A RED-LETTER DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 233, 2 October 1922, Page 3

A RED-LETTER DAY.

IN EDUCATIONAL HISTORY. KOWHAI JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OPENED BY HON. C. J. PARR. '"This occasion is, I feel sure, an epoch in the educational history of New Zealand. It is a red letter day, in the truest sense of the word, and one of the most important events —if not the moet important—in the Dominion's educational progress,'' eaid the Minister of Education, Hon. C. J. Parr, when officially opening the new Kowhai junior high school at Kingsland this morning, in the presence of a representative attendance of residents of the district and a large number of schoolchildren. The ceremony commenced with the formal handing over of pupile from the Mount Eden, Mount Albert and Edendale primary schools and St. Barnabas' and St. Albans' auxiliary schools. CONCRETE PROOF OF PROGRESS. Mr. Parr said he had to express the very real pleasure which it gave him to open this fine new school. In it, the GOO children assembled before him and all who followed after, would have a .bettor opportunity of developing themselves along the right lines. It was the first concrete example of the establishment of junior high «ehoole in the Dominion. Such a movement was long overdue. The new building would serve to relieve the overcrowding of the primary schools, in addition to providing a iiew course in education for children of from l> to 15 years of age.

The speaker had to congratulate, the Education Hoard and the architect on the modern hygienic lines on which the institution had been built. As it stood, the building, was worthy of the proud place it occupied, as being symbolical of the lirst real attempt made by the Dominion to hriii'j our educational system into line with modern thought and training methods. In the new school children would be gathered in at 12 years of age and retained till they were IS- This stajre was well known to lie one of the most important in the development of the young life—it was certainly the most impressionable and susceptible stage. There were very sound reasons for giving children a complete, well-balanced and roundod-ofT education. In Scotland, Australia and America the idea of junior high school education had taken deep root, the scheme l>cing to give the pupil a varied course of training to suit his varied and particular aptitude.

Mr. I'arr said he had to thank the Kducation Hoard for its sympathy and intelligence in tin , matter. Some' education Boards in other districts had even gone so far as to obstruct the M-home when lirsl advanced, but now, as the result, of a conference, they were all in niroriT , with the scheme as suggested—that four junior high schools be- tr;od out. The Minister's thanks were also dv« to the school committees and the people of the district, together with all tl'e teachers, who had backed up tho movement and had sent along their various quotas to the new school.

J NO KKDrcTION IN SALAIUES. Continuing, the Minister said he was really pleased to assure the Education Hoard- thai, as a re-ult of the establishment of the new institution, there would be no reduction whatsoever in the status, grading <>r salaries of the teachers concerned. (Applause.) He was sorry that the lan> Mr. F.. K. Mtilgan. one of the finest and brightest inspectors the Board had ever employed, hail not been spared to sec the achievement of-the inception of the junior high school movement. He bad also to express the Education Department's thanks to Mr. K. ('. Purdie. the secretary of the Board, for his very great assistance in the establishment of the school. It was a deplorable yet true fact that New Zealand's primary school system was about 50 years behind the times. Whilst all other phases of life in the Dominion had made rapid strides New Zealand's primary education policy had very largely stood still. To-day there was not an educationist the world over who advocated that primary education should stop at the sixth standard. The special course of instruction provided by the junior high school would effect a new and up-to-date adjustment. of the present scheme. A most illinformed idea had gone abroad that junior high school education would injure primary education. It would be found that instead of injuring it, the new plan would improve and advance both primary and secondary education. To-rlaV there were boys and girls in our secondary schools who were wasting their time by taking a short course of twelve months? which would not fit them for anything. What we had to consider to-day" was not the school itself, but the child".

'RUND ALLEY* , METHODS. 'If we make the school fit the child and provide facilities lor encouraging individual aptitudes, we shall be following the right lines," remarked Mr. Parr. The old system of passing a child t'iroiiijli a "common mould, keeping the bright oners 'back in step with the lessproVessive dull pupil* was the big factor in leading ywng people into blind alley occupations. T v be kept back meant that the bright boy or girl learned the "go slow" policy too early in life, and the outcome was seen in the slackening of the moral fibre of the nation. Dull children as the teachers found them in the oM system of education misht not be really dull. All they wanted was help and encouragement along their own particular line.

In conclusion. Mr. Parr said: Let us experiment and make trials in our own 'beloved land, so that we may evolve a svstotn peculiarly fitted and adapted to the needs of New Zealand as regards education. Tli°n we shall see more projrress and a better community spirit. *" cheers wero then given for the Minister. Speeches were also delivered by Mr. S. E. f'hanpell, president of the newlyelected Kmvhai Junior High S.-hool Committee: Mr. T. f. Wells, president of the Auckland Educational Institute; \'r. -T. Onucrhley. Director of Education; Mr*. N". K. 1-Vrner. the district's representative on the Education Bonrd.

The headmaster of the -ohnnl. Mr. R. E. TUdmnn. formerly nf Thames, was introduced, and the Minister declared tire school to be open. He afteTwarde inspected the classrooms.

Mr. A. Burns ivn* present on behalf of the chairman of the Education Board. who was unavoidably absent. He said the etaff was the very best obtainable, and there was every pro-srK'et of £rreat SUcec*' bein? achieved. All tlve speakers congratulated the district on having had tlip first junior high school in New Zealand established there, and urged them to be loyal to it.