SECONDARY ASSISTANTS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 11 May 1921, Page 7

SECONDARY ASSISTANTS

ANNUAL MEETING OPENS.

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION .^ WELLINGTON, May 11.

The annual meeting of the Secondary ■Shcool Assistant--' Association of New Zealand opened to-day. Mr R. M. Lang, M.A., Christc-hureh, president, was in the chair. There was an attendance of about 50 delegates from various parts of the Dominion. The pres'dent referred to the fact that since the la-t meeting a great deal of work had been accomplished. The classification scheme had become an accomplished fact. The Government and the Department had met them hi a very fair •spirt, and what had been obtained was all that was probably expected. He was 'Of opinion that a time of intense depression wa-s to be expected, and in view of this no further requests should lie made at present for any large modification of the scheme. The Government should not be asked to increase materially its financial difficulties

Mr V. Martyn Renner. M.A.. in an interesting survey drew attention to some of the defect.* in the present system, and suggested methods of reconstruction. In the primary department schools were too few. and an outstanding defect of the secondary schools was the lack of co-ordination between the prmarv and secondary system. The methods of teaching and* the subjects were different. Regarding examinations, he urged that -a sensible use should be made of accrediting system. Technical education should not *be commenced nnt:l a child had a sound genera] education. After the primary course ending at twelve years there should l>e a post primary course uniform throughout Nt«w Zealand.