SYLLABUS REVISION

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 240, 11 July 1928, Page 6

SYLLABUS REVISION

VIEWS IN MINORITY REPORT At a well-attended meeting of School Committee-men of the Wellington District, Mr. A. Sando explained the causes which led to the presentation to the Minister of Education of a minority report on the syllabus question. He expressed regret that the committee consisted of such a preponderance of ladies and gentlemen of the scholastic and teaching profession, giving a strong bias, perhaps unconscious, in the direction of a glorified and embroidered syllabus. To introduce such an idealistic system would necessarily involve heavy expenditure, because it would call for the employment of more and higher-salaried teachers, ‘ building more schools, and greatly increased administration and maintenance costs, and would not help in any way to'a realisation of the practical sidq of education—fitting the scholar better than under the present system for participation in a business calling later on. As was to be expected, the bias referred to found immediate expression in strong opposition to a proposal to first consider the structure and then make a syllabus to suit. Instead, the committee was divided into two sub-commit-tees—one to frame a primary syllabus and the other a post-primary course, so that later there would be justification for introducing a new type of school, to be known as the post-primary. The junior high schools were, on an equal vote, not approved, but the decision of the Majority Committee to* recommend the new type was tantamount to the same thing under another name. This decided the lay members that it was futile to oppose resolutions which must be carried, and they then decided to make separate recommendations based oil expert evidence from other countries, condemning anything involving two breaks in a school career. Their recommendations and the evidence were all in the minority • report. ■, ■ ' A proposal to provide “tops (advanced standards) to primary schools, was put forward by the lay members, but strenuously opposed. The financial issue was raised from the same quarter, and the extra cost of the three-school system pointed out. It was stressed that New Zealand with a population of a little over one million people, was in an entirely different position to America and England with-millions each, that experimentation was not required, that the capital outlay would be about a million pounds, and the annual extra cost over £lOO,OOO. and that the two-break system had been tried .and had failed. It was ecoiSomically . unsound to turn the scholars on , masse from primary to post-primary and on to’ secondary schools, without regard to their future requirements and callings, because, apart from the wastage in cost of tuition, there was loss of earning power for the extended period. The scholars at. 19 were not amenable lo discipline, and Would not undertake boys’ or apprentices’ work; they were not plastic, but confirmed tn their ideas —and the net resiilt would be some "frills” and a pandering to a useless pride. ... t However, a preconceived determination (o force tlie institution of post-primary schools became evident, and the only course open was to print the counterproposals that they would reach the parents and public generally. The report was a reasoned and lengthy document, and the speaker reviewed .the points as fully as time permitted, urging the national importance of resisting the proposal to bifurcate the present system and engraft a new type of intermediary school thereto. . . In the discussion which followed there was unanimous endorsement of the work of the lay members. Mr. C. TI. Nicholls stated that, when parents.,realised what would be involved if the post-primary schools came into being—the extra expense and the travelling—they would “wake up.” . Mr. J, J. Clark agreed that entry into business life at 19 was a serious niiSr. take —15 years"was quite old enough. ... There were other speakers till agreed that the Minority Report was infinitely more valuable and practical, than the Majority Report. As one speaker put it —“there was more meat in one inch of the former than in the Whole of the latter.” , , , r . . . It was resolved io ask the Minister of Education to supply every committeaman in New Zealand with n. copy of both reports. ■ , , Surprise was expressed that although tlie Minister "had favoured the addition of “tops” to primary schools, the Director was publicly proclaiming .that there would be an extension of the junior high or intermediary schools. This aspect is to receive further consideration. Mr. Sando was thanked by resolution unanimously carried for his work and the work of the Minority Committee was confirmed.