Study Of Languages: Interesting Survey Of Schools

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 August 1948, Page 2

Study Of Languages: Interesting Survey Of Schools

(P.A.) DUNEDIN, This Day. One-third of ’ the post-primary schools in New Zealand, State and private, think that too few pupils take one foreign language as a subject and one-half of the schools think too few students take two languages. Those are two conclusions reached after an ambitious fact-finding inquiry made by an Otago committee appointed a year ago by the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Association to conduct a national survey into what is happening to language teaching. A 17-page report has now been issued by the New Zealand Association, in which further action is to be taken in pointing to possible courses of action when the committee has forwarded its final recommendations. Summary Of Findings Summarised, the finding of the committee include: — Teaching conditions for languages are good. In. all but a few schools there is adequate opportunity to study one language, although the choice is mainly limited to French. One-third of the schools think too few pupils take one language and one-half think too few take two languages. Far too many schools have abandoned the two-language course. There has been a most disturbing decline since 1943 in the number of pupils taking the . available twolanguage courses and in the numbei of schools providing such courses. The causes suggested include the relaxation of university requirements, the utilitarian approach resulting in the pursuit of qualification rather than education, and the new School Certificate regulations. The education field covered included State post-primary schools, private secondary schools, and district high schools with an aggregate roll of more than 36,000 pupils. Languages are interpreted as excluding English and Maori. Order Of Popularity French, Latin, and German in that order of popularity are the languages most commonly studied. About half a dozen pupils take Greek or Russian. , , , When Dr B. H. Howard was asked by the Secondary Schools’ Association to form an investigating committee, he selected as its members Dr D. O. D. Raphael, Professor 01. Philosophy at the University of Otago, Dr K. J. Shean, Otago Boys High School, Miss M. Dalzeil, M.A., principal of St Hilda’s Collegiate School, Miss M. Fitzgerald, M.Sc., principal of the Otago Girls High School, and Mr P. W. Hargreaves, 8.A., Waitaki Boys’ High School. “There is general agreement that the status of languages is falling,” comments the committee. The same reasons appear in all the groups analysed—-the demands of the ‘core and the change in examination requirements at all levels. These cause pupils and parents to favour soft options or specialised courses. Girls’ high schools and, to a lesser extent, girls’ private schools, are satisfied with the position and actively encourage language teaching. Mixed high schools are relieved that the demand for languages is falling, chiefly on practical grounds.”