INTELLECT OF N.Z. CHILDREN

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25276, 30 August 1947, Page 10

INTELLECT OF N.Z. CHILDREN

FEEBLE MINDED TO BRILLIANT CROSS-SECTION FOUND IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS “Let us never forget that in the post-primary schools to-day, as a result of the raising of the schoolleaving age to 15 and the abolition of I the proficiency examination, a crosssection of youth from the feebleminded to the brilliant is to be found, says Dr. R. Winterbourn, senior lecturer in education at Canterbury University College, in a report to the Canterbury Science Teachers’ Association on learning and teaching. “To presume that either the content of the science syllabus, its aim, or the methods of teaching it should be identical for all these children would be utterly ridiculous. “About 15 per cent, of New Zealand’s school population is so dull intellectually (including 2 per cent, who are feeble-minded) that they are incapable of mastering the academic subjects of the primary school. A further 6 or 7 per cent, have specific disabilities in reading and arithmetic. Most of these now go on to postprimary schools, and I fear that many of them are expected to master the methods and facts of chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics along with their better-endowed fel“How much science does the science teacher think that boys and girls with intellects equal to those of eight, nine, 10, and 11-year-olds can assimilate?” asks Dr. Winterbourn. “These are the intellectual ages of 14, 15, and 16-year-of low intelligence quotient. They can assimilate mighty little, and unless science and other academic courses are drastically modified and curtailed they are much better off not taking them. “This group is matched by oile of equal size at the opposite extreme. Between them is the much larger group of average intellects. There is a similar range of special abilities, interests, and personal traits, all having their bearing on science teaching and science learning. Educational guidance enters here and we get well away from a discussion on the learning process as such. I hope that I have said enough to emphasise that individual differences constitute the most fundamental problem against which principles of learning and teaching should be seen.”

Teachers* Opinions Post-primary school teachers Interviewed by “The Press” agreed substantially with Dr. Winterbourn’s views. They said that with the wide range of intelligence among pupils it was essential that there should be considerable freedom in teaching to enable individual requirements to be met. Miss M. Samuel, principal of the Christchurch Girls’ High School, said that the raising of the school leaving age had not greatly affected the type of girl entering her school. Most who joined intended completing their courses and were not merely passing time until they were 15 years of age. She commented on one result of abolishing the proficiency examination in primary schools. Previously high schools had not accepted pupils without the proficiency certificate. Now they also enrolled pupils who would have been granted only a competency certificate. In fixing the “core” subjects of the> syllabus in post-primary schools the average pupil had been studied, said Miss Samuel. The weaker children were not up to this standard and the brighter ones had to come down to the average. She had noted lack of con9entration and inability to remember facts for more than a fortnight in some pupils coming from the primary schools. Dr. Winterbourn’s observations were soundly based. Dr. D. E. Hansen, principal of the Christchurch Technical College, said that he saw a fair number of pupils leave on reaching 15; but 1 e would not say that their aptitude .’or work was different from the others. He did not think the proportion of bright, average, and dull students had varied much for many years. Although “core” subjects were provided, there was possibly greater scope to cater for differing abilities in the wide range of subjects in a technical school. Where it was possible to suit the course to the general standard of ability, it was found that many originally poor students developed confidence and real proficiency.