No age bar for school leaving

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33230, 21 May 1973, Page 1

No age bar for school leaving

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, May 20.

The minimum school leaving age which forces pupils to attend classes until they turn 15 will be abolished.

The Minister of Education (Mr Amos) announced yesterday that the arbitrary age limit would be replaced, probably next year, by a system which would enable pupils to leave school before thev turn 15.

Under the new system: The test will be whether or not a pupil is mature enough to leave school. Pupils will be able to leave before they are 15 or may be compelled to continue attending school after that age. Pupils will not be able to decide arbitrarily to leave.

Their cases will be considered by a group consisting of teachers, their parents, and a special guidance officer. Guidelines will be drawn up to assist the group to decide whether a pupil is ready to leave school. Opinions first Mr Amos announced the change at the Secondary School Boards’ Association regional conference in Auckland. He emphasised that the new system would not

come into effect overnight. He wants to hear the opinions of delegates to the regional education conferences planned for early next year before drawing up the new regulations. For this reason no attempt has yet been made to set the guidelines which will determine whether a pupil is mature enough to leave school regardless of whether he or she has reached 15.

“For a long time, as a former teacher, I—along with many other teachers—have been concerned about the arbitrary leaving age,” said Mr Amos. “It creates problems for the individual and for the school.”

Mr Amos said some pupils had obviously reached a stage of maturity which would enable them to leave school before 15 if they so desired. An adequate guidance and consultation system could determine when that stage had been reached. Mr Amos also announced that the maximum school age which compels pupils to leave school the year they become 19 would be abolished to allow persons who had left school early to return to continue their education.

The introduction of the new scheme would depend, to a great degree, on the supply of guidance counsellors in secondary schools, he said. Suspension issue Asked whether the proposed school leaving system could be used to force pupils to leave school, Mr Amos said it could be used for that purpose. 'lf a’! parties in consultation agreed that the pupil should leave school, then that’s it. The pupil would have to leave,” he said. This led Mr Amos to raise the question of pupil suspensions. Some suspensions

in fact were expulsions under another name, as the pupils were prevented from returning to school, he said.

“I am unhappy about suspensions,” Mr Amos said. “I have been astounded to see such dramatic differences in the use of suspensions from one school to another. I am perturbed that 1 can find schools which have suspended 25 pupils a year.” The Minister said he was ordering a full investigation into the suspension system. Staffing promise

Other points made by Mr Amos on Saturday were:— A statement on secondary staffing ratios will be made “within the next week or so.” Greater use of school buildings and facilities by the public is necessary, and school., will be financially recompensed for this.

The number of secondary school boards may be reduced, although he strongly supports education boards, because they “provide probably the greatest opportunity available for lay participation in education.”