Ely 16 The Guardian Monday, .lan_ 6, 1958

VOICE GlVES ouy

Opera star Maria Mengehini Callas leaves stage after singing first act in title role of Bellini’: “Norma” at opera house in Rome, Italy. Moments later she broke down in her dressing room and final two acts of the opera, which opened the Rome season, were called off with the explanation that the diva had lost her voice.

The announcement

brought a chorus of boos from the audience

and when hundreds of demonstra- tors gathered outside the opera house, riot police were called. The soprano wears costume of “Nor- ma”,_ one of the most’ difficult roles in opera. (AP Wh-ephoto via radio from Rome)

EDUCATIONAL HORIZONS

The School And lts.PubIicl

Mr. K. A. Parker, superlnten dent of Schools, Charlottetown.

Na-tional attention is being fo- cussed ‘these days on the forth- coming Canadian Oonfetrence on Education to be held at Ottawa, February 17th-20th., 1958. A sense of urgency has been added with the knowledge that Sputniks with a Russian educational 1-abel at- tached to them are now encir- cling our earth several times a d-ay. Suddenly the man on the street in the Western Hemisphere finds himself asking the pointed question, “What is found in the Russian classroom that doesn’t exist in ours?”

The answer is relatively sim- ple and direct, and should do much to shock the questioner in our Christian democracies out of his passive and all too frequent- ly indifferent /attitude towards ed- ucation. A short 40 years . ago, the fledgling Communist Govern-' ment reoognized that the basic and primary resources of a na- tion in the making are its peo- ples. It further recognized that the development of these resourc- es through a meticulously planned educational program must re- ceive first consideration from the State. To guarantee the end re- sults desired, teachers and in- structors of both young and old are recognized for their worth to society, both socially and econo- mically. Brilliant young men and women are happy to remain in a profession which has been grant- ed the highest prestige in the so- ciety and which returnsa remun- eration commensurate with that standing and in full competition with other professional vocations. RESULTS The concrete results of such a concept are in front of us to ev-al-i uate. As a matter of historical record it is pertinent to remember that the temporary strength of both the Kaiser’s and Hitler's Germany, Mussolini’s -It-aly and the military‘ junta’s Japan were all established by using control of their educational systems for their nefarious ends. This refer- ence serves to illustrate how his- tory is made in aTelatively short time through an educational pro‘- gram which is directed for a planned result.‘ » s

The fact of‘ the matter is that our Western way of life is being challenged by the Soviet Union which spends 8 percent of its na-. tional income on education, while Canada spends only 2.7 per cent In the U.S.S.R., 19 out of every IQOO persons attend higher tech- nical schools or universities; in Canada‘ only five out of every 1000 are so doing. What will be the nature of our Canadian re- sponse to the challenge.

As Professor‘ Arnold Toynbeei has shown in his “A Study of History,” civilizations advance by challenge and response; if the response is inadequate they will fall: if it is right, they will rise to a higher level_. Let no Canad- ian citizen under-estimate the sig- nificance of the task confronting him. And the task is directly re- lated to the kind of educational program and opportunities pro- vided for its peoples of all ages. PUBLIC DEMAND

It must be further recognized

-that, unlike a totalitarian state

where a benevolent dictait-or can change and superimpose an edu- cational program at will, the wheels of the democratic process grind more slowly. Political gov- ernments of the day, whether pro- vincial or national, remain in pa- wer only so long as they can com- mand a majority of the legisla- tive votes. Changes in policy on any and every level are inevita- bly evaluated by their political implica.tions.

Political implications are deter- -minedfrom the evidence of pu- blic demand and clamor for same. The whole welfare program now universally demanded by all citizens, is accepted by parties of all political faiths, in one form or she other, simply because it would be political suicide to flout public opinion in such matters. h’;-gardless of cost, the demand is for protectioii from the crad- le to the grave. Similarly public opinion has forced governments of the day to enact legislation dealing with development and conservation of our Natural rt

sources.

Similarly, public opinion has forced governments of the day to enact legislation dealing with development and conservation of our natural resources with bet- ter power and transportion facili- ties and so all along the line, with little evidence of concern that na- tional and provincial debts keep pyramiding. These are things which ‘must be done is the poli- tical realismlof the -day.

However, when it comes to ex- tension of educational services, the immediate cry is that no monies are available from the treasuries already depleted by constant demands for “essential” needs. To put it another way, the government of the day is not

convinced that there is genuine and determined public opinion backing up these requests for a better educational deal. As some one has said, until as many dele- gations pound on the door of the Minister of Education as on the

one belonging to the Minister of

Highways, little progress can be

expected.

How much more could and would be done _in our own pro-

vince if there was evidence of a dynamic and aggressive public

opinion demanding action on our

educational needs! How many cit-

izens and organizations have

found ways and means to express

their views to the government?

How many schools trustees in in-

dividual s c h o o 1 districts have

been as much concerned with the

standards of their schools as with

taxes? Is government itself aware of the steady and subtle deter- ioration of its citizens when an adequate education‘ is not avail- able to so many?

Admittedly it is the duty and privilege of professional educa- tors to keep these matters before their public; but this having been done‘ they remain va»in‘exhorta- " tions and verbalisms without sub- stance unless backed by an arous- ed public opinion.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER During the Christmas Common- wealth Broadcast, the world re- nowned English philosopher, Ber- trand Russell, referred to the old adage, -“Knowledge is power.” However, herwent on to say that the future of peoples is determin- ed whether that power is to be used for good or evil. Nothing couldfmore aptly sum up the na- ture of the educational problem facing us in this complex society of 1958. ‘ The uch quoted primary func- provides a knowledge of the 3 R's, is a gross simplication of the role of the school. The skill of reading which is used to satur- ate one’s mind with cheap, vulgar and obscene literature; the skill of arithmetic which is used to manipulate profit and loss ac- counts to the detriment of custo- mer and government; the skill of writing which is used to ex- press false and malicious ideas and doctrines; the skill of science which is used to plan man’s de- struction in tail, costing bil- lions of dollars each year, point- edly suggests that learning in- volves much more than the sim- ple acquisition of knowledge per- se.

It is not so much what the in- dividual knows, but what he does with what he, knows, that deter- mines our way of life. So the teacher‘ of the child must not on- ly be aware but teach and exem- plify desirable patterns of beha-

lea'rner’s habits, both personal and social, his moral, ethical and cultural standards, and his spiri- tual beliefs. MAJOR ROLE

And who, in addition to the par- ent, minister and priest, plays a major role in the education of our children? It is obviously the classroom teacher in our public

methods of collecting delinquent ‘

tion of the school as one which .

vior which are reflected in the .

fundamental,

training. DROP OUT

is revealed by cold statistics. Out

I in 1944, only 1778 were left in grade 8 in 1952 — a loss of 48 per cent; only 1147 were left in Grade 10 in 1954 —— a loss of 62.4 per cent; only 439 enrolled in Grade 12 in 1956 — a loss of 85.6 per

ents, only 299 reached certificate standing on the final examina- tions.

The most serious implications for the welfare of our province are in the drop-outs on the Grade 8 level which show nearly one- half of our boys and girls leav- ing school with less than Grade 8 standing. Surely a precarious

schools. With our children being our greatest resource, it should. be obvious that their school tea-“ chers should possess the highest; .possible qualifications, both pro- fessionally and personally. Unfor- tunate-ly there is; little substantial evidence that public opinion de- mands these qualities in ils tea-, cliers.‘ It would sec-n1 that our cit—~ izcns are satisfied to have ‘l1cir{ children taught the 3 R5 and lit-[ tle else. And effective teaching of the 8 R's, rightly important and

I I

certainly requlres'foundatlon on which to build for teaching skills which can only belthe future. acquired by thorough and lengthy‘KEy FACTOR

The core of our problem in this

lprovince, as in varying degrees

The need for immediate action‘

in the other provinces, is the in-

,adequate supply of properly qual-

of 3054 pupils enrolled in Grade‘

cent. And of the Grade 12 stud-

ified teachers. No other single facto' determines to a greater de- gree the holding power of the pn- blic schools. Our wh ole future will be chartered by the way this

‘problem is met. Ignore it and the jnatural resdurces which we .have; in such abundance will be rela-‘

tively insignificant. Grapple with it realistically, with a concerted effort by both public and govern- ment, and we have the only in- surance possible for the mainten- ance of the “good way of life" coveted by all.

RURAL AREAS

The writer has stated before and states again that the recruit-

involves not only adequate salar- ies, but adequate and acceptable working conditions. Unless both these aspects of employment are considered together, there can only be 3 steady worsening of our position. 70 per cent of the chil- dren of this province are in rural and village schools. Under exist- ing conditions, few teachers of quality will seek positions in these areas. And it is in these rural sections where educational opportunities are of prime impor- tance for the progressive devel- opment of the basic physical re- sources of our province which are of the soil and sea. Alas, very few children of urban centres leave the towns to find their vo- cations on the farm or in the fishing village. As in the past, the vast majority of the farmers and fishermen of the future are to

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come from the rural schools. LARGER UNIT

To ensure equal educational op- portunity for these children, two immediate steps can be taken with very little added cost to the taxpayer but providing the only foundation for improved services. First, the acceptance of the prin- ciple of the larger school admin- istrative unit, a procedure urged and recommended in practically every brief presented to the Leg- islative Standing Committee on Education last spring. How fool- ish and stupid it would be for the primary producer to ignore the findings of science and research in the raising of his stock and the products of the soil! Yet we seem to be completely and de- Iiberately ignoring the years of experience in other provinces and other lands relative to the admin- istration of rural schools. As an

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VVhat about power? It’s yours to spare with Plymouth’s Thrill-Power Six, or big, new 313- cubic"-inch V-8. And nothing beats the ease and responsiveness of Plymouth’s proved push-button automatic drive. It’s safe. affected by electrical trouble.

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Mechanical. Isn’t

immediate result there would be improvement in the environment under which rural teachers must

work. The time calls for a drop- ping of the false values inherent in our traditional rugged individ- ualism and a working together for the common good. _ .

The second step is equally 1m- perative and directly related _to the improvement of the financial status of the teacher in the local school district. This calls_for a complete revision of our present assessment policy which places such heavy penalties on the land- owners, overlooking that school taxes should be shared propor- tionately by the non-farmer, the professional people, civil servants of both Provincial and Federal Governments, merchants and o- ther business men.

Governments of the day will act

American Cops Break Into TV. Programs In Great Britain

LONDON (AP) — A batch_of BBC engineers blamed it American cops talking on ai}J01g?1e.sunspots and said the freak radio rad.” network someggggd nM0;,cond1t1ons should clear up sum <I:lJai13:teiiiigSl1ttatef(sir wjaasmming British! . What is "particularly infuriating, TV reception these winter eve-Ilisteners say,.1s that few of the nillgsth 'ddle of programs. thejémfrlcalntpollle‘tnl?SSageS mime c°pnS coemlglbarging in with some l1Iea£rm:pf:v: .tan(lbalizi:1geSwl)li‘):sJust crisp orders for faraway D-'it1'01|BREAKS UP QUEEN '

The interference has been

cars. _ Where the voices are coming ing on for weeks but became _ ticularly strong these last few

from nobody here knows.

days. On Christmas, right in E middle of Queen Elizabeth's hon. day broadcast, some listen

public opinion d_emand_ing_ such measures. The issue IS .111 the hands of the citizens of this PI'9V‘ ince. May there be positive action

caught the plaintive voice of ‘

tomorrow if there is evidence of

like snow -time

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