JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 30 March 1929, Page 6

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS

RANIGORA COMMITTEE PROTESTS DISCUSSION WITH MINISTER When the Minister of Education (the Hon. H.-Atmore) was in Rangiora earllier in this week he discussed the junior high school system with the school committee. The protest of the committee against the establishment of any form of junior high school in Rangiora was made to the Minister by the chairman (MiTyler), who read a statement setting out the committee's objections (reports the "Lytteiton Times"). One of the objections was that the establishment of a junior high school would result in the loss by the primary school of two senior teachers owing to the removal of Standards V. and VI. Mr Tyler stated that while the junior high school bvstem might work quite well in Christchurch or other large towns, the committee thought the results would be disastrous in towns the size of Rangiora.

In an ensuing-discussion the Minister said he could not say that any system of post-primary education would meet the needs of New Zealand. The junior high school did not originate in America but in Britain. Anyone who said that the present system in New Zealand was tit to equip boys and girls for the battle of life was shutting his eyes to facts. When they pushed boys through the Sixth Standard, and give them a year at a secondary school they were giving them a false idea of the value of education, and the usual thing for such boys was to look for clerkships. "NOT LEADING THE WORLD" "To-day we are nofc leading the world in regard to education as we were in Mr Seddon's time," said the Minister. "To-day we are a long way behind the Old Country because we are clinging on to something adopted from the Old Country, and we are not progressive enough to make the changes that are now necessary." The Minister quoted fairly extensively from the reports of the Haldane and Hadow Commissions on Education in Great Britain, and of Mr Frank Tate, of Victoria, who reported on the education system in New Zealand. These authorities supported the junior high school system. He also stated that the system had the support of the National Union of British Teachers, and sixteen out of nineteen members of the committee set up to revise the New Zealand school syllabus. The consensus of opinion throughout the world was in favour of the system. He declared that the adoption of the system would not involve any increased cost except thatresulting from the reduction of the number of pupils to each class. Whatever system was brought in, he had no intention of forcing it upon anyone, but if they were prepared to say that they did not want the system, he thought the parents would send their children somewhere .else. The Minister said that the systemwould give the children two or three years of secondary education. In Auckland employers asked for boys and girls who attended the Kowhai School. The committee should remember that there was nothing dearer to parents than the education of their children. The committee then withdrew its objections and thanked the Minister for his explanation.