TRAINING OF PUPILS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21952, 13 May 1933, Page 16

TRAINING OF PUPILS

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS Opposition to the intermediate school plan was expressed by the conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute. It was stated that the plan would remove pupils of Forms I and II from the charge of senior teachers to that of comparatively junior teachers; a twoyear’ course in an intermediate school would be substituted for a three-year course; and the regulations providing for the establishment of the schools were not in accordance with the accepted educational policy of authorities in England and of other leading educational countries. A remit embodying the foregoing reasons was adopted by the conference. The following motion, submitted by the executive, was also carried:— “ This annual meeting considers further pursuance of the intermediate school movement inopportune at the present for the following reasons: — “ 1. The establishment of the intermedi-ate-school system under present financial conditions can only be brought about at the expense of the already financiallystarved primary system, which still provides for the lengthiest, most impressionable, and most important period of school life.

“2. (a) The primary-school system is in a state of confusion and uncertainty, due to the exclusion of the five-year-olds; (b) many reductions in grade and subgrade of schools and positions must inevitably follow; (e) the adjustment of teaching power to positions will be extremely difficult; (d) the intrusion of the intermediate-school system in some localities but not in others will assuredly add to the confusion.

“3. Any reorganisation of a system should be established on a secure foundation, and maintained under moat favourable conditions; thus, any further reorganisation of the educational system should commence with the establishment of satisfactory conditions in the early stages of education. “4. (a) It may be argued that recent experiments in New Zealand have justified the system, but it must be remembered that the conditions were approaching the ideal, salaries, staffing, and equipment being on a liberal scale; but these advantages at the present time could not be entertained; (b) a system sorely handicapped at the outset is likely to begin in disfavour and continue to be unpopular in the community for a long time to come; (c) owing to the straitened finances of the country it is impossible to place these schools at the beginning on such a secure foundation as_ to make it possible for them to function to their fullest possible extent. . “5. Given slightly increased facilities, the primary school is capable of accomplishing anything that might be achieved in tlie proposed intermediate schools. The annual meeting is opposed to these regulations on the following grounds: (a) Ihe substitution of a two-year for a threeyear course is not in the best interests of the children nor in accord with accepted educational policy of England and other leading educational countries, and is inconsistent with the policy formerly advocated by the department and approved by N.Z.E.I. In general a three-year course is necessary to uncover the interests, aptitudes, and capacities of pupils and start each upon studies leading to a suitable goal, (b) That the removal of pupils of Forms 1 and II from the charge of senior teachers to that of (considerably) less experienced teachers is not in the best interests of the children (c) The regulations are inequitable and unjustifiable as regards the proposed staffing scale. “ (5. Recent experiences of appointments fail to dispel the fear that the experienced successful primary teacher will be excluded from the control of these newer schools chiefly on the ground of lack of academic status.”