EDUCATIONAL BABIES

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3288, 6 March 1926, Page 3

EDUCATIONAL BABIES

SIR JAS. PARR’S HEALTHY FAMILY. Among the reforms and schemes put into operation by Sir James Parr during his term as Minister of Education, that which pleases him most is the junior High School movement. Phis, he explained to the gathering of parents at the High School last even-' ing, and proceeded to propound the many advantages of post-primary education.. He. stated that his opinion of the value of junior High Schools had been backed up by leading educationalists in New Zealand and abroad. However, there were several other insitltutions which he would al’ways look upon as his "babies.” The fii’st was the correspondence classes set in operation two years ago with the object of educating the children of lighthouse keepers, who, in many cases, were isolated from civilisation. Their training was carried on through the post Later it was found that children of country shepherds were’equally as destitute of educational facilities and these boys and girls were brought within the scope of the scheme until to-day 547 children were getting their training through a correspondence course and it was w’onderful the way they were getting on. Some were making at least equal progress with children In ordinary day schools. His second "baby” was the consolidated control school scheme whereby small outlandish schools were closed down and the childreiv transported by motor bus to one central Institution where they received the benefit of teaching from trained teachers Instead of very often girls whose educational equipment was not milch superior than standard 6. These backblocks boys and girls were children of the very best people—children of men and women who had the courage to carve a home out of the heart of the bush and deserved every coni sidoratlon. | Sir James next referred to the step that had been taken to improve the j health of school children and the es- ; tablishment of a corps of girl dentists to. take care of their teeth. The scheme was strongly supported by the dentists because decaying teeth had become a national evil with which the dentists could, not cope. Forty girls ’ were trained in children’s work with the • result that in two years they were sent out all over the country. ; Their number had now increased to j 70, 28 more were to be sent out short- | ly. and others were ready to undergo j training.