Children and teachers

Press, 28 October 1982, Page 16

Children and teachers

. Sir,—Not all of the contemporaries of V. H. Anderson were taught, even “in classes of 50 in an orderly manner,” to write letters worthy of publication. The illiterates, like the poor, were with us then as now, but of course they did not get to" high school. I well remember the miserable souls who experienced daily failure and ridicule, and being "behind desks” had little to do with it. The idea of a return to yearly examinations and a system where classes are “learning as one” is reactionary and unrealistic. Perhaps your correspondent is saying “let them be educated as we were. After all. we're perfect.”—Yours etc.,

STAN L. JELLEY. October 24, 1982.

Sir,—ln reply to V. H. Anderson (October 22), it is unrealistic to imply that each of the 50 pupils in each class finally left school well-versed in the “three Rs” and with the hard-working responsible attitudes to life that all good citizens should have. Even those who did well at school had ho notion of the vast complexity of subject matter that. is expected of children nowadays. Crowds of militaristically repressed and scared children struggling with endless rote-learning would provide no preparation for the intellectual, social and moral problems with which the present and future generations will be faced. More individual

attention, an ever-wider range of subject matter and the inculcation of responsible civicmindedness are needed in edu- * cation. We need more teachers with more opportunities for research and preparation and

the use of all the resources available in our technological society. — Yours, etc., JOHN HARRIS, President, Woodend School P.T.A. October 25, 1982.

Sir,—Some of the difficulties encountered by teachers today occur as a result of the integrating of handicapped children into classes of able children without providing the space and extra staff to leach such classes. For example, in a class of 37 there is a 10-year-old child who has muscular dystrophy, is confined to, a wheelchair, and who needs someone to manage the paper in his electric typewriter. The teacher cannot do justice to all the children in that class without special training and ancillary help. With the present recession in mind, and the thousands of people over 60 receiving Government Superannuation while earning wages, etc., I see a source of finance that should be channelled into the education system. V. H. Anderson says (October 22) “well-taught children do not burn down schools,” so let's see that children are well-taught. — Yours, etc.,

JULIE McKINNON. October 26, 1982.

Sir,—l agree with the statement of V. H. Anderson (October 21): "Well-taught children do not burn down schools,” and the Government does not have to spend money replacing them or on police and prisons for the arsonists. Similarly, children well taught in road safety will be less likely to need expensive hospital treatment. Well taught in health they will cost less in medical expenses; well taught at the proper time in reading, they will not require remedial reading and so on. They will even be employable and not require the dole. The Government will thus ultimately be saved many millions of dollars, not to mention the positive contributions to society that well-educated, well-adjusted people will make. The Government would therefore be well advised to spend millions more now on improving the quality of education, not by returning to 50 in a class, pinafores or slates, but by decreasing the pupil-teacher ratio and pupilteacher contact time.—Yours, etc..

M. H. SANDERSON. October 25, 1982.

Sir,—As soon as one mentions examinations, some modem teachers get upset. In the field of athletics they are constantly pitting the children against one another. What is acceptable for the physical finds no favour in the academic world. Then, with no preparation in primary school, the children face the terror of school certificate. In the modern system I have seen books “read”, upside down, impossible when the class took turns at reading from the same book. When I read B. Roberts's letter (October 25) (upside down, of course, having been taught in 1862 and now tired of holding the paper the right way up), I hastily hid my thumb screws, leg chains and rack in the cupboard with all the other

torture equipment for teaching the three Rs.—Yours, etc.,

V. H. ANDERSON. October 25, 1982.