BRIEF STAY AT SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18891, 13 December 1924, Page 11

BRIEF STAY AT SCHOOL.

SECONDARY EDUCATION. A DEFECT IN THE SYSTEM. [Btf TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WANGANUI. Friday. At the breaking-up ceremony .of the Technical College yesterday, "the director, Mr. I. Newton, referred to the duration of secondary education.

" The length of time pupils remain at school," ho said, "has an important bearing on the efficiency of the instruction given. Far too many boys and girls stay 0n.3 year and leave school before they can derive full advantage from their, new studies, and before they have really bacome an essential part of the corporate life of the school. The maximum value of the first year course is ohtained only by pupils who stay at school for the second and third years to complete the course. Hence the one year pupil is most exjpensive and unprofitable.

"' A remedy must be found for this serious state of affairs. Either a pupil must be compelled to take a full twoyear secondary course as a minimum, or else the pupil must be permitted to commence the secondary course a year of two earlier. The average age of entry to secondary education in this country is fourteen years. If it were made twelve years, as in England, Scotland and other countries, a full three-year course could be taken as a minimum junior course and a subsequent senior three-year course could bo made voluntary. This is generally accepted to be the best solution and I believe the Education Department is working in this direction. In the meantime, however, we must the best of the present system and I would urge parents not to be satisfied with anything less than two years at a secondary school for boys and girls.""