PRIMARY EDUCATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 86, 11 April 1922, Page 7

PRIMARY EDUCATION.

— -■• SHORTENING THE TERM. DRASTIC CHANGES PROPOSED 1 . (F.y Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON 7 , this day. A conference of educationists, called by the Minister of Education, the Hon. C. J- Parr, to consider the remodelling of the primary and post-primary courses, has made important suggestions, which, in view of the Minister's views on the (subject, will have far-reaching results, especially on primary education. The latter phase will end at the age of 12, and will be followed by a post-primary or secondary course, modified as compared with the present system. The Minister handed our correspondent an outline of the results of the conference, which was attended hy Mr. Parr (Minister of Education). Mr. Caughley (Director of Education). Mr. T. B. Strong (Chief Inspector of Primary Schools), Mr. ?. La Trobe (Superintendent of Technical Education), Mr. J. Drummond (Sen. Inspector of Secondary Schools, Miss M. "V. Gibson (Principal of the Girls' High School, Christehurch), Mr. J. W. Tibbs (Principal of the Boys' Grammar School, Auckland). Mr. F. Milner (Principal of the Waitaki Boys' High School, Oamaru), Mr. J. H. Howell (Director of the Technical College at Wellington), and Mr. T. U. Wells (headmaster of the "Richmond Road School, Auckland). The Conference unanimously approved of the proposal that the primary school course should be shortened to about 6ix years; that this should be followed by a three years' junior high school course, and that pupils proceeding beyond this course should take up a high school course for a further three years. The following regulations were carried:— 1. That the primary course should be determined by attainment that can reasonably be expected of pupils who have completed their twelfth year. 2. That junior high schools, where they are established, should be separate educational units. 3. That where a junior high school is established it shall not form part of a secondary or technical school. (Four of the members of the conference held the opposite view, namely that the junior high school should be considered as part of the technical or secondary school with a six-year course.) 4. That in general about three-fifths of the junior high school course should be common to all pupils. 5. That this portion of the course! 6hould include English, arithmetic, geography, history and civics, elementary! general science, drawing and practical geometry, craftwork, singing and physical training and health instruction. b". That a junior high school shall provide for not less than 27 hours of school work,-, about 25 hours of which shall be for class or study work in school, and about 2J hours apart from games, for recreative occupations, including singing. 7. That each junior high school should provide as far as possible ioi_ the fol- , lowing courses: (a) Academic, "(b) commercial, (c) industrial, including domestic course for girls, (d) agricultural, (c) : art. 8. That French should be the first foreign language studied, and that at least one period per day be devoted to this subject. (9) That the Latin if taken should I not be commenced until the second year. I (10) That towards completion of the] primary course a consultation between parents, teachers, and the inspector be held to consider which of the courses' the pupil should in the tirst instance undertake. (11) That in the four large centres a junior high school should contain at least 300 pupils. (12) That pending the elaboration and adoption of __ complete scheme for the whole Dominion, steps should be taken to experiment in three types of post primary caurses: (a 1, one junior high school in one of the four chief centres: (b) in a town in which all the post primary pupils could be taken for a) three-years' junior 'high school course; (c) in a country district in which the post primary pupils of a number of small schools could be provided for in a district high school with a junior high school course. (13) That in a junior high school there should be a principal and senior mistress.' The principal should have experience as far as possible in primary, secondary, and technical education. (14) That the buildings should be suitable for carrying- out the form or departmental system of instruction. There should also be an assembly hall and ample grounds. (15) That no class in junior high schools should contain more than forty pupils. (16) During the experimental stage the junior high school should be under the control of the junior high school hoard, constituted of eleven member.-, as follows: One representative from each of the following bodies: Education Board, High School Board, Technical j School Board, and school committees in j the district for which the junior high school provides, two representatives of i the parents of the pupils, the principal of a primary school, a secondary school, and a technical school nominated by the] Minister, two other rncmbers co-operated by those already enumerated. i The Minister's report added that;,each| member of the conference presented a paper or made an opening address giving his general views and proposals on the subjects under consideration. The Minister is asking each member to condense his remarks to a form suitable for publication, and the whole, together ■with the above resolutions, and those passed last June by the Council of Education, will then be widely circulated to all educational bodies and teacher associations, so that all necessary information may be given and the widest and fullest discussion obtained. The Minister expressed the opinion that the cogent and forcible views on this important subject embodied in the speeches made at the conference would have a decided educative effect on public opinion.