SPECIAL COURSE AT ARANUI

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32031, 4 July 1969, Page 2

SPECIAL COURSE AT ARANUI

The first South Island vocational course —there are now 58 in New Zealand—was begun about four years ago at Aranui High School. The school’s headmaster (Mr W. J. A. Brittenden) is very enthusiastic about the scheme.

On his advice the name has now been changed to experience unit It is a two year course at Aranui and pupils from intermediate and primary school special classes are selected by Mr B. Rich, of the special classes section, psychological division, of the Department of Education.

The 18 members are taught by two brothers, Messrs W. and N. Eggleston whose qualities of humanity and patience Mr Brittenden regards highly. The class has its own room, in which it spends most of its day. It is taught by the one teacher, overcoming the problems faced by most third formers of adjusting to moving about and having several teachers. Part of School

“But the class is an integral part of the school. Pupils take part in other school activities, such as sport, cooking, woodwork, and art.

Mr Brittenden considers it “an outstanding set-up.” “A homely atmosphere has been built up that you don’t find anywhere else in the school,” he says.

Everyone works at his own level. Only those whose intelligence quota is below a certain level are accepted and reading ages of the 14 to 16-year-old pupils are from six to 10 years old. Once adjusted to the school they go to work at a suitable job one day a week. Each term the job is changed and at the end of two years they have had experience in six occupations. Success Stories

Some of these boys and girls, whom Mr Brittenden considers would have gained very little from school, are success stories. Of the first 11 boys in the course, seven were offered apprenticeships. “And these children are what would be considered, in the idiom, no-hopers. We must get this course established throughout the country, but it is expensive, and we need just the right people to teach. Like school counselling we have to hasten slowly.” “There has to be the same attitude in the home as there is at school. Parents must not pull the children out of school when they are 15. We explain that it’s a privilege to be in the class and most are very helpful. “At parent-teacher meetings about one third of the children are represented by only one parent, but that could mean some fathers are working night shifts. One serious problem is constant moving about so that the child cannot settle down.”