SECONDARY EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20986, 24 September 1931, Page 10

SECONDARY EDUCATION.

SUGGESTED RESTRICTION. ; '"REACTIONARY POLICY." "We have nt the present iime of de--1 pression many influential, but'untliinking, people who, on grounds of economy, advo- > cnte that, free secondary education should i be restricted to the few—presumably to those few who have special ability to pass examinations," said Mr. F. W. Martin, headmaster of the Otahuhn Junior High School, in a report on Ilto organisation and work of the school which was submitted to a meeting of the School Committee. The report continued:—"There docs not appear to be any likelihood that such > a reactionary poflcv will, or could pos- > sibly, be put into practice, but there is a - real danger that the present campaign • for 'economy* in education mav lead to > such a restriction in the facilities proi vided for practical instruction as will I work serious injury to many of the pupils in our schools." I 'J he chief problem confronting post- ' primary schools to day, continued the re- ! port, was that of the non-academic child; : the child whose interests and abilities did not run along the traditional lines. ' As the result of the school-leaving age ' being extended in recent years the secon--1 dary schools had become the holdingground for large numbers of scholars between the time they completed their primary education and the time when they ' found employment. In the past most of these pupils', being unsuited to tho ordin- ' ary academic courses, had more or less marked time in the school, but it was pleasing to note a growing recognition on the part of the educational authorities | of the principle that if the majority of the pupils were unsuited to the type of secondary education usually provided, then the type of education provided must be made to suit the majority of the pupils. DOMESTIC SCIENCE IGNORED. PRESENT SYSTEM CRITICISED. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] HAMILTON. Wednesday. "I very much doubt whether tho money spent on the education of many girls is worth while," said Dr. F. D. Pinfold, Mayor of Hamilton, in welcoming the delegates of the South Auckland Women's Christian Temperance Union convention to-day. Dr. Pinfold asked what was tho uso of teaching many girls mathematics and entirely ignoring the claims of domestic science? Did .they want girls to learn algebra and geometry and fail miserably in the duties and natural functions of housewives and mothers? Bud cooking, ho remarked, was not conducive to the promotion of Christianity*