Education in the Army
The Army Buwau of Curr‘nt Affairs has issued an admirable pamphlet entitled " Brush-up for Civvy Street," dealing with Army Education in the interim period between the cessation of hostilities and demobilisation. It is one of the first essentials to the success of the scheme that officers and men should themselves believe in it; and should be convinced that they will be set to work not Merely to fill in their time, but to give them something of lasting value. The period of waiting for demobilisation will be a trying time. The men will no longer put their heart into military training, but they will not yet be back in civilian life. This pamphlet shows how officers can help their men to appreciate the value of courses of instruction, some of them technical, some general—some giving them the preliminaries to further training for a trade, others helping to supplement or brush up their general education. It has been realised that the Army must provide the organisation, the books and the tools, so Unit Instructors are being trained, the Army Educational Corps drilled, and books are to be provided. (A very special drive will be necessary if they are to get the books in sufficient quantities and soon.) Participation is to be compulsory, as is obviously necessary, but a wide choice in the subjects of study is promised ; and this is equally necessary if the varying requirements of men are to be adequately met. It is interesting to see the fruition of the schemes of Army education to whose development so much careful attention has been given during the last three or four years. In the last war the difficulties of 'demobilisation were not foreseen in time. In this war it seems likely that the plans have been well laid in advance.
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