JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17702, 2 March 1923, Page 7

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.

■ « . ENCOURAGING RESULTS. (truss association telegrams.) • AUOKJiAS'D, March■ 1. The experiment which is being made at the recently established Junior High School at Kowkai street, in the direction of beginning post-elementary education at the age of twelve, is showing very encouraging results, although the school has been in operation for only four months. A great advantage of the new system, said the Minister of Education, after visiting the 6cl'o)l, was that the' classification or graiuug of pupils was, going, on all the time, and it was already obvious m many cases just what a iuu e trend or bias was. ihe instruction given at tne school would all form part of a weilbaianced course extending o»er turee years, beginning at twelie., it was very significant to le.arri tnat aU tne pupils were libt gi'rig to be i-ÜB«ed to tne (Grammar. Scuooi. in anotner two weeks woodwork, cookery, science- and machine rooms would be ready in tne shape of portable buildings, i'his dia not mean, said Mr Parr, that ail attempt was being made to produce only tradesmen, which was tho last thing aimed at, the object being to cultivate tne hand as well as the eye, and to give attention to the all important,fact that the young men of'tnis country should be making and producing something and adding to the national wealth rather than developing a race of mere clerks and professional men. It was here that the trying out system introduced at the Junior High School was of benefit. A boy or girl who showed marked aptitude would be able to go forward/without repres-, sion, while on the other hand the socalled duller pupils would get much more individual attention, and thus be developed along this natural bias. ABked liow junior High Schools were to ' bo established,' the Minister said that instead of new buildings) a readjustment of the present courses of education would be all that would be reouired. . He thought that junior High School courses of instruction might be incorporated in smaller towns with the existing secondary schools, while in i country centres it would be-possible in the near future, by a sound system of J consolidation of schools at some suitable centre, to bring country children of from 12 to 16 yonrs of ago together I for a sound post-elementary course.