SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— L. 399 



sound film of a coal-mine or factory, for example, if properly made and 

 faithfully reproduced, provides, by an illusion of reality, vicarious experi- 

 ence of the real things of life without which the pupil and the student must 

 continue to suffer from the cramping effects of a limited mental horizon. 

 Geography, economics, science, history, and nearly every subject of the 

 curriculum stand to-day in urgent need of this vitalising and invigorating 

 quality, which the cinematograph can impart and without which their 

 school treatment must tend to be ' a sterile commerce with abstractions.' 



If this claim can be justified, as those who have experimented believe, the 

 problem of films and projectors assumes a new importance. Quality is the 

 first essential if the reproduction of events, processes and personalities upon 

 the screen is to be realistic and can be absorbed by the student into his 

 personal experience. This modern mechanical equivalent of the ventrilo- 

 quist's art has reached its present stage of perfection by the continuous 

 efforts of equipment makers and studio technicians, so that the spectator 

 loses consciousness of the mechanism and submits to the ' illusion of 

 reality.' Technical advances in photography and in the recording of 

 sound both on film and on disc make an interesting scientific study. Their 

 practical outcome, from the educational standpoint, is the present standard 

 and sub-standard equipment now available to schools. Have these 

 technical advances made possible the universal adoption of cinematography 

 in schools ? Is the expenditure involved in securing the best films and 

 reproducing equipment (i.e. the best technically and educationally) economi- 

 cally justified ? In the writer's view both these questions must be answered 

 in the affirmative. The engineer and the film producer have co-operated 

 in the production of an educational device whose power we can hardly 

 estimate. The way for the educationist is now opened up. 



Mr. J. W. Brown. — The film in adult education. 



1 . Influence of mechanical aids in general. 



Recognition of gramophone, film, broadcasting, as forces in national 

 life. Special contribution of film to education ; it cannot, however, supplant 

 the teacher. 



2. Adult Education audiences — Classification in terms of needs. 



Film for higher technical instruction, and scientific record in work of 

 university standing ; film for use in technical schools, demonstratmg 

 application of mechanical principles, etc.; film for use m mdustry to de- 

 monstrate processes to the worker and to train apprentices, etc. ; film for 

 training in a special subject— e.g. agriculture ; film for propaganda ; teachmg 

 or interest film ; film of special artistic merit or cultural mterest for local 

 film groups or societies ; general interest film for special bodies— e.g. 

 Educational Settlements, Institutes, etc. 



3. Development of use of Film constructively in Adult Education. 

 Demand from bodies of all kinds for film of general interest and for 



teaching films will justify the production of special films. Work of extra- 

 mural departments of universities and adult educational associations in 

 organising the demand for films and^advising on their production, etc. 

 Value of film in discussion group. 



^. Difficulties of securing Films. 



Need for Film Institute which would perform an important function in 

 arranging to distribute at reasonable cost suitable films to bodies requiring 



