The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, May 14, 1943. SCHOOL LEAVING AGE.

Grey River Argus, 14 May 1943, Page 4

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, May 14, 1943. SCHOOL LEAVING AGE.

The raising of the school leaving age fr'om fourteen to fifteen, which is to be brought before the next session of Parliament, will generally be considered a move on which the Government is to be congratulated, even though it will further tax the depleted teaching’ staffs in the schools and the inadequate accommodation. The Minister of Education (Mr. Mason) and the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) have admitted this, but feel that the raising of the leaving' age can no longer be postponed. The benefit to the child, cannot be doubted. It is at about the age of thirteen or fourteen—when secondary schooling generally begins—that the child first begins to get a sense of the significance and value of what ho is being taught. An extra year at school at this period will enable his particular aptitudes to become more evident and give him a better chance mf taking up the type of work to which he is best suited. Moreover, while he is at school he is widening his interests and increasing’ his knowledge, activities which must be severely curtailed when he goes to work. The extra time at school gives him a; better chance in later life of spending- his leisure time enjoyably and forming and maintaining useful friendships with his fellows. The acquisition of knowledge, it should b-c mentioned in passing, tends these days to" be forgotten as a main part of education, when so much emphasis, important as it is, is laid on the development of the child’s character! through sport and other school activities. The man who is well informed —on whatever subject it may be —history, geography, or the many branches of science, is a useful member of the community. The important point to ensure is that with the extension of education, adequate care is taken to ensure that extra instruction should not be wasted. The danger lies in introducing children to new subjects and giving them a small smattering which is likely to be forgotten as soon as they leave school. Subjects thoroughly learned remain in the mind and provide a basis for reading’ and study later. It is not good to start, the child on a .subject and let him leave it before his interest has been awakened. This applies largely to the teaching of languages in the schools at present. A great number of children are forced through a short course of learning the elements of French and Latin, and after a year or two leave’ school without ever having gone far enough to enable them to get a sense of mastery of the subject—the only thing’ that will prevent them from putting the whole matter out of their minds as a painful memory. Careful thought should be given to these problems by the Education Department. It is not sufficient to say that the school leaving age is to he raised, without considering ■what should be done to adjust the educational syllabus Io the change. However, it is probable that most children who would otherwise leave school, will have much to gain by continuing their present studies. The Principal of the Grcymout h T( clinical High School, Mr. W. M. Stew-art. stated, not long ago, in reply to a question at a meeting of the School Board, that he had not known of a ease wheue a child had not benefited by staying’ longer at. school. It is hardly likely that many teachers would dissent from this view. -To the teacher as much as to the child it must be a matter of concern 'that education should bje prolonged to the point where it will reward the effort that has been made. Teachers, under the present circumstances will have their work increased by this new move, Ind’, they will be rewarded by seeing the. advantages that their pupils will reap.