INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29273, 3 August 1960, Page 8

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS

Support For Extension

Establishment of independent intermediate schools should be continued and extended to districts wherever there is sufficient school population, the New Zealand Educational Institute said in evidence to the Education Commission yesterday. “Attached” intermediate" departments should become separate schools where sufficient pupils were available (such as in the Waitaki Boys’ and .Girls’ High Schools). The institute said it had always advocated a three-year intermediate course; but it would not at present recommend any change in the two-year system until all the results of the Council for Education Research investigation were known and more experimentation had been done. Mr H. H. Hawkins, giving evidence, said more than 90 per cent, of intermediate pupils now went on to secondary education, so intermediate schools no longer had a terminal function.

Describing grouping, he said most pupils (even reluctant learners) would find real interest in some parts of the intermediate programme. The other witness for Jthe institute (Mr T. A. Murphy) added that intermediate schools offered a more flexible pattern to cater for all levels of ability. Special cases of all kinds could be tackled early. If these facilities were more general, less might be heard of reluctant learners at high schools.

Closer Liaison One problem the institute said, was that all pupils of an intermediate school did not go to one post-primary school: However, closer liaison could improVe matters. There was Toom for more co-operation at all levels of education in the interests of the child as opposed to sectional teacher interests.

Originally planned for the 12-13 age group, intermediate schools were now catering for many of 11-12—this arising largely from primary social promotion. These children were too young to mix socially with older adolescents of the post-primary school (where a form I start has been suggested this week), the institute Said.