STIRRING TIMES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 28 August 1924, Page 5

STIRRING TIMES.

JUNIOR! HIGH SCHOOLS

UPHEAVAL AT OAMARU

(By Telegraph.—Special to the Star.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 27.

Stirring times have been experienced in the usually quiet town of Oamaru, according to Mr. MacPherson, who described in the House some of the results following upon the decision by the Minister for Education to establish a consolidated high school there. He declared that the Hon. C. J. Parr had committed an error in policy in coming, to his decision and practically forcing the consolidated school upon Oamaru before thoroughly investigating the matter. So high had feeling run in the district that friends of many years’ standing had become bitter enemies over the question of consolidation. The Auckland people had still an opportunity of sending, . their children .to ordinary primary schools, but in Oamaru the children were to be conscripted whether they liked it or not, and they were to be made part and parcel of this junior high school. Mr. MacPherson said that the voting showed that at the middle school 80 per cent, of the parents were opposed to the scheme. At the south school 160 opposed and 110 favoured. the scheme, and the north school the voting was 95 each way. The Hon. C. J. Parr: What about the public meeting ? Mr. MaePherson said the scrutineers informed him that instead of a four to one majority in favour of the scheme, as had been reported, the voting was 824 for and 625 against. The Hon. C. J. Parr: A pretty good majority. Mr. MaePherson admitted this, but declared that* the theatre* where; the meeting was held was filled by supporters of the scheme long before time and hundreds of Opponents were unable to gain admission. He urged that the middle school be allowed to remain a primary school, so that those opposed to the scheme might see how it worked instead of having the whole community fighting one against the other.

The Minister for Education replied that the annual report dealt fully with the reasons for the junior hio-h school system, which was not a new thing as had been suggested. It was universal and had long existed in Scotland.

Mi. Fraser: No j it is the intermediate.

The Minister: That is precisely what the junior high school is. He added that it took hold of the children at the age of 12 and gave a complete and well .balanced course of junior secondary education. No educational authority would defend the i\ew Zealand system of keeping children in primary schools till the age of 10, and we were well justified in installing a system which was more logica! and scientific than the present. I here had been a good deal of dissension m Oamaru in regard to the proposal to establish a junior high school, and the Mayor of Oamaru had asked him to let the matter stand over until he could call a representative meeting of parents. This was thc^mntt 00 i P<? -° ple and on the matter being put to the vote the figures he received showed 1030 favouring the new scheme and 333 against. “Tn the face of that majority —the remainder of the Minister s opinions were lost to the House because he was reminded bv Mr Speaker that his time had expired.