Education Standards

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31543, 4 December 1967, Page 12

Education Standards

Sir, —The bane of primary school education today appears to be not so much finance or the size of classes, as the inadequate means available to a teacher of maintaining discipline, especially where girls are concerned. Why should a handful of wilful, disobedient girls be allowed to spoil the efforts of a whole class, who are willing to work and learn? Let alone frustrate the teacher, who wants to get on with his programme, but has to put up with their antics. These same girls have no fear, as no hand of authority cares to touch them. Knowing this, they revel in their immunity. If there is to be no corporal punishment in these enlightened days, surely the authorities should have some other effective deterrent up their sleeve. If so, what is it, and why isn’t it used?—Yours, etc., FRUSTRATED PARENT. December 2, 1967.

Sir, —I also am pleased to read of others discontented with primary school education. 1 feel that if less time was dissipated on fund-rais-ing for unnecessary assembly halls and the like, and more time devoted to the elementary subjects, secondary school teachers v'ould be able to get on with their own specialised subjects. One is often left wondering whether these money-raising objects are a convenient cover-up for an inability to teach, or a lack of scholarship on the part of the primary teachers. —Yours, etc., “CONCERNED.” December 1, 1967.