BRITISH SCHOOLS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21150, 19 July 1943, Page 4

BRITISH SCHOOLS

REFORM__SCHEME HIGHER LEAVING AGE CHANGES IN SYSTEM (By Telecrnph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. July 10. The Minister of Education, Mr. K. A. Butler, presented a White Paper to Parliament proposing the complete reorganisation of public education, including the reorganisation of the present elementary schools, raising the school leaving ago to 15 years and later to 16 years, and a compulsory provision for religious instruction.

The plan will be brought, into operation by stages and lit into flic general picture of social reconstruction.

The recasting of public education involves (lie disappearance of the terms elementary and higher education, and their replacement by primary, secondary and ‘'further” education. Primary schools will be available to children up to 11 years. The secondary schools for children over 11 years will be of three main types, grammar, modern and technical. The grammar schools will lake the place of the present secondary schools and continue to provide mainly academic education The modern schools will offer general education for life and cover a wide range, embracing literary and practical. The technical schools will cater for technical students. The "special place” examination will be abolished and children at the age of about 11 years would be classified by school records and. if necessary, intelligence tests. The local authorities will be given power to establish boardingschools and hostels fdr Children whose parents wish them to have residential education. Part-Time Tuition An important part of the plan envisages compulsory part-time education between the ages of 15 and 10 veers at young people’s colleges. The curriculum will cover physical training. instruction in health hygiene and training in expression, together with education in the broad meaning of citizenship and its responsibilities. “The colleges will become youth centres, taking their place in expanded youth service,” says the White Paper., An expansion of technical and advanced education is planned. It is proposed that for inter-relation of different types of schools there should he one type of local education authority in the future. There should be councils of counties and county boroughs only. The White Paper adds: “Rising costs generally and the development of services' will have raised the total expenditure on education by the end Of the war from the 1938 level of £94,000,000 to £123,000,000. The latter figures, accordingly, have been taken as the datum line in estimating the additional expenditure. No material increase is expected until at least 18 months after the end of the war. Thereafter it is estimated that the additional cost will be £1,100,000. The major part of the additional cost will be "borne by the Exchequer.”