EDUCATION INSTITUTE

Southland Times, Issue 19518, 18 May 1922, Page 6

EDUCATION INSTITUTE

ANNUAL CONFERENCE THE CURRICULA (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 17. At the meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute, the report of a special committee on school curricula was presented. Mr W. H. Newton (Auckland) explained that the principal point made was the need for better co-ordination in the system to give the pupil a practically continuous schooling from the primary elements as far as the pupil could go. The speaker warned teachers of the danger of creating watertight compartments of the authorities dealing with each branch. If another compartment were created the last state of the schools would be worse than the first. Mr Aschman (Christchurch) suggested that the time was inopportune to intro-, duce junior high schools. They would entail expense, >which would mean withdrawing money which was much needed for the primary schools. The president, Mr J. E. Purchase, suggested that they should lay down their ideal and leave it to the authorities to determine when it should be introduced. Mention was made of report by the Minister’s sub-committee, which was very simi- ! laf* to the committee’s report, and it was suggested that the two should be consider ed together. It was decided that the curriculum should provide for the nature of the child to be educated and the kind of citizen desired to be considered, and that specialisation be deferred as long as possible. The normal course suggested was, children under seven years, infant school course, from seven to twelve years, primary school course; twelve to seventeen, postprimary courses suitable for adolescents; eighteen years or more, University course. In the lower grades it was intended that the general Board course should provide for the requirements of all pupils. In the post-primary grades differentiation courses for individuals would gradually be introduced, with a bias towards a general type of life, industrial or professional. Separate schools were advocated for post-primary courses, the pupil’s own wish to be considered, and also his natural bent. It was resolved that teachers and parents confer with regard to the test course for a particular child. If later it were found that a mistake had been made, every facility for transferring to another course should be afforded.