MODERN EDUCATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 October 1942, Page 4

MODERN EDUCATION

ACTIVITIES OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS

much wider programme.

CINEMATOGRAPH AND RADIO.

Some interesting facts relating to the widening of educational activities in primary schools were given at yesterday's luncheon of the Masterton Rotary Club by Mr G. H. Stubbs, senior inspector, Wellington Education Board, in an address reported in part yesterday. “The social and economic obligation regarding the 3 Rs of the curriculum are just as important as ever,” said Mr Stubbs, ‘but modern treatment permit a very much wider programme being introduced and the formal or regular work is now supplemented with a rich cultural diet including such entertaining features as choral verse-speaking, dramatisation, art and general expression exercises. Recent developments include modern means of visual education. Some 300 schools today are equipped with cinematographs. The department is building up a fine circulating library of films that are distributed free of charge to schools and educational bodies. In spite of the extreme difficulties due to war conditions this library continues to grow. The possibilities here are unlimited. Geography, nature study, science and history can be interpreted in a very vital way; equipment and settings are possible on the wide spread of the film canvas that would never be attainable in the class room.

“There is also the film strip projector in several hundred schools today,” said Mi’ Stubbs. “This is a small inexpensive machine by which a strip of pictures on a film is shown, somewhat on the old magic lantern idea, but with the added advantage that pictures can be shown in daylight with slight adjustments. The department is building up an excellent library of strip films that are available to the various education boards free of charge. Many of the films are of the documentary plan showing New Zealand industries and features. Within the last few months three fine films have been produced depicting the wool industry of our country. There is one showing all the features of a large department store. All are of real value and while the school curriculum is sometimes challenged by those in the business world, here w.e have something extremely valuable in educating our children regarding what is being made and distributed in our midst.

“Another interesting medium today is the radio and we are now in the position to say that our school broadcasts are worthy of mention,” Mr Stubbs said. "During this year broadcasts to schools were on three days a week for half-hour periods and one period of half-an-hour each Tuesday morning was devoted to a broadcast from the correspondence school. Some of the advantages are that expert teachers are employed to reach a very wide circle of schools and people. There are experts at work writing scrips and dramatising events to vitalise presentation. The programmes include music, nature study, history, geography and a splendid wealth of story. We all know just how the radio is featured in the home today and the school broadcasts are doing no mean work in developing taste and training pupils to listen. The department has the very closest co-operation in the deuartment of film production and the broadcasting authorities. “A further feature of widening contacts is the development of the country library service. An excellent supply of books of a fascinating type is now in circulation under this new system and numbers of our schools are taking advantage of an opportunity of fostering a fine reading habit.”