SYSTEM DEFENDED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17133, 8 September 1926, Page 6

SYSTEM DEFENDED

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS MR. F. MILNER'S VIEWS PRINCIPLE IMPREGNABLE (Special to the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day. A defence of the junior high school system was made by Air. F. Milner, rector of Waikato Boys' High School, in speaking on post-primary education at the Auckland Botary Club. "Many may attack the system on the score of expenditure, but it- is impregnable on the point of principle," he said. Recently many attacks had been made against the so-called materialism that was creeping into education. The late Minister of Education had introduced, in an experimental form, a drastio change in the educational system of the country, hut this primary education ceased at the age of 11 or 12 years, and not at Id, 14, or even 15. It was hinted that the system did not find favor with the present Minister, but he personally could vouch for its excellent results.

He quoted the opinions of several leading educationalists, British as well as American, who were also warm supporters of the scheme. "We want to be progressive," Mr. Milner said, "there can be no economic progress without educational progress, and the junior high school system has been proved to be a progressive one. It is frequently criticised as an American innovation. It is time we gave up the • old prejudice of believing all that comes from America to be wrong. have . noticed that this prejudice is not S£fMok strong in Auckland as it is in tha south. There must be something more " than the British Navy and the British Empire to safeguard the world, and the American nation can assist us in the work.''