THE SCHOOL AGE

Southland Times, Issue 21774, 1 August 1932, Page 5

THE SCHOOL AGE

CASE AGAINST RAISING. EXPERIMENTS ABROAD. The following statement concerning the exclusion of five-year-old children from primary schools has been received from the secretary of the Southland Education Institute, Mr G. F. Griffiths:— Evidence against the advisability of raising the school age to six years:— (1) Psychological and Educational. (a) Experiments of a particularly wide and complete nature, carried on in England and America prove that entrance after five years tends to cause, over the whole school population, a general measure of retardation. In England, Inspector Winch, of the L.C.C., carried out exhaustive experiments in a wide variety of schools, his statistical methods being approved and checked by world famous statisticians, Sir Francis Galton and Professor Karl Pearson. His conclusions were that entrance after five years did, very definitely, tend to cause retardation. In America Dr. Helen T. Woolley, an eminent educator and psychologist, carried out experiments on a wide scale, which experiments showed that pupils entering school after five years of age suffered an average loss of 15 points on the Stanford Benet intelligence tests when compared with children entering school earlier. (b) The English Board of Education refuses, in spite of financial depression, to raise the age of entrance to six years. (c) Belgium, Austria, Germany, Russia, Canada and U.S.A, in which the age of entry is six years, have been compelled to introduce nursery schools for younger pupils in order to combat disintegrating influences of modern home and community life. Italy, Switzerland and France are tending to follow their example. (d) Entrance at five years is one factor which has led to superior achievement of pupils in New Zealand in comparison with those of some other countries (c.f. results of identical Group of Intelligence Tests on N.Z. and on U.S.A. Secondary Scholars.) 11. Sociological. (a) Authorities such as Dr. Cyril Burt (Psychologist to L.C.C. and Professor of Education in London University), Dr. Kenworthy, Dr. Healy, Dr. Van Waters, Dr. Woolley and Dr. Loring Richards (of Child Guidance Clinics in chief towns of U.S.A.) are agreed that the failure of many homes to provide adequate character training is an important cause of a considerable proportion of child delinquencies. The raising of the school entrance age leaves many children with no alternative between unsatisfactory homes and the street, and tends towards a lowered morale among our future citizens. (b) The enforced retention of the five-year-olds at home throws an added burden on many mothers who are unwilling to shoulder that burden. (c) The ability or inability to pay for kindergarten education will in future tend to intensify class distinctions. The standard of literacy of poorer children will be lowered, as these pupils will still of necessity leave school for work at the earliest opporlum'ty. (d) Pupils at a most important phase of their development are going to be placed in the hands of untrained people. who are already in some cases, catering for the 5-year-old. 111. Administration and Organization of Schools. (a) Approximately 10 per cent, oi staff reductions will be necessary, with the consequent transfer (compulsory) of from 300 —500 teachers to other positions including probably 140 headmasters of schools of Grade 4 upwards The loss in efficiency will be »bvious. (b) Many will at the end of two years, again move to positions c.f their own choice, intensifying the disorganization and prolonging the lessened efficiency of schools. (c) V’ith so many forced transfers there will be less chances of reducing the present number (700 approximately) of unemployed teachers. (d) Many of these unemployed young teachers will in despair drift to other professions or employments, causing loss to the service and to the State. (e) Lowered grades of schools mean lowered capitation grants to school committees, whose efficiencey is already hampered by inadequate funds. (f) Additional financial burdens will be thrown on parents. They will have to find more money locally to mair tain the work of committees. (g) Many teachers specially trained for certain positions, e.g. infant mistress, will be compelled to teach in positions, e.g. senior classes, for which they are less suited. (h) The expenses of wholesale com ■ pulsory transfers will be excessive. (:) Entrance to the profession is being made less attractive, thus attracting entrants of a lower calibre (j) The change will considerably affect the superannuation rights of many senior teachers who have at present elected to pay on the higher r ate