PUPILS' TRAINING

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 109, 11 May 1933, Page 4

PUPILS' TRAINING

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS

N.Z.E.I. POLICY OUTLINED

Opposition to the intermediate-scbool plan was expressed by the conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute yesterday afternoon. It was stated that tho plan would remove pupils of Forms I and II from the charge of senior teachers to that of comparatively junior teachers; a, j two-year course in an intermediate j school would be substituted for a threeyear course; and the regulations providing for tho establishment of the schools were not in accordance with the accepted educational policj of authorities in England and of other leading educational countries. A remit embodying tho foregoing reasons was adopted by the conference. The following motion, submitted by the executive, was also carried:— "This annual meeting considers further pursuance of the intermediateschool movement inopportune at the present for the following reasons:----"1. The establishment of the intermedi-ate-school system under present financial conditions can only be brought about at the exponse of the already financi ally-starved primary system, which still provides for the lengthiest, mont impressionable, and ( most important period of sohool life. "2. (a) The primary-school system is in a state of confusion and uncertainty, due, to tho exclusion of the five-year-olds; (b) many reductions in grade and sub-grade of schools and positions must inevitably follow; (c) the adjustment of teaching power to positions will bo extremely difficult; (d) the intrusion of the intermediateschool system iv some localities but not in others will assuredly add to the confusion. "3. Any reorganisation of a system should be established on a secure foundation, and maintained under most favourable conditions; thus, any further reorganisatibn of the edncational sys tern should commence with the establishment of satisfactory conditions in the.early stag«s of education. "4. (a) It may be argued that recent, experiments in New Zealand have justiiled the system, but it must be remembered that the conditions were approaching the ideal, salaries, staffing, and equipment being on a liberal scale; but these advantages at the present time could not be entertained; (b) a system sorely handicapped at the outsot is likely to begin in disfavour and continue to be unpopular in the community for a long titho to come; (c) owing to the straitened finances of the country, it is impossible to place these I schools at the beginning oa such a Beeure foundation as to make it possible for them to function to their fullest possible extent. "5. Given slightly increased facilities, the primary school is capable of accomplishing anything that mjgbt bo achieved in the proposed intermediate schools. Tho annual meeting is opposed to tbese regulations on the following grounds: (a) The substitution of a two-year for a three-year course is not in the best interests of the eliildron, nor in accord wtih accepted educational p'oliey of England and other leading educational countries, and is inconsistent with the pbliey formerly r.dyocated by the Department and approved by N.Z.E.L In general a three-year course is necessary to uncover the interests, aptitudes, and capacities of-pupils and start each upon stutlies loading to a suitable goal, (b) That the removal of pupils of FortJio I and II from tho charge ;of senior fce^hers to that of (considerably) loss experienced teachers is not in the bost : interests of the children, (c) The ro illations are inequitable and unjusti liable as regards the proposed staffine scale. , ; .■■..:.6. Recent experiences of appojntmeiits fail to dispel the fear that th» pxperienced successful primary teacher wjll be excluded from tho control of these newer schools, chiefly on th° ground of I*t"> «f »<"« fl "»"'<" status."