DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL SECONDARY COURSES

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20978, 5 October 1933, Page 14

DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL SECONDARY COURSES

. _ -I " '■* | PROPOSALS FOR RE-MODELLING The remodelling of secondary courses at district high schools with a special leaning toward vocational instruction in agriculture, for boys and home craft for girls is proposed in -a statement Jssued by the Education Department The underlying motive, the statement says, is to improve the content of the courses other ton the university entrance course, in the hope that more pupils will be attracted to enter and, to remain in those courses. The suggestions are more directly applicable to schools with, a rural environment. The department emphasises that the proposals are suggestive only and not mandatory. The curricula are, designed to effect the grouping of courses to the grea ?st possible extent, -especially in the junior free-place period, and to improve the positions of the agriculture and home courses. At the same time the commercial course dls-' appears as such. It is not considered that any great hardship will result from this, "as an agriculture course with a reasonable amount of bookkeeping is a better short-course train- ; ing for entry into the rural commercial world .than a commercial course of equal length." " There is no reason, the department! says, why girls should not take the agriculture course with a similar .objective; or they could take the homecrafts course with a slight commercial ; bias. Thus the following courses would be available: University entrance course for boys and girls; farm course with bookkeeping for boys and girls; home-crafts course with bookkeeping for girls. Several hours would be left for geography, drill, singing, drawing, and extra time for bookkeeping. The Canterbury Education Board has district high schools at West Christchurch, Akaroa. Geraldine. Fairlie, Hawarden, Kaikoura, Hokitika, Lyttelton, Methven, New Brighton, Oxford, Pleasant Point. Southbridge, Sumner, and Temuka. Last year a strong policy of making the type of instruction given more applicable to the future life of tfce pupils was inaugurated. The Oxford District High School was used last year as a centre for. definite non-academic courses.