THE BACKWARD CHILD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26770, 13 May 1948, Page 4

THE BACKWARD CHILD

POST-PRIMARY TRAINING PROBLEM FOR TEACHERS Many of the present-day pupils who some years ago would not have been among the relatively few children entering post-primary schools presented a problem to teachers, said the acting Director of Education, Mr A. F. McMurtrie, addressing the annual conference of the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Association at Dunedin yesterday. Because they were not naturally endowed with ability, many of the present-day pupils were no better fitted than those pupils who years ago would have left the school at standard 111, he added. . , . In previous years primary school children were "screened” by the process of year by year examinations, said Mr McMurtrie. By this screening only the best reached the top class, and from these children a small percentage later attended post-primary schools. The screening had since been very largely abandoned, children going on to secondary schools more by virtue of their age. “This has brought greater problems for post-primary school teachers because many pupils have come with an inadequate grounding,” he continued. It was the duty of all teachers, however, to- accept those backward children as they were, and provide for them'accordingly. It was pointless for the University to belabour the secondary school, and the secondary school to belabour the primary school. In consequence of the increasing rolls of post-primary schools, their accommodation, amenities and staffing provisions would appear to be further behind than ever, Mr McMurtrie said. The problems would be great for the next five years in view of tremendous increases in school population. Mr McMurtrie urged teachers to encourage pupils to enter the teaching profession. While he agreed that teachers could never be remunerated for their value by way of salaries, Mr McMurtrie said he was impressed by the worth of a real teacher in the community. Urging the co-operation <?f teachers in this matter, Mr. McMurtrie said it had been suggested that there were too few graduates of Otago and Canterbury entering the profession, the reason being attributed to the fact that the Training College for postprimary school teachers was at Auckland.