“WASTE OF MONEY”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27346, 23 March 1950, Page 8

“WASTE OF MONEY”

New Secondary School For Girls LOWER ROLLS LIKELY “ It would be a wasteful expenditure of public money to erect another postprimary school in Dunedin to cater for an expected increase in the enrolment of girls,” said the principal of the King Edward Technical College, Mr J. V. Burton, at the monthly board meeting last night when the probable trend of enrolments during the next 10 years was discussed. “It has been stated that there will be a great increase in enrolments of girls in Dunedin post-primary schools in 1954,” Mr Burton said, “ but according to the most accurate statistics this will not be so. “ There will, from 1952 until 1955 at least, be fewer girls in these schools than there are now, and certainly than there will be in 1951. There will be a fall in numbers of post-primary pupils after 1951, and the enrolments of all pupils will not reach the 1950 and 1951 figures until 1954, after which enrolments will fail for a year or two. The vital fact In the determination of the department’s building programme in Dunedin is that in 1954 the pressure will come from increased numbers of boys, and not from girls. The girls will be fewer than in 1951. This is borne out by accurate statistics of pupils in primary schools now.” The board’s proposals for addition to and the modernisation of its buildings, officially communicated to the department some weeks ago, .were in harmony with the facts of the position. Mr Burton continued. More girls could still be taken, and the new buildings would cater for the boys. There was no case for the erection of a further post-primary school until the late 1950’5. The college could cater for all additional girls, including those desiring an academic course as well as those taking more practical studies. Unsatisfactory Trend

Referring to the roll at the college, the principal said that there was a substantial increase on last year’s figures. Detailed analysis showed, however, that a considerable number ’of pupils left school by the end of their first post-primary year. This was a most unsatisfactory feature of education in New Zealand, for pupils needed to remain at least two years if they were to gain adequate advantage from attending a post-primary school.

“There is still an unsatisfactorily large number of people who do not place sufficient value upon post-pri-mary education for their sons and daughters,” Mr Burton said. “The complexity of the social environment in which the young person has to live is such that his general training and education can be neglected only at the cost of danger to his peace and contentment in later life. Further, he cannot benefit as fully as he ought from his apprenticeship and technical training until his general education is sound. “Parents who withdraw their children from post-primary schools within the first two years, and especially within the first year, would do well to consider whether this is in the best interest of the ultimate personal welfare of the child."