Experimental school successful

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33067, 7 November 1972, Page 7

Experimental school successful

SYDNEY. An Australian school with informal and relaxed methods of teaching traditional senior school subjects is achieving excellent results. The Australian Inter national Independent School in the Sydney suburb of Ryde was opened in 1970 and is the brainchild of William J. Eason, who was formely head master of two of Sydney’s leading high schools conducted by the New South Wales Department of Education.

Catering only for fifth and sixth form students, the school is conducted along university lines and provides the opportunity for independent study and discussion. Housed in a conglomerate of buildings on a site that will be slashed by a freeway in about 10 years’ time, the school began its first term in February, 1970, with 34 fifth form students. Another 11 joined during the year. There are more applicants for the school than can be accommodated. Mr Eason said he had orginally intended limiting student numbers to 100, had lifted to 110 and then 120 in 1972, but this was the maximum that would be accepted. IDEA ABANDONED There were sufficient applications in 1971 and 1972 to warrant the opening of a second school of similar size in the northern suburb of Terrey Hills, but school directors persuaded Mr Eason to abandon the idea of conducting a second school. Mr Eason, who is nearly 70 years of age, was the founderprincipal of the state coeducational high school at St Mary’s—an outer suburb of Sydney—and of the Kuringai High School in Sydney’s north shore area, where he was headmaster for

three years until his retirement in 1968. The Australian International Independent School is a non-profit company with Mr Eason as chirman and headmaster. Most of the nine directors are either parents of students or businessmen who, with Mr Eason, contributed $lOOO each towards furnishing the school. The school accepted all candidates in the first year of its existence but now the directors are very selective and during 1973 will enrol only those who meet Mr Eason’s standards. The school receives a subsidy for each student from the Federal Government, as well as grants for science and library facilities. Because the buildings are leased from a State Government department the school is not eligible for a building grant. The school’s site was formerly that of two poultry farms which are taken over by the Department of Main Roads for a freeway. A portion of the area was later leased to a religious literature group and their brick buildings, as well as the cottages that housed the farmers’ families, are used as classroom, supplemented by a few new temporary buildings. CARAVAN OFFICE The principal’s office is a caravan, and a double-decker bus is popular for study periods or discussion groups. The students have a sixhour day of classes and discussions. Lesson periods are 60 minutes rather than the usual 40-minute periods. This longer period was their own choice.

Although students dress informally, they look neat and well-groomed in their individual garb. The girls wear jeans, slacks, kaftans, or long skirts with pullovers or blouses. There are a few bearded youths, and some have long hair or wear headbands.

Their attire contrasts with the formal uniform school dress demanded by most State and private schools in Australia. The area is covered with trees and the teen-agers vote to hold classes or discussion groups in the grounds on sunny days. An outdoor section is set aside for drama classes. “We try to bring drama and literature alive by acting out segments of the chapters,” Mr Eason said. Ancient history is not a subject that usually fires the imagination of young students but lesson periods under the trees develop plenty of animated discussion and questions. EASY TRANSITION

The students are permitted to use the libary at nearby Macquarie University. Mr Eason feels that their familiarity with the university, the relaxed school atmosphere and independent study periods will assist them during the transition from school to university life. There is a choice of 12 subjects, including French, German, Indonesian and Japanese languages, and most have opted to study for the Higher School Certificate to matriculate for university entrance.

The students are encouraged to study the subjects of their choice and the school tries to fit their selection into the school routine and matriculation requirements. Very few selections have been abandoned. This type of subject grouping would not be possible in a school with a large number of students. The teachers are all highly qualified university graduates and there is an easy teacherstudent relationship. There are five full-time staff members and 12 specialist parttime teachers to cater for the 120 students. The upper limit for class number is about 15.

Mr Eason’s schools have always accented Asian languages and culture, international relations and current affairs programmes. The founding theme of his independent school venture was “a co-educational day school for world living.” INTERNATIONAL BIAS Although it was founded with an international bias, Mr Eason said that educational reform seemed to concern teen-agers rather more than the international side, but to Mr Eason’s contentment, the international angle is gradually growing along with their immediate concern with educational reform.

This is probably due to the overseas students from Indonesia, Thailand, Canada and the United States who attend the school. Most of the students are aged between 16 and 19 and there are almost equal numbers of boys and girls. Explaining educational reform, Mr Eason said: “Most of the youngsters in the school are more concerned with the need for change in their school life than with international problems. This was the reason they chose to attend my school rather than to continue at the State, religious or other independent schools.

“There are no compulsory religious sessions, organised or competitive sport. Smaller classes, greater freedom of dress, easier personal relationships, and to be treated as individuals are their main reasons for enrolling in the school,’’ he said. Instead of organised or competitive sport, three to four hours a week are devoted to general activities, and there has been a strong interest in weaving and pottery in 1972. Tennis, squash or volleyball are played in the free periods but the games are organised by the students.

Mr Eason said that there is a strong demand for his type of school. Some students have enrolled after being fourth to fifth form "drop outs” and spending up to a year out of school, but they are developing well in the new style school. Some of the first batch of graduates from the school in 1971 decided to work for a year before entering university. Mr Eason said there was a growing tendency for students to defer university studies for a year or two after matriculation. This was a good idea and added to their maturity

Several of his students have won commonwealth scholarships and are studying at the Australian National University in Canberra; others are at the University of New South Wales or Macquarie University. For Mr Eason, as he watches the active and well adjusted youngsters gathered in groups in the grounds, the school is the realisation and practical expression of a lifetime of educational experience.—Australian News and Information Bureau.