SCIENCE IN THE SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20909, 17 July 1933, Page 7

SCIENCE IN THE SCHOOLS.

TO TEX XDITOB 0» TH* PA*S3 Sir.-Mr L. W. McCasUll, in his ad**w to the North Canterbury branch «* the Educational Institute of New Zetland, sported in Saturday's "ftttft" stated that in many schools •tenentary science is not taught as it should be, and that the syllabus is jot carried out. It appears to me to {£ evidence of the tendency of tw Mucatiori Department, during recent 3**n, to overcrowd the curriculum for JJimary schools. According to Mr McCaaiill, the reason why elementary fiance ia not taught as it should be k that the teachers do not know *«ff about it—surely rather a surJHatol and devastating accusation to *»**.; .One can scarcely imagine our *fcaefa accepting such a scathing deflgw» of their abiliites withe t protest., aowwer, I cannot see the J? of elementary science J? U»i syllabus, in view of the fact ™«there has been, for a considerable access to secondary scnools Sr%WY» fully-equipped labo:-tories *£r ."WWy-qualifled t«chers. There technical colleges, equipped S*«a«ei on somewhat the same S* B - And now, in tne latest fad of S? department, the intermediate ik.* B ' we arc given to understand "»JL ft feature will be. for the minded" pupils, labora- £"*» also fully equipped. I am open tk'? r E«ction, but rumour has it that & e Jw<*atory at the West ChristSJWJ Intermediate School is quite inequipped at present. And discover, through Mr McCaskill. 2J» not only are most of the primary gwoi teachers incapable of impartgjetementary scientific knowledge to hut t h at it would be Jgjwtw ■'"';■ • '."' '•' ra:-.-•' <B?i22? f: " " r -- ' *"> S«^|? Ur ' !! tcnv-rl. hat when apsupplied to schools there SJJEJ* deplorable waste, I have no «5S£S l ?v Con . ceml ng that. But I do «5aWV that lon 8 a «o. at the ChristfiErLr o ?*' Hi «h School, if, during in the laboratory, o" e lim2» test tube, then, failing a satis»BKLv 5t P l *nation to an irate master detention was the inevitable -.- l « wnde for constant carelessness

Mk.

a more unpleasant form of punishment was meted out to fit the crime. At present all school committees have to iincl the apparatus required by the headmaster, unless the committee is fortunate enough to possess one able, as apparently Mr McCaskill is, to make his own gadgets in his own time. It is a matter of great difficulty and in many cases an impossibility for school committees to purchase proper equipment, owing to lack of funds. In primary school finance the No 2 Account deals with receipts and expenditure in connexion with school concerts, fancy dress parties, fetes and, within the law, card parties. Charges against this account include all sports material, prizes, school picnics, special material required by the headmaster, gramophone records, and many ?; t }?r items, among which will figure, u it has not already done so, the school ra -i7 l0 u Added t( > this heavy burden will be the elementary science equipment. It is, I suppose, a matter of common knowledge that for some years past there have been no grants for things of vital importance to the proper functioning of the primarv schools, one notable feature being the withdrawal of the subsidy for the reference library, placing a further charge against the No. 2 Account Therefore I contend that quite apart from the question of ability on the part of the teachers, it is an anomaly on the part of the Education Department to itemise subjects embracing material that must be paid for by the householders through the medium of the No 2. Account—Yours, etc., R. S. H. BUCHANAN, secretary Canterbury School Committees Association. July 16, 1933.