KOWHAI JUNIOR SCHOOL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 260, 2 November 1932, Page 8

KOWHAI JUNIOR SCHOOL.

REASONS TOR FOURTH FORM. HEADMASTER EXPLAINS. His reasons for establishing a fourth form at the Kowhai Junior High School were explained in a letter from the headmaster of the school, Mr. J. E. Wells, to the Auckland Education Board, considered this morning., The Board agreed with the action taken by the headmaster, and representations are to be made to the Education Department, which had already ruled that after this year pupils must not be retained at Kowhai for more than three years.

Mr. Wells said he had not wanted to establish a junior high school with a complete secondary "top," which was part of the function of a secondary school, but had established the. form solely in the interest of certain of the children under his charge. He wanted the headmasters of the Auckland secondary schools, to know that. Most of the scholars catered for were those waiting to take -up positions when vacancies occurred; practically all had no intention of staying in the school for more than a year at the most. Many of them could not meet the expense of going to a secondary school; and both parents and scholars felt that it was unsettling and almost useless to change schools for such a brief period. . Had not the class been formed many of the children would have been forced into unemployment. The school, was concentrating on vocational guidance, and Form IV. represented an attempt to bridge the gap between school and work. '

The form was not intended to be permanent. ' The children coming back should be limited to three classes—those awaiting and urgently needing employment, .those in poor- circumstances and desiring a further year's'schooling at the most, and backward scholars.