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Salient. The Newspaper of Victoria University College. Vol. 20, No. 4. May 3, 1956

The teaching of History

The teaching of History

The writing of history for schools and the teaching of history in schools were the two topics discussed by Mr. P. Morris of Wellington Teachers' Training College, and Mr. M. Turn-bull, lecturer in history, at a meeting of the Historical Society on Thursday, April 12, in the History Library.

Mr. Morris was pessimistic about the use or the value of history as it is taught in our high schools, he said. The theoretical aim—the Department's aim—was that history should make good citizens. However, it did not, nor was it meant to. In his experience, teaching history meant dinning a series of facts into the heads of semi-Illiterates. It could much better be left to the university.

Mr. Tumbull told of a series of pamphlet-lives of significant (not necessarily great) New Zealanders, by which history was induced into the minds of the primary school children. The idea, he said, was to get the child interested in the subject, and he will absorb the historical background without knowing it.

The meeting was well-attended. Under energetic guidance the Historical Society has interested many this year, and it seems to have a definite and useful role to play in the cultural life of the university.

Salient wishes to acknowledge with thanks the fact that tournament illustrations in the last issue were from photographs supplied free by Minifoto Studios.