EDUCATION AT HOME

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 100, 2 May 1929, Page 5

EDUCATION AT HOME

A NEW SCHEME

SIR J. PARR EULOGISTIC

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, 14th February

'ihe Hi^h Commissioner was the Chief Guest of the Brighton, Hove, and Sussex Teachers' Association, a large and influential branch of the National Union of Teachers, at their annual dinner at the Hoyal .Pavilion, Brighton. The president, Mr. E. A. Kitchen, M.A., was iv the chair, and 200 teachers attended, mostly from the ranks of the primary schools. The Lord Mayor of Brighton and the Mayor of Hove, The Right Hon. George iryou, Minister of Pensions, and M.P for the Brighton district, several of His Majesty B Inspectors, Air. E. F. Toyne (Director of Education for Sussex), and others were present.

The Director of Education pVoposed thy toast ot -Education," coupled with the name o£ the High Commissioner for A'ew Zealand, who, the Director said, by his service on local boards, and latterly for .-•ix years as Minister oi Education," had shown a very progressive spirit in the cause to which they were all devoted. In the course of his speech, Mr. Toyne made an announcement which will be" of interest to New Zealand education authorities. The Brighton district, which has a population of about 300,000, has completely reorganised its primary school system. Henceforth ' the elementary school will finish with boys at 11 years of age, after which the pupils will S o from 11 to 14 to another type of school, called the intei'mediate school, to enter upon i new school life. The intermediate school replaces the old V. and VI. Standards, and affords a well-balanced course of varying type of junior secondary education adapted to the needs of the individual pupil. After the intermediate school carefully selected pupils will go to senior high schools, technical institutes," and trade schools. As to cost of the change over, the expense was not excessive, as existing buildings and the present teachers—after a short period of training—have been utilised for a new departure. The reorganisation of the whole system could only have been carried out with the support of the Education Board and with the loyal co-operation of the teachers, whom he heartily thanked for their assistance. PROGRESSIVE SPIRIT IN ENGLAND.

Sir James Parr said he was greatly honoured at being asked to respond to the toast of "Education." He gave a brief summary of tlw New Zealand system, emphasing the difference in policy and administration between Knglish and New Zealand education. lie was particularly interested in Die account of the reorganisation of the schools in this important district. Already the same idea had been put into practice in a limited way in New Zealand. The intermediate school in Britain largely corresponded with' the junior high school.in New Zealand. There were nine junior high schools in New Zealand of different types, all of them doiiiß valuable work. They gave a much sound; er and broader education than was possible under the old system. In a young country the changeover to the new system might be more expeusive than .iv England, but if spread over a. period of-years (lie cost would be recompensed by increased efficiency. He hoped to take an opportunity of inspecting the working of new schools in Brighton and other parts of England, so as to report to the New Zealand authorities, who were already quite up to date in their ideas. It would be very interesting to New Zcalanders to know that whole'cities and counties were making the new changes. lie eulogised the progressive spirit in education in Knglaud, and Kaid that in some respects Kng-l.-'iid led the Dominions in educational changes, whilp the Dominions, ho thought, jects. ■•;. -lames also praised the'spirit ol tl.u i.nghsh nation, which spent ei'jhty million pounds a year on education at a tune when the whole community was heavily burdened with an enormous war debt.