HOLIDAYS IN A FORTNIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 180, 1 August 1925, Page 14

HOLIDAYS IN A FORTNIGHT.

I SCHOOL YEAR HALF GONE.

MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME,

REASSURING REPORT IN CITY'

Auckland's school year, that began so badly, is improving as it progresses, and most parents will be reassured by the opinion of teachers and headmasters that the youngsters are doing solid work. They have already made up much of their leeway. When the schools were opened on April 15, after a vacation of nearly four months, it was feared that a bad school year and a lower standard of work would result. Many teachers questioned this, and their view is confirmed by the work of the half-year.

A brief half-year it has been for youngsters and teachers, but one uninterrupted by holidays, and in that way actually the longest term the children had passed since they first began school. In a fortnight's time the schools will all be closed for the winter vacation. The spell, after four months of continuous work, will be a welcome and well-deserved one. The children had shown their willingness to work solidly to make up for lost time, and a number of teachers in the city said to-day that they had found no difficulty in adding on a little extra work. In some cases this had been done at school, and in others it had been made part of the home. work. An extra half hour in the classroom or a few minutes more of preparation had shown that many boys and girls in the higher standards were quite eager to do a full year's course, and do it well.

;. Overtaking Back "Work. "If I had the sixth standard for only six months I'd put them through," was the remark of a first assistant at the

beginning of the year. Questioned to-day he reaffirmed that view, and added that was overtaking the back work fast, and had the greatest confidence that his class would do well in December. Others expressed themselves equally well satisfled with the half-year's work, and expected to make a complete recovery before the annual examinations. In some of the schools visited the midyear examinations were in progress, and the papers were being set at the standard, of other years and covering much the same ground. This was certainly reassuring, even remembering that the examinations were a month late. * None of the teachers expected a lower standard to be set at the annual examinations on account of the short year; and most of them strongly disapproved of such a course. "I don't want them softened down," said one, who was master of a class of over fifty. "I am working for the usual standard, and the only difference is that I expect to have a little .less time for revision." His practice had been to stiffen up the home work, and to give the sixth standard about three-quarters of an hour a night. Only one 'mention was made of any evidence of overstrain; and in this case it was only the lower classes that were referred to. Some of these appeared to be feeling the long period of work, but there was no complaint about the youngsters being backward with the year's course. No complaint, however, was made about slackening among the higher boys and girls through long, continuous work, and the energy shown in all the schools pointed to a marked determination to make up for lost time.