Do not misuse freedom—Shand

Jane Hewland

Wellington Students should beware of misusing their academic freedom within society, the Minister of Labour, Mr. Shand told delegates at the opening of the NZUSA Easter Council in Wellington last week.

"Academic freedom is a privilege which is not ac-corded to society at large," he said. "The most important protection students can give this freedom is to use it for the purpose for which it was intended.

"Universities have the right to decide in considerable measure what they will teach and how they will teach it. A teacher in such an institution has the right to speak the truth as he sees it without fear of prejudicing his job."

Mr. Shand said that society should support any scholar in danger of persecution for the publication of views reached as the result of his scholarship. He emphasised, however, that students expressing attitudes not related to scholastic matters, could claim no such protection.

The question of academic freedom in the case of Dr. Geering. Professor of Theology at Knox College had caused considerable feeling, he said, "Dr. Geering is clearly an academic of distinction and he is teaching the truth as he sees it from a basis of considerable scholarship.

"As long as he propounds his views within the university he can claim it as his duty as a scholar to teach the truth as he sees it, whether we agree with him or not. We have no right to jeopardise his academic position for this."

Dr. Geering did not, however, have the same rights in expressing his views outside the university.

"His position as an officer of his church," said Mr. Shand, "places a restriction on his freedom. Church authorities have reasonable grounds to insist that he should not express his views in ways which would lead to widespread publicity and endanger church unity."

Mr. Shand said that students, too, should be careful when expressing views in public.

"The public judges universities by the actions of their students. Views expressed by stuff members or students," he said, "are too often thought to be the views of the university.

"As students you hold a special position in society. You should protect this position by disciplining those who would abuses it or treat it lightly."