THE NEW EDUCATION

New Zealand Listener, Volume 24, Issue 622, 1 June 1951, Page 5

THE NEW EDUCATION

Sir,-I listened with interest to the series of talks by L. V. Bryant from 1YC in defence of the "new education." I am now awaiting with equal interest the presentation of the other side of what must be one of the most controversial topics of the day. Mr. Bryant spoke persuasively, but it was noticeable that he frequently depended on assertion rather than argument to prove his case. He assumed, for example, that those who criticised the new education did so because they objected to any change in the system they remembered. In many cases that

may be correct, but Mr. Bryant must know that the real criticism has a much sounder basis than mere conservatism. Teachers, as well as parents and others, have grave misgivings about the present system. Young people. should be judged, as Mr. Bryant said, not by their conduct in the classroom, but by their conduct when away from supervision. That is precisely where the new education failsit does riot inculcate the self-discipline which is so essential in adult life. How can children learn about life when they are sheltered from life’s most important lessons? — The chief aims of any system of education should surely be: (a) To give children the basic training which will enable them to continue their own education after leaving school; (b) to foster’ their ability to think clearly; (c) to awaken their interest in cultural subjects. Our present system has drifted too far from fundamentals, and will not acknowledge the fact that there can be no really satisfactory substitute for hard

work,

GRADUATE

(Auckland),