The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE TIMES." GISBORNE, SATURDAY., JUNE 14, 1947. EDUCATIONAL TREND IN NEW ZEALAND

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22356, 14 June 1947, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE TIMES." GISBORNE, SATURDAY., JUNE 14, 1947. EDUCATIONAL TREND IN NEW ZEALAND

present tendencies in educational practice in New Zealand making for an increase or even a maintenance of the general level of culture in the Dominion? The word culture is intended to be used not in any narrow, exclusive sense, but in flic broad sense of having people well informed, with broad sympathies and possessed of an adequate part of our social and literary heritage. The answer could possibly be ‘‘No”. A glance at the honours list in arts suggests that last year comparatively few students at the University of Otago and the three university colleges in .the other centres were reaching this standard in languages (English or foreign), history, philosophy, education and the like. This is, of course, partly to he explained by the effect of the war in interrupting studies and so delaying their completion; though this hardly affects women. There seem to ho more students completing a science course and long lists of graduates in medicine. The general trend is for men and women to use their university education mainly, if not entirely, as a preparation for a definite calling, a technical training. Probably long lists of vacancies in the Public Service for graduates in science and agriculture, published from time to time by the Government, have partly influenced students, also inducements in the way of bursaries to medical, dental, agricultural and similar entrants. Behind all this is probably the aim of increasing the material wealth. of the Dominion. In some quarters it is thought that this is having the effect of lowering the general standard of '-nillire. New Scheme of Core Subjects. On the other hand, the increased .. :wbor of pupils in the secondary schools, now compelled to stay at least till their fifteenth birthday and taking a wide range of subjects, is all to the good. Probably few countries today have a higher percentage of their young people in secondary schools than New Zealand. During the past year or so the high schools have for the most part been trying out the new scheme of a core of subjects—English, general mathematics, general science, social studies, music, health education and physical training. This is accompanied by some degree, of specialisation (increasing in the higher grades) in home life, agriculture, science or academic subjects. Such a bourse has tended, on the one hand, to increase the attention to science (many pupils take two sciences), but it also gives solid work in English, history and geography; and the requirement of a craft. being compulsory lias given a new emphasis on drawing in its various branches and, to a lesser extent, on woodwork, homecraft and so on. At one- time it was feared by some people that, with the introduction of accrediting for matriculation, fewer candidates would face the ordeal of a public examination. The opposite seems to have happened in that last year.something like twice the number of candidates sat the school certificate examination, after three or four years of secondary work, compared with the number that used to sit matriculation. This is because the wide range of subjects offered in school certificate—commercial and crafts as well as the more academic ones —has made it possible for more pupils to qualify and sit. General Level Raised.

Indeed, it seems to he becoming the custom for almost every senior secondary pupil to try for a school certificate. This cannot help hut have the effect of raising the general level of education in the community—-a very satisfactory state of affairs. But it is very necessary that science and crafts do not crowd out the gcuc.ial culture that is so vital a part of education. The increased attention given to modern history and sociology and to geography on broad fines will probably more than balance the loss there is through fewer pupils studying Drench and Latin than hcrctofoic. The development of libraries everywhere will also help. The final and strongest influence, however, is in the quality of the teachers, and it is to he hoped that parents and others guiding the vocational destinies of late adolescents will see to it that science and the other professions on the material side do not rob the teaching profession of an adequate number of graduates. The action of°the Government in increasing the salaries of secondary school teachers will he a help in keeping up the standard, hut still another factor—and one that is associated with both primary and. secondary schools—is the provision of adequate accommodation. The abnormal sizes of classes frequently encountered make it impossible for teachers to take an individual interest in their charges. How this particular problem will he solved is, of course, bound up with the availability of labour and building materials. • Moreover, it is generally acknowledged that the erection of homes for the people is a priority consideration. All that can he said at the moment is that extensions to school buildings should he placed well up on the list.