Janet And John Visit The House

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29952, 13 October 1962, Page 12

Janet And John Visit The House

(Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON. October 12. Janet and John were the Central figures for a time in Parliament this afternoon during consideration of the estimates of the Education Department.

-In reply to questions by Mr tf J. Riddiford (Governjpent. Wellington Central). Ww Minister of Education (Mr Tennent) said the series cost £18.850. of which ,0750 was taken up in royalties and master films. ~ “Ulis involved the provision of sums from overseas funds,” Mr Tennent said. “We are producing our own reader." Mr Ridiford said that the “look-and-say” system of primary school readers, of vttiich the Janet and John series was an example, had been tried in the United Kingdom and had been found wanting and was now largely

rejected Jt originated in the United States, from a publication there in 1908 bv Dr. Edmund Burk Duey The system did net require a child to spell ,mrt any word The child was fold to look at the word as a whole, told what it meant *pd expected to memorise it. -The look-and-say system ••ad been criticised because:

it did not teach a child to spell, it was unscientific, and. as it taught spelling by sounds it did not lead • a child to learn foreign languages.

The system could only be justified if, in fact, it taught children to read more quickly. Mr Riddiford gave this example of a visit of Janet and John to Parliament - — “Janet and John went to Parliament They asked a messenger what they were doing tn Parliament. The messenger said: Today in Parliament they are talking about the Estimates.’” “What are the Estimates?" asked Janet. “What are the Estimates?" asked John. “The Estimates," the messenger said, “are the amount of money the Government thinks it will spend in the next year. That’s what the Estimates are.” “But are the Estimates always right?” asked Janet. “No,” said the messenger, ‘the Estimates are sometimes wrong.” “Oh.” said Janet.. “Oh,” said John. Mr S. A. Whithead (Opposition Nelson) said the messenger who figured in Mr Riddiford’s version might well consider standing for Wellington Central