behind that suggestion. If a teacher is going to be judged simply by examination results I don't think his soul will be in his work." Mr. Allen added that the tendency of the Department was to attach less importance to ■examinations and to concentrate attention on the improvement of the children. The Department was improving its syllabus from time to time with the object of educating children in good citizenship and more would be done in that direction as opportunity offered. If some teachers were not sympathetically inclined towards temperance teaching that was a difficulty that would have to be overcome. The Minister said he would consult the Director of Education regarding the suggestion that temperance teaching should be included in the syllabus of the training college.