FOSTERING LOYALTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1921, Page 4

FOSTERING LOYALTY.

The recent statement iby the Minister of Education {(Hon.. C. J. Parr,) that, with the ■object of inculcating patriotism and loyalty in school children, lessons will be given in civics and history, jand ■ that the dominant note will be loyalty, should be heartily welcomed by all classI es of the community. It may fairly be ■ assumed that, as a rule, the conceptioji ' of the term loyalty is mostly off a hazy nature. To many, loyalty is merely an exhibition of flag-waving, cheering, or fighting for King and country. In real- • ity it is something of far wader and . greater significance, for at enters, or ; should enter, into the every-day life of • the people, young and old, and should be the mainspring of all their activities. | Loyalty as faithful service—fidelity. If !| the true spirit of loyalty were universali ly exercised there would be no need for police or prisons, industrial unrest. Strikes, and '"go ‘slow - ” tactics would be unknown. and peace would reign supreme. The first duty a child has to learn is loyal obedience to parents; the next being loyalty to teachers and fellow scholars, then to the laws of the country, and, above all, to the Sovereign or head of the (State, and to the faith in which the individual has been brought up. One of the greatest needs of the ; day is mutual loyalty between employ- | erf. and employed, the existence of • which would make the world a veritable I Paradise. Loyalty and patriotism go 'hand in hand. There are some ways, jasuch as the observance of Anzac Day ! and Empire Day, whereby object lessons I can be presented to the people as a I whole, but the only effective means whereby these two great inseparable fundamental® of national cohesion can be •successfully cultivated is by planting the seed in the children, cultivating the plant unceasingly and with expert care, fostering its growth by all possible' means, and eliminating all noxious in-, fluences to the attainment of maturity. j This will take time, but the woik is mot I only worth doing, but doing wtelh By; a satis fact ary system of education, and: a vigorous repression of disruptive an-! fluences, the object in view should be| attained.