The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 1924. EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.

Southland Times, Issue 19335, 29 August 1924, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 1924. EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.

Some little time ago Oamaru, out of which come queer political stories at times, was reported to be agitated over the prospect of a Junior High School being established there, but the subsequent endorsement of the departmental proposals in Oamaru by an overwhelming majority suggested that there was not a little politics in the dust raised before. The Junior High School scheme is the product of the departmental experts under a Reform Minister, and it is unfortunate that in some liberal minds the association of a Reformer with the project is enough to condemn it. The Junior High Schools are not yet old enough in the Dominion to allow of an estimate of their value under New Zealand conditions, but this method of carrying forward the education of the child from the primary stage has been tried in America, and is backed by a lot of convincing argument. The development of the Junior High Schools is proceeding steadily, but with them must come an overhauling of the secondary school system, so that much of the overlapping now in existence may be eliminated. This point in the great problem is already under consideration, and the legislation to make the amalgamation of High and Technical Schools possible in certain places is a step in the direction, of economy and efficiency. In his report, the Minister of Education deals with this phase of the department’s difficulties at some length, and, at one stage he says that: The most pressing educational problem beyond the primary stage was the relation and the proper function of the Technical High Schools and Secondary Schools. It was not contemplated that Technical Colleges should develop into large Technical High Schools attended by full-time freeplace pupils for the full school day throughout the week. It was unfortunate that the practice which grew up under the old capititation system, has caused a diversion of the course from technical instruction to the High School course About half the accommodation in the Technical Schools in the main centres was taken up by pupils taking general or commercial courses. We can understand that any approach to this problem will be strewn with difficulties, because neither High School nor Technical School will relish the interference, but unquestionably this problem must be tackled along with the consolidation of schools if the Education Vote is to be kept within reasonable limits and the Department is to give the country good value for the large sums being spent annually.