SCHOOL CERTIFICATE

Evening Star, Issue 25472, 1 May 1945, Page 8

SCHOOL CERTIFICATE

THE PROPOSED SYLLABUS " A GOMMON GORE " (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 30. The Minister of Education, Hon. H. G. It. Mason, said to-day that tie intended shortly to introduce regulations governing tree places in secondary schools and the syllabus for the school certificate examinations. Two developments, tne Minister said, had made necessary some changes in the post-primary curriculum. In the first place there had been for many years a steady increase in the number of children going on to secondary education, culminating in the raising of the school leaving age to 15. This meant that the post-primary schools now had to adapt their curricula to the varied needs of nearly 100 per cent, of the population, non-academic as well as academic. Secondly, the University, by adopting a system of accrediting, had freed the schools in large measure from the domination of the University entrance examination, and enabled them, to carry out effectively their double function of preparing a minority of their pupils for University studies 1 and the majority fov immediate participation in the /world of industry and' commerce.

The immediate practical effect of the University's action, the Minister said, would be to make the school certificate examination replace the old "matriculation " as the measure of a satisfactory secondary education for the purpose of a pupil's employer, who was not concerned with a University degree. Sketching the history of the changes to be introduced, Mr Mason said that in November, 1942, he had set up a consultative committee on the postprimary curriculum to consider changes that should be introduced into the syllabus for the school certificate examination as a result of its new status. This committee invited evidence from all interested, consulted a large number of educationists, and after very full deliberations produced its report in December, 1943. The Minister said that at this stage he had publicly asked for the fullest criticism of the report. It was discussed in great detail by many bodies and individuals, and many valuable criticisms and comments were received. These were analysed by departmental officers, and the amendments referred back to a joint meeting of the consultative committee and the department. As a result further modifications were •made.

The scheme was next referred to" the Education Conference in CHristchurch last October, when it was very frankly discussed. Following this there were further discussions between the department and various interested groups. A MODIFIED SCHEME ACCEPTED "By now," said Mr Mason,

" there seems to be among educa

tionists such widespread agreement on the general principles of the report, despite a few differences on detailed points, that I have no hesitation in adopting the fundamental scheme recommended by the Consultative Committee and embodying it in draft regulations. These regulations follow the report of the committee by providing for * a common core ' of English, elementary mathematics, general science, social studies, physical education, music, and art and crafts, which all pupils will take, but which will be examined by the

school itself. "The committee's scheme has been modified, however, by permitting organised games to take up some of the time allotted' to physical education, and by permitting schools not yet ready to meet the demands in music, art and crafts to substitute for them an extra optional subject for the external examination. Candidates for the school certificate, besides talking tlie ' common core' subjects, will present themselves for an external examination in Knglish and three other subjects. These optional subjects are the ones set out in the committee's report, and are such as to allow a wide range of choice for children with different interests and abilities, practical as well as academic." i.-

The Minister said he could not in a newspaper statement enumerate all the modifications made in the committee's recommendations for detailed subject prescriptions for both the "common core " and l the options. The changes were' such, however, as to meet most of the criticisms from responsible individuals and groups Although he felt that the fullest opportunity had already been given for criticism and discussion, Mr Mason said, rather than appear to be rushing matters, he had had copies of the draft regulations sent to teachers' organisations and other professional educational bodies likely to be interested in the details of tlae syllabuses. He proposed to wait at least a month before proceeding further with the regulations. After that they would be gazetted as soon as possible so'that they could become operative, beginning in 1946. He was convinced that they represented one of the most important and beneficial changes -ever introduced into secondary eduction in Npw Zealand.