SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 November 1926, Page 3

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

— THE MINISTER’S CRITICISM (Special to “Star.”) WELLINGTON, Nov. 27. During the course of his reply to a deputation from the Wellington East Girls’ College Parents’ Association, the Minister of Education (Mr. Wright) declared that a change in policy was necessary in order to ensure that pupils of secondary schools would remain long enough to benefit from their instruction. Speaking generally in regard to secondary schools, said Mr. Wright, it seems to me an alteration in policy is needed. We can’t go on as things are at present all over the country. It is so easy for pupils from the primary schools to pass to the secondary schools. Some change is necessary. The ’Minister said the Department was receiving demands for increased accommodation at secondary schools and for hostels etc., this year. The secondary schools had absorbed quite as inuch as the primary schools, with the result that primary schools had suffered: He found that a large number of primary school pupils gained proficiency certificates, attended secondary schools for three, six, and twelve months and then left. That was no use to the pupils and no use to the country. There would have to be an alteration. “I am coming to the conclusion,” said Mr. Wright, “that if pupils go to secondary schools there should be some guarantee that they will stay

there-at-least two years. It is a waste of the country’s money if they attended for a few months then leave. Their object in doing that I suppose is to be able to say that they have been to college.” “The,demands we are now getting for hostels, increased accommodation, etc., said Mr. Wright, “are such that the present grant for the purpose, big as it is, is only half as much as would be necessary to enable us to accede'them all.” If the country could find the money, he added, he would not mind. The whole matter would have to be examined with a view to seeing what was the best course to pursue. It was perfectly right that every pupil should have the opportunity of receiving secondary education, but then they should acquire that secondary education. If they were not going to do that, they would not do themselves any 'good. A gentleman, who employed a large number of young people, had, expressed his opinion that the present matriculation examination was absolutely useless. Those who matriculated he had remarked were as plentiful as. blackberries. Quite a number of them had wrecked their health by cramming in the endeavour to pass the examination, apparently.simply because they are not mentally able to succeed. The question the Government will have to consider, he concluded, is whether some improvement in the system cannot be made whereby we will know definitely whether these young people intend to put in at least two years at the secondary schools.