SCHOOL ENTRANCE AGE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 108, 10 May 1933, Page 5

SCHOOL ENTRANCE AGE

REPEAL OF REGULATIONS

AIMS OF THE N.Z.E.I

The much-debated question of the' school entrance ago' came up for consideration at "the annual conference of tho New Zealand Educational Institute yesterday, afternoon as a result of au Otago remit. The remit, which was carried, was as follows:—"That in the interests of the physical, social, and moral ■ welfare of the children of New Zealand, the clause forbidding enrolment of a child at a primary school until the ago of six years be repealed, it being our opinion that such clause is highly undesirable on gnounds of national health and welfare, and that the injury to education generally, caused by its operation, far outweighs any benefit realised from economy." In moving the adoption of the remit, Mr. W. A. Sproat said that the arguments against the exclusion of tho five-year-old children had.been divided into various .sections. Qno aspect was whether or not'the raising of the school age caused retardation. In tho opinion of overseas authorities, it had been proved definitely that the raising of the school age did cause retardation. Since the last conference of' the institute, a' most important English pronouncement had been made on the subject. The speaker said tie referred to tho report of the Official Committee on Local Expenditure, which was set up to report on possible economies in all public, ser-: vices. Tho education section of the | report contained about three columns of argument as to why the committee I should not adopt a suggestion of raising I the school age to six. The committoo, considered that the expenditure on tho | training given to children between the ages of five and six was monoy well' spent. Children between five and six were at | an impressionable age, and as many of them lacked home training, it was, better for them to receive the advan- j tages of school training than to run about the streets for a year.. . _ j Tho institute should riot lessen its. efforts to bring about a> repeal' of the regulations governing the school entrance age. Another speaker .pointed out that the raising of the- school entrance' age from five to six meant that the age of admittance to intermediate schools' would also be raised a year. "We might as well withdraw • Hamlet from the play," .said Mr. J. W. Henderson yesterday when Mr. G, , Shirtcliffe offered to withdraw from the finance committee of the Diocesan Synod.