HOW LONG ARE THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS?

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30074, 7 March 1963, Page 19

HOW LONG ARE THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS?

There are some pupils in Christchurch who are doing their orst solid work for three months or even more and their parents and others have been asking more frequently this year whether the Christmas holidays, extended by slack periods at the end and beginning of the school vmr, are getting out of hand

Post-primary schools In various parts of Christchurch last year talked about opening earlier so that candidates for outside examinations could get the maximum period of preparation. Some encountered regulation problems.

A few of them nave abandoned the traditional “barracks week" for boys and special activities for girls so that an immediate start ean be made on formal lessons In most it seems that, even where ■‘barracks week" was retained a much more prompt start was made on class work, in many cases soon after • a.m. on the first day of the term.

This trenc to the postprimary schools and the observations of a number of parents suggest that, particularly for children moving from form n to form HI and changing schools, primary

children get completely out of the habits of study during the Christmas holidays and even before.

"My ehtld has not done any real work since the middle o; November and I doubt whether things will settle down till March." said one parent “I claim, with regret that the primary pattern seems to be: (1> real teaching m the middle term; <2) revision early in the third term and examinations of some sort early in November and then nothing truly constructive for the rest of the year, though time is spent in preparation of songs for the break-up. extra looselysupervised swimming and other sports while teachers are marking, and a growing number of end-of-the-year functions; <3) a pretty easy first tarm With the first month almost lost while teachers and classes plan the year's work, sports are started, clubs, bouses, and other non-essentials are settled."

Three parents of children beginning post • primary

schools reported: “Tears, tears, tears all the w.ay " “This is the first time my boy has ever had to think and it’s tough,” said one. “Nobody earlier seems to have supported his parents’ warning that he would embark abruptly on stiff studies in a new school world so competitive that there would be little patience for those not up with the best.”

“I’ve never seen my boy so tired out." said the second. “I’m not complaining. This is my idea of what it means to extend pupils. I've always thought that in academic work the same principle, should apply as in athletics—lots and lots of excercise to loosen up, improve stamina, and extend capacity. But are they getting enough work in form H to prepare for all this?” “How can my girl cope with foreign languages when, w my view, she doesn't know English or how to spell It correctly?" asked the third. “I think the time has come when primary schools must devote more attention

to grammar and insist on precision in syntax and spelling. I think, too, that a child used to plenty of homework is much better prepared to handle the two hours a night which seems common in postprimary schools. My girl had little of this in form II and form 111 has hit her like a train. Is it any wonder that we have tears every night?” All this suggests that, apart from reviewing the teaching they give, primary schools might well consider some sort of “orientation week” at the end of the school year for form 11, similar to that being held this week at the University of Canterbury.

It would be helpful to parents and children if these pupils could be gradually trained up to the realisation that next year they will enter an environment very different and more complicated than the transition from postprimary school to the university Some schools, notably the intermediates, give some introduction to science, mathematics, and even languages. This may or may not be of lasting help. The main call seems to be for a new attitude of mind—and readiness to work really hard.