Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

Immense Strides In
Education Abroad,
Schoolteacher Says
Seuen months' investigation ol modem schools as far apart as
New Mexico and Helsinki., Scotland and Harlem, has convinced
Mr Clive Nield ( shown in photograph above with Mrs Nicld),
formerly of Geelong Grammar School, who returned in the Mari-
posa today, that education is the most hopeful llung one sees
abroad in 1939."
Since he left Oxford seven years agu
Mr Nicld says the social alternatives
have become plainer.
"I believe that we are now watching
a genuine race between education and,
catastrophe," he said. "On the onei
hand, Europe Is engaged in either actu-,
ally or potentially destructive activities.:
On the other, there Is education, which:
stands out vividly as a constructive;
activity. i
"The Spens report published by the
Board of Education in England Is mak
ing people reconsider the alms of j
secondary education, and in America!
the Regents, who govern the huge (alli
en tion system of New York Stale, lutvci
just completed inquiries which are also
causing much discussion. i
"Activity of this kind Is parallel to
the examination which we have been I
making In Australia recently through,
! departmental developments and the
New Education Fellowship
jcioser Relations
I "Everywhere we went in England,
France, Holland, Belgium. Sweden, Fin
land and America, we found examples
of the closer relations which are being
cultivated between schools and tneir
surrounding communities.
"One of the most remarkable was
the Benjamin Franklin High School
in Harlem, built In a street which was
previously nicknamed 'Murder Street.
Because of friction between recently
arrived Italian and Spanish migrants,
police reserves were drafted to the dis
trict.
"The school organised meetings, ran
campaigns, and struggled to solve the
problem. Senior boys spoke with adults
of both parties from the same plat
form. Differences were healed and the
police reserves were withdrawn.
"Literature and foreign language
teaching are based on the need for
teaching Americanism and fostering
assimilation In an American com
munity. Economics is linked with the
budgetary problems of casual workers
in the neighborhood.
1 Real Babies
"Art work centres on housing prob-
lems. The art group prepared posters
'lux demonstrations which were Anally
! successful in securing low rent housing.
Students Interested in photography
made factual surve'ys of housing condi-
; tions.
"The headmaster of this amazing
l place is Dr. Leonard Covello. an Italian-
; American, who himself Is a pertect ex-
1 ample of the process of assimilation.
"At the Dalton' School in New York,
tho home of the well-known Dalton
system, we tound a liberal educational
scheme which ended with fundamen
tals. Senior girls could take a mother-
craft course and be directed hi the
management of half a dozen babies lent
to the school for eight hours a day.
"In Scotland. I met Kurt Halm, the
exiled headmnster of the famous Salem
school In Germany, who has founded
the most remarkable public school 111
Britain at n baronial seat of the Gordon
Clan on the shores of Moray Firth.
"Under the sponsorship of the head
masters of Eton and Marlborough, ft
has developed with unsurpassed Ger
man thoroughness the classic English
public school doclrine of training boys
in Spartan conditions for leadership.
"Hnhn wns the private sccretnry of
Max of Bnden. the last Chancellor
under the Kaiser.
British Moves
"We were very Impressed by the
gieut co-educational schools. Bcednlos
and Darlington Hall, of which Lord
Horder approved so thoroughly In an
nddress recently cabled to Australia.
Then there were the fine nursery and
Infant schools of the London County
Council, which. In the most crowded
parts of the East End. nre doing won
derful work to minimise the effects of
poverty and bad housing."
Mr Nicld hopes to embody many of
the best ideas he has seen during his
trip In the curriculum and general
work of the new school he is opening
al Wnrrnndyte later In the year.
During Ills absence, tho specially
planned buildings for the new school—
the only ones of their kind In Australia
—have been erected. \
none Help
none Help
$