EDUCATION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19983, 18 July 1930, Page 11

EDUCATION.

REPORT OF SEIS3Cf

COMMITTEE.

DEBATE W THjS HOUSE.

GENERAL APPROVAL EXPRESSED (PRESS AB3OCIATIOS TELEGBAM.) WELLINGTON, July 17. Initiating the debate on the education report in tfre House pf Representatives to-day, the Hon. H. Atmpre paid every recommendation had been unanimously reached. He paid a tribute to the splendid work of the members of the Committee, w&P had rightly realised that education was a subject above Party differences. The first recommendation in the report dealt with terminating the primary school period at eleven years of age. This had been reached after a study of the eondifcions in £treat Britain, where such a course was being very largely adopted. Tbe theory of the scheme was that every child about that age had reached a stage when it was time to discover its aptitudes, after which the remainder pf its education should bo devoted to the developing of those aptitudes. It would not be necessary for legislation to be passed to permit the adoption of tjie greater part of the recommendations pf the report.

After outlining other proposals, Mr Atmore went on to stress the necessity Pf making farming more popular in New Zealand, and said it must be made attractive through the education system. Jt should take a prominent place in the curriculum of every school- It was an absurdity that in the present markjpg system much more importance was attached tp L&iiß than to agricultural science, which was entitled to a much more important place. A few years ago thp technical sebool was looked upon as the ''poor relation" of the high school, but to-day they were rivals. Thus there was need for nni* fled control. If the two systems were kept in water-tight compartments there wpuid be a. growing antagonism. There was no complete edueation without practical edueation, and the unification ! scheme would bring this about. Fu?r I ther, the scheme would cut down ad- ! ministrative expenses, which were, very high when compared with those of Australia. He believed £50,000 to £60,000 could be saved annually through the elimination of overlapping. By this means it would be possible to increase | the capitation grants to committees, 1 and the money formerly spent on ad' ministration would be spent on educating boya and girls. Other phages, such as the- medical inspection of pupils, the dentaj clinics system, and religions instruction in schools, would be the subject of further sections of the report to be presented later, A Bevplutipnajy Report, Mr & A, Wright (R., Wellington Suburbs) complimented the Minister and committee -on the painstaking manner in which thp report had been pre* pared, and agreed that the problem had beep apprQ&ched in a non-Party spirit. The report was a revolutionary oae.And he anticipated that some of the ftigb School Boards and other administrative,, bodies whose powers were affected by the report would take exception tp it. He was ip favour of the post' primary system, Great credit for the movement in this direction must be given to Sir Jamgs Parr, whp had in, troduced it. J£r Wright said hp thought the proposal to have different types of Junior High Schools was « sound one, as it gave epuntry children a chance. The idea of consolidating country schools was also sound, and be looked forward to the voting pf a sum of money for this purpose. Children aj; small schools where the teacher instructed several standards' were serlr ously handicapped, and this was one of the reasons why people were coming to tho tpwns. Forms of transport such as motor-buses could be used tp convey children to schools. He expressed epr position to raising the compulsory j school age eare. Mr O. Oarr (Lab,, Timaru) said hitherto education in New Zealand had amounted to a fortuitous conflict of discordant features. Revolutionary changes were needed. In the past there had been no opportunity to develop any particular aptitude. Pupils had" been instructed pn thp "mass production'' principle, and had been expected "to. ijwajlow the curriculum whole." With regard to junior high schools, ft had been contended that these, would ornate two breaks instead of one between primary and secondary instruction, but he was of the opinipn that instead of creating % break the junior high school system wpuld bridge the gujf, He, believed that unification pf control wpuid meet with general approval- The work of technical and high schools eeuld be unified and cp-rejated. Technical in* struetipn was essential to any edue&tipn and cultural instruction was just as important in any course. Aptitude pf tSfte CWia.

Mr W. P. Itygng? (&, Gisbome) said be regarded the report as a whole a? a valuable one, but be thought members should be given more information as to the eest involved in the proposed changes. There should be a limit both to the eost and' to the extent of the education. He was of the opinion that unnecessary work in schools had been the cause of many children wasting some of the best years of their Ufe, He agreed that after the age of eleven years education should proceed according to the child's aptitude, but he did ngt like the idea of compuisoniy keep? inc children at sehool after fifteqn,. Parents should have some nay m tut> question of the continuance of eduea* ties. The hardship provision required to be liberally provided for and ad r ministered. He agreed that unification of control w&8 essential, and added that centralisation of school designing would produce a great saving. Mr H, M- Bushwortb (Country Party, Bay of Islands) stressed tho importance of agricultural education, which would teach people the importance of the primary industries, as the secondary industries would never have anything more than domestic markets, and wore only raising the cost of primary p ro » duction. He was glad to see that edV cation was being given an agricultural instead of a literary bias, and «*id that he would go further and educate chil' dren to the opinion that farming was the most desirable of occupations- He would like education to have the ideal of service to humanity rather than of extracting the maximum from people with the minimum of effort. Mr K. 8, William* (R., Say of Plenty) hoped that country children would bo gweo facilities as nearly as possible equal to those of town children. It was the lack of facilities is the country at the present time that was driving people to. ttee twn* to adneate their children.

Mr W. A. JJodkja, Chairman of the Edueation Committee, said tfce evidence in favour pf increasing the compulsory school ago to 15 had »een overwhelming, and had folly justiued the Committee's recommendation in tM» rwpeet. • There was every indication that postprimary education would wtroduefl * type of school distinctly advantageous to the community, The. Cemmittoe had thoroughly explored eveiy possibility, and he was Batiefied that the 6»a»ge would be appreciated fey the people of New gpalaad, ( The only pawibte objection that **« Cbmmitteo could anticipate in Cpn»exi«n with the intermediate type of education wag the expense, and Ifter investigating the position fully it had satisfied itpejf that the proposed system would not involve any morp expenditure than that devoted to the preieut primary and secondary schools, and would pogpibly cost less. With regard to the consolidation of country schools the Committee had considered tbs* 9*& extra expenditure wpuid be more than, justified. : v . AdminJgtratlOß, ~ - Mr P. JLangstone (Lab,, Wainwriao) adyee&ted the total elintfaitiOß of Education Boards. Be believed ft greater amount of efficiency coujd be attained if all primary, secondary, and other schools in a district farmed an anocia-

Hon-to undertake the adinjaiitnitios of that district. Ab the semcaj of sgefe ail association wpuid be Vomntary, mere wou.'rt be jtr. added saving of espenditur©, JJe thought the report might »*>» Gone more for ehiJdran in the b»ckbfocfcs, who were entitled to tie beat education this country eeuhJ provide. There were some of these school* which, because of bad roads and other reasons, it would be impassible tp consolidate. Mr £ W s MePonftid {% Wai*»r»#a) commended the recommendations 9 $ the report. He considered' it would b« a great advance to, have women jpspee* tors of schools because they were more able than men to understand tho difficulties of children, and to ascertain the best means of iastweiing them.> v Ho paid a warm tribute to the work el Sir James far? in setting up intermediate schools, and the Committee this principle would" be:; largely extended.

UauftHty et Opportunity. Mr J. A. Young (B, f Hamilton) eatf the recommendations, were designed to opes the doer of opportunity to «wy child, He stressed the. unpertanee of the two years after eleven years of age, in exploring the natural aptitude af pupils. Baiaing the school age would increase school attendances, an'd m tb'o new system would probably bring about smaller classes, more teacher* would be required, thereby increasing espouse, but this would be balaneeijby the re"dustieiv in administration coeta, Mr .8, MeKeen (Mb., Wellington South) applauded the provisions, «* the report in th§ main, but said the Minister bad »et indicated when it, wat intended to put the recommendations into operation. He did apt think' tha whole task could be achieved 4a one year, bat it eeuld be done in five. Jfow schools would have to b« t>nttt» bqt ne esti* mate had been made of the awnber reHe favoured railing the school age to fifteen as a means of wdaeing unemployment.

Mr J. S.'Wteteher (TJ., Grey Iflriro) said thQre should be no f>lfts in pr*«arj education. All the faculties ehptrig be trained so that everyone could. OBJoy life to the full. At the same time there waj perhaps a goo* deal of pew* for the attitude of the Conunitte* bemse th.9 primary influatTies had; been neglected. Representative* "of the teaching profession and the adm|n.|strativ« sicfe shouW be sent abroad, eq that ; standards in other countries ponM be gauged. Mr Q.. 0, Black (TJ,„ Motueka) said vocational guidance and open air schools would be discussed in the second section of the report. The Committee had had its, eyed all the time 0» the country schools, Mr H. Holland (R., Ohristchnrch Jforth) cited examplea-of extravagance under the present ■ystara. M' C. ■H. ■ Chapman (I*b,, Wellington IJortb) said be hoped there would be np attempt at economy at- the expense of the teachers of the - children or by enlarging classes.

Mr W, B. Barnard (Lab,, Napier) congratulated the Coromitteje. on it* report. \ Mr P. Fraser (Lab., Wellington Central) eaid the Committee Relieved, that under the new system there 'would be a saving in espenditure, but oven If there were an added eost it would b« justified by added efficiency. The Minister thanked member* for the manner in which they had received the report;,