Family Life Education “In Healthy State"

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31724, 6 July 1968, Page 2

Family Life Education “In Healthy State"

Family life education was at a very healthy state in Christchurch secondary schools, Miss N. Clark said at the annual meeting of the Family Life Education Council on Thursday evening. The school which did not teach some aspect of the subject was now the exception, she said.

Miss Claris, vice-chairman of the council's executive made this comment after hearing reports from representatives of five schools, including co-educational and single-sex public and private schools, and speakers from the Health Department and the Christchurch Teachers’ College. The council had prompted the introduction of family life education in secondary schools three years ago because it felt there was a need to break into the circle of family living with instruction at some point “This point seemed to be the schools, where there is a captive audience,” she said. “A syllabus of workable suggestions was formed.” The time spent on family life education varied from weekly periods of instruction

in some schools to “pressure cooker” courses held after university entrance accrediting at the end of the year, according to the speakers. Most of the teachers indicated that the course would be extended. Avonside Girls’ High School began its social education in a small way about five years ago and now all except two forms in the school have one period a week on the subject, said Mrs E. M. Farrow. The approach for third and fourth formers was taken through the eyes of the individual adolescent with such topics as personal hygiene, the place of the individual in the classroom; for fifth and sixth form girls it was looked at through the eyes of the adult in the community and included dating, illegitimacy and responsibility of marriage. Mixed Classes Shirley Boys’ High School had a limited programme of “liberal studies,” which included family living, said Mr L. A. Jacobs. The course was held for one month after university entrance accrediting in the lower sixth form, but it would be extended. Middleton Grange, a coeducational private school, called its course “studies in adolescence,” said Mr D. B. Capill. Mixed classes were held, with

frank, honest discussions between teacher and pupils. Instruction was started in the fourth form, dropped in the fifth and resumed in the sixth form. Classes were held once a week or once a fortnight. Villa Maria College, which introduced family life education into its syllabus for seniors and school leavers last year, endeavoured to involve parents, said Sister Francises. Copies of talks were sent to parents to let them know what was being taught and this opened a new svenue of communicstion between parents and their daughters? Response from parents had been most gratifying, she said. This year a 12-week course of one hour a week was given to seniors and a shorter course to girls in forms one to four, she said. After each talk the girls broke up into discussion groups. Hagley High School began family living classes at the end of last year with a pressure cooker course, said Miss M. EL Osborn. But it was felt that this was not enough. Now 13 groups were given one period a week. The course was being adapted to suit the needs of a co-educational school and its time-table, but she hoped it would eventually be available to all pupils, she said. Mrs R. C.. Penny of the same school said the aim was to help students to think con-

structively within the community. Many problems were revealed in the questions they asked, she said.

Dr M. E. Macready of the Health Department said that though no sex instruction was given in primary schools, the department held mother and daughter and father and son evening lectures for forms one and two pupils from some primary schools. Department Helps Films were shown on physical and emotional changes in early adolescence, for instance. Five medical officers had 60 bookings for this year and some requests for talks and films had to be turned down, which indicated the interest of parents, she said. A substantial course in child and human development was given to students in the primary school division of the Christchurch Teachers’ College, said Mr J. D. Panekburst.

It was aimed at giving students a sense of human values and responsibility as persons and as future parents. Several speakers from the floor said the Government should be asked to reconsider allowing sex education in primary schools, particularly in view of increasing illegitimacy among school children in New Zealand, but no motion was submitted to the meeting.