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Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 April 1940, Page 6

“Unless this 'now freedom' idea in education is cheeked, education will become aimless wanderings of. the mentally comatose in search of diversion." sail! Dr Basil Howard in an address on the decline of culture given to the Otago branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand. "Freedom in education lias at least, two dangerous tendencies. First, it means tiie abolition of what is called competitive individualism which will result in putting a brake upon higher natural intelligence. But in spite of fanciful theories, success still remains the reward of honest, thorough work. Second. it advocates that school must lie a joy and that no child must be unhappv through having to work at a distasteful task. Here we have the insidious doctrine to today that happiness and hard work are incompatible. 1 am reminded of the teacher of the i.ld school who. when told that his system was a strait-jacket, replied 'Maybe. but at least it is not a pair ol pyjamas.' We have made some progress towards •pyjamadom.’ and the last report of the primary school inspectors contained guarded warnings. against a too liberal interpretation of the new spirit."