SCHOOL PRIZES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LV, Issue 90, 15 June 1925, Page 8

SCHOOL PRIZES.

CONFERENCE AT NEW PLYMOUTH NO DECISION. The Question as to whether or not prizes should be given to children for school work was again discussed at New Plymouth on Saturday night, when representatives of the Taranaki Education Board, the School Committees’ Association and the Headmasters’ Association sought an amicable way out of the impasse that has arisen through the decision of some headmasters not to give prizes, their decision being in opposition to that of the committees concerned. Messrs S. G. Smith, M.P., P. J;. H. White and H.

Dempsey represented the Education Board, Messrs C. J. Harris (Ohura), 'C. Mcl. Young (Stratford), and T. M. Avery (New Plymouth) the School Committees’ Association, and Messrs H. McClune (New Plymouth) and G. A. Lyall (Waitara) the head teachers. Mr Smith presided.

Mr Smith said the Education Board had given some thought to the question of whether prizes should or should not be given. It had not taken sides in the discussion and it had suggested the calling of the conference with a view to avoiding friction between the school committees and the headmasters, who he understood, had passed a resolution against the giving of prizes and had declared they would not do so. Mr Lyall said the team spirit was what was wanted, but by giving prizes at the end of the year they were 'rewarding individual merit, the antithesis of the team spirit. At his school he had entirely revolutionised the classes by introducing the team or platoon idea under which every pupil scored marks or lost 1 marks not for himself, but for his platoon. If they rewarded the child individually they were rewiard- | ing him for something which the Almighty had given him and which enabled him to carry off prizes with-, out a great deal of effort. The system of class prizes put a premium on brains and intelligence. It was asked why not reward effort? But who was to determine the effort? He had gone away from prize-giv-ings feeling a most miserable man, for try as hard as he could, he had been unable to get away from the feeling that the greater percentage of the children in the middle of the class had gone away without any reward for their efforts. Mr Smith; There are still- some very able teachers in New Zealand who are opposed to the abolition of prize-giving. Mr Lyall: May that not be due to local pressure? I have made myself very unpopular in three centres over this subject. We are up against established precedent. Mr Avery said he had an open mind on the question of prizes. He quite recognised that it was difficult to give prizes equitably, but he submitted that it was quite wkong to say that the giving of them was demoralising. Mr McClune said he counted little 'the winning of a scholarship or 100 per cent, in proficiency passes. That was the least he was proud of in his school. He was far more proud of

the fact that the children of his school were members of a community who looked after themselves. lie. realised that the children had u go out. into the world as members of a community, and it was his duty to so train them that they could take their place in the community as unselfish citizens. He would be very sorry if anyone offered a prize in his school, and he was sure that the children would be aghast at the idea. Prizes were opposed to the spirit of modern education, which set out to make good citizens of the hoys and girls. Let them differentiate between gifts and prizes. Prizes were something given for beating somebody else. Mr Harris said children liked prizes and the fact that they were given induced greater effort. He thought that if they cut out prizes they must do away with punishment. Mr Dempsey thought prizes were not ancontive to good work throughout a class where the children were of varying capabilities. His view was that children did not think enough. Prize-giving was a custom, and he thought if money was raised for such purposes it should be devoted to all the children rather than to individuals.

Mr Smith said he thought prizes should still be given for diligence. Mr White said that with almost the whole of the irleas behind the remarks of Messrs McClune and Lyall he agreed, but he failed to see the connection of those remarks with the question of prize-giving. Mr Young mentioned the sentimental value of prizes. In manhood days school prizes brought back recollections of old school days and comrades. He thought that if a scheme could be devised for a better distribution of prizes it might keep things going. After a little further discussion of an informal nature the conference broke up. Late entries for the Hawera Winter Show will be received up to tomorrow by the secretary, Mr L. 0. Hooker, P.O. box 79, Hawera.