LOW STANDARD

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 203, 27 August 1943, Page 4

LOW STANDARD

EDUCATION ESSENTIALS

CONCERN EXPRESSED (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Thurs. Concern at the "low standard of education essentials like English and arithmetic of pupils entering postprimary schools" was expressed at the conference in Christchurch today of principals and board members of Dominion technical schools.

Mr. I. E. Newton, Wanganui, said teachers should be given charge of classes to instruct fundamentals instead of operating the theories of a "lot of educational cranks."

Mr. W. A. Armour, retired headmaster of Wellington College, said the present system was a patchwork. He proposed a new system of junior and senior schools, covering five and seven-year periods respectively, the junior schools to teach the rudiments and the senior schools in the first four years to give a diversified general course and discover aptitudes, with the three years given to vocational courses, and after that universities and technological institutes.

With only a few dissenting voices, a motion was carried expressing concern at the present low standards. Some speakers said these resulted from the new primary curriculum, and hoped a similar result would not come from a new curriculum being planned for secondary schools.