HIGHER LEAVING AGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27567, 8 December 1950, Page 8

HIGHER LEAVING AGE

Problems For Secondary Schools MUCH WASTED EFFORT The increasing number of pupils who enter secondary schools with the intention of remaining only until their fifteenth birthday will enforce some modification of the present curriculum. This opinion was expressed by the rector of King's High School, Mr W. Lang, in his annual report to the Otago High Schools’ Board received by the board yesterday. Such pupils were included in the commercial course group, which studied book-keeping and commercial practice as well as the usual “core” subjects. But the effort to teach these pupils book-keeping was largely a wasted effort—their ability to work with figures in book-keeping problems was of such a low standard that they gained little or no benefit from the subject. It was the duty of the schools to provide the most suitable type of education possible for these boys, Mr Lang claimed. He was of the opinion that the time previously devoted to book-keeping could with greater advantage be given. to extra practice in English and arithmetic as well as geography and woodwork. The study of commercial practice, an interesting and useful subject, from which boys gained a good general knowledge of the' world of business and commerce, would provide a sufficiently good basic background for any who-might take up office work later. In all the courses, Mr Lang concluded, the curriculum provided ample opportunity for every boy to obtain a good general education. The demand for boys as employees in commerce and industry was still excessive, Mr Lang commented. As a result, very few leaving school needed advice concerning suitable employment, most being approached by employers long before leaving the school. Very few boys of good ability, however, were now tempted by the prospect of good wages to leave before they gained some educational qualifications. There were still some who took positions for which they were temperamentally unsuited —a state of affairs which could be avoided if every boy were to consult the careers master before making a final decision. Boys in the sixth forms had had the benefit of the advice of the university liaison officer, Dr B. H. Howard, concerning proposed university courses.