The Daily News. TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1916. EDUCATION AND THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 July 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1916. EDUCATION AND THE WAR.

It is noticeable that in discussions on educational questions it seems to be usually taken for granted that education must mark time until the war is over (writes the Dunedin Stai, in an informative article). A few months ago Mr. Hogben gave an address on "National Education After the War." Quite recently, too, the English Educational Times contained a thoughtful letter from Professor Jolin Adams, in which he said: "I am quite hopeful about the position of education when peace comes." This view bas been adopted by many people, but we do not agree with it. Is this a time to relax our educational activities ? Certainly we must bend all our energies to win the war. We cannot or ought not to have business as usual, pleasure as usual, racing and drinking as usual. Until we learn to give up undesirable activities we are not ready for victory. Certainly we are delaying the coming of victory. But are we to have education as usual? Yes, and more of it, and of a. kind better suited to our present and future needs. It appears that France has actually increased her expenditure on education since the war began. A good old-fashioned definition of education is that it is the development of physical, mental and moral faculties. ■ Let us take the first, Is not physical development extremely important at the present time? Is it not quite possible that it may turn the scale in the present war? And when this war of armaments and guns and munitions is over, what will follow 1 There will be an industrial war. It will begin before the peace rejoicings arc finished. Are we ready for it? W« may talk as we like about boycotting German goods, but the only sure means of maintaining our leadership in trade and manufactures will be by better organisation of our trade, and by the greater efficiency of our workers. Now, in view of this coming international competition we cannot maintain that vocational education is fully provided for in our Dominion. At present, education is compulsory up to the age of 14, or the passing of Standard VI. This does not provide for a proper for the duties of life. It is not possible in a primary course to do much to give purely vocational or technical education. That must necessarily be relegated mainly to secondary and technical schools. Certainly the primary course includes the training ef the hand as well as of the mind, and something is done for the co-ordination of the hand and eye and I mind. But is it at all possible < to educate boys and girls so that at the age o" 14 they are thoroughly prepared for the duties of life? Certainly not. The compulsory age should be raised to 18. There would then be a likelihood of our boys and girls receiving a two years' •;ourse of technical training that would .jet them to become more ellicient social units and a greater source of strength to the nation. The question of extending the age of compulsory education came before the House of Representatives when the Education A.-t Amendment Act of 1910 was being discussed. While members were generally favorable to the compulsory age being raised, for some inscrutable reason or for ,no reason at all the provision for compulsory education up to 1(1 wa- made optional to localities. This luu, practically shelved the question. Quite recently Mr. G. Uogben said that the provision for continued education beyond the age of 14 was almost a dead letter. He also stated that attendance :\t technical classes is at present voluntary and irregular, in marked contrast to the compulsory and regular attendance at primary schools, Roth these asseverations have solid foundations. It is passing strange that while in the past Germany has led the world in regard to education, and has given us striking instances of what it can do, she has now given :fie world equally striking examples of what it ought not to do. In 1807, after Germany had been humiliated by Napoleon Bonaparte. Fichte issued his famous address, in which he declared that "nothing but education can rescue us from the miseries that overwhelm us." Anil the nation laid olie lesson to heart. The nation revived, at first with noble aims. But a change came o'er the spirit of their national dreams. The present Germany is not Germany of Fichte, Goethe, and Kant. Despotism under the present Kaiser has proved an evil genius. He has labored to develop, by means of school I and university, a false patriotism, based

on a belief in llio degeneracy of her rivals—a belief that is being rudely shaken at a terrible cost to the German nation. The logical outcome of the false patriotism that has been deliberately inculcated bus been a frenzied "Hymn of llate." In this connection Professor Adams has recently uttered these wise words: There are those who point to Germany's boasted education, and ask if we have anything to say for education when it produces such results as we. see, The answer is easy. Education may bo used for good or for evil ends. Tim fact that Germany has made such a vile use of her instrument does not lessen tin value of that instrument. We cannot afford to leave in the hands of our enemies the monopoly of a weapon that can be turned to such deadly use against us Xo, certainly we cannot, and we do not intend to. But we can learn from Germany's terrible mistakes. Note bow the editor of the Hibbert Journal sums up the situation; Germany has developed an Industrial and military organisation which for theoretical completeness is without a rival. She has created a social machine which can be set working by the pressure of a button: but through her constant oversight of the human element she has left the button at the mercy of the most dangerous element in the State. The fierman system of education lias signally failed to. develop character, for the human element ' been overlooked, and the national marketer has ileter'.orated. And this point.-, us to the ;::■«;: problem that confronts orr ists, and that calls for an immediate answer. While we develop the technical and mechanical skill of our boys and girls, how are we to avoid the mistake that Germany has made? How are we to develop their liigher life, their personality, so that the increased skill will be used for good and not for evil ends; Opinions will differ as to how this can best be done; but there can be no difference of opinion as to its urgency.