JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20539, 14 April 1930, Page 13

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.

VALUE OF THE SYSTEM.*

ITS EXTENSION ADVOCATED,: \

VIEWS OF MR. R. E. RUDMAN* Tho extension of the junior high sahooj system is advocated by Mr. R. E. P*udman, principal of tho Kowhai Junior High School, who is shortly to retire after being in charge of the since ita establishment iu 1922. Mr. Rudman has mado an extensive study of the system, and his remarks are of interest, in view of pending changes in tho post-primary; school course in New Zealand Mr. Rudman said the principle of ths junior high school was to serve as a link botween tho primary and tho secondary, schools, it being considered that the child's introduction to secondary school work should take two years before tho compulsory age was reached. The greati weakness of the present system was thafci children of higher ability were retarded and had to wait for medium and slow* paced children. The very slow children, working with the clever children, often suffered from the impatience of teachers and developed an "inferiority complex.*' This was overcome in a junior high school of the Kowhai typo by the grading of children into several classes, according to speed and ability. While the "fast" children went ahead unimpeded and tools secondary school work at a relatively early age, tho slow pupils were classed together and received more instruction ia handwork and like subjects. Mr. Rudman considered that separata junior high schools should be established in centres containing a population of over; 10, COO. In his experience a school with; a .roll-number of about 800 was mosfc workable. lie said the Kowhai type wa> the most suitable for the larger centres,

as the exploratory value of the school waa lost in attaching it to a secondary Owing to the fact that the school popu« lation in tho smaller centres would not warrant the formation of several standard V. and standard VI. classes, the needs in these cases could bo supplied by the district high schools now established. WLera a secondary school was established, tha junior high school might be attached to it, but great care would have to be exercised that the children were not all passed "through tho funnel" to tha secondary school.

Classification of Children. After passing the fourth standard all children would bo enrolled in a junior high school, Mr. Rudman said. At tha end of the first year, pupils would ba classified after consultation with the pari ents. The classification would be secondary, technical and occupational, but lha courses would be sufficiently clastic to allow the child to change its miud afteij passing the sixth standard. A great advantage of the junior highi school was its provision for the "slower"' child, Mr. Rudman said. These pupils, after classification and working together, were often willing to return to tha school for a third year instead of leaving at the age of 14. The pupils went straight into employment; after their third year. The extra year was better spent at the junior high school than ati a secondary school as the. pupil benefited by the teaching of. more useful subjects whjle there was less cost to the State in a year at a junior high school than 4 year at a secondary school. Objections Dealt With. Mr. Rudman said a good deal of oppo« sition to the junior high school had been raised by some primary school teachers, who were afraid their schools would be decapitated. It was stated that salaries, would be lowered, but the tendency up to the present had been to have a few actually higher-salaried positions in tha junior high school open to primary, teachers. It was thought that secondary, school teachers would have a decided advantage in obtaining positions at tha junior high school, but this would nofc work out in practice. The objections were more imaginary than real. Referring to the objection to the sys« tern on the grounds that there were two breaks in the child's school life, Mr. Rudman said that in practice the junior high school really smoothed over the big break between the primary and tha secondary school. The gradual introduction of secondary school subjects "dovs« tailed" with the dropping of primary school work. Lack of co-ordination between the Kowhai Junior High School and the Auckland Grammar Schools had been alleged. Admittedly, the task of co-ordination was a big one. AlthonpH | difficulty was experienced formerly, tha pupils were now being drafted into tha secondary schools without having to "mark time." Efforts were now being made to co-operate more successfully with the technical school. Children, after passing standard VI., wei'e advised to transfer to the technical school immediately if they intended to take a course of two years or more, rather than to stay at Kowhai.