Intermediate Schools Not Favoured By Teachers

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29193, 2 May 1960, Page 12

Intermediate Schools Not Favoured By Teachers

Has the intermediate school system completely justified itself as an integral part of the educational system? Eight branches of the Post-primary Teachers’ Association consider it has, 66 consider it has not. These replies were received to a recent questionnaire sent out by the association’s intermediate schools committee to gather material for submissions to the Commission on Education.

A second question sought opinion as to whether the present intermediate school system should be retained and extended, or whether some alternative was favoured.

Retention was favoured by only seven branches, with 63 against. Extension was favoured by 24 branches, with 52 against. The abolition of intermediate schools and a return to the oldstyle primary sehv»] (with classes from Primer 1 to Standard VI» was favoured by 13 branches, with 53 branches against. A system of two-year intermediate departments attached to post-primary schools instead of intermediate schools was favoured by 18 branches, with 56 against Only one branch favoured a separate three-year intermediate school system for all pupils, although a similar system for early leavers only, was favoured by 15 branches. {

Post-primary schools beginning at Form I were favoured by 18 branches, with 54 against Fifty-three branches, however, supported a beginning of the post-primary system at Form 11, with 31 against. Of the 27 branches which expressed an opinion as to how the intermediate school pupil compared with those from the oldstyle primary schools, 20 could detect no difference, but only two thought that they compared favourably.

While many branches agreed that there had been some introduction to post-primary subjects in intermediate schools, 38 branches were against this, with only 11 in favour. In many cases, answers to this latter question were modified by mention of the need for qualified teachers if post-primary subjects were to be introduced, and for close integration with post-primary syllabuses.

“The general picture is undoubtedly that Post-primary Teachers’ Association branches are not in favour of the present intermediate school system, and would prefer as the alternative the commencement of postprimary education at Form II,” says a report in the association’s journal, commenting on the survey.