VOCATIONAL TRAINING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17965, 15 December 1921, Page 8

VOCATIONAL TRAINING.

MATTER OF SPECIALISATION. VIEWS. OF HEADMISTRESS The large number of girls attending the Auckland Girls' Grammar School in tin .; last two years who had stayed either lor,; ; one year only or in many cases for jew ~ than a year was commented uj»on by Mia W. Pickens headmistress of the school, at .. the distribution of prizes last evenings After stating that good reasons were : found in many cases, Miss Pic!;« continued:—"But it fieems as ifnuiny trhagain free places either do not value their, opportunities, or else axe 'quit*, "unfitted to make use of those varying numbers make organisation di£cult, and the girls themselves gain'little or no benefit from their short stay. >' '■■'■ " For .this, among other, .raso'iisV'Ve welcome the suggestion of Xnwf '$Wk whereby the primary course shall'<»s&an earlier age, and post-primary. «&:; tion shall ibe continued until at leaii the age of 15, and in many cases,as';ai r W: : ,' sent, up 'to tta ago of about l 8. M ,ftjtSr. L one or two years of general pp • education, it should be discover on what lines .pupils a»'2t'to; proceed further. The great tm ■-■';:' to, be' that of too early specialisation, aW '• ■ the suggestion that children should at the •• age of 12 be separated into different tyfltt V of schools according to the life or os> : pation for which they are intended,:/!*,. ' in my opinion, absolutely wrong. At that / : age it is impossible, with veryrare.ex-' ceptions, for a child, ite parents,', its teachers, Or an inspector to say for'what , t life that child is best suited, and we wat guard against forcing children into.vocv' tional or specialised work before they; ■■};' have had a general wide education, ana before they have had a chance to deniloj faculties which may be a little Isfe iSaf' pearing."