CULTURAL EDUCATION

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3756, 15 May 1936, Page 6

CULTURAL EDUCATION

FAR REACHING PROPOSALS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS. TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE APPROVES. In accordance with his promise, Mr F. Milner, principal of the Waitaki Boys’ High School, submitted a number of remits aiming at revision of the curriculum for secondary schools at the annual conference of the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Association on Wednesday. They were as follows:1. That in view of the proved necessity for adjusting the secondary school curriculum to meet individual differences, while retaining the elements of liberal education, drastic revision is necessary. 2. That the curriculum has adhered too long to traditional valuations, has dlstegarded the findings of educational psychology as regards subject isolation and the transfer of subject values, and has lost touch with the realities of modern life, and especially with the changing needs of our society.

3. That the curriculum, througli prescriptive deference to external examinations, and to false valuations thereby engendered of foreign languages and mathematics, fails entirely to interpret social studies as a preparation for citizenship, sectionalises where it should integrate science, and neglects the rich cultural content of tlie province of art. It fails culpably on the creative, artistic and physical sides.

4. That the curriculum should contain a cultural core, consisting of English, social studies, general science, health, handwork, art and arithmetic, and that all other subjects should be relegated'to the sphere of pre-vocational options to be taken in accordance with individual needs and interests. 5. That the matriculation examinetion so far as it affects secondary schools should be abolished, and that contingent upon the provision of satisfactory - humanistic culture each school should be free to draw up its own curriculum, and organise its own courses to suit its special needs. The remits were submitted singly, and evoked lengthy discussion, but eventually all were adopted by the conference.

When some delegates suggested that care should be taken before submitting themselves to such revolutionary proposals, Mr P. MartinSmith, hon. secretary of the association, said that one delegate had remarked that educational practice was always a little behind social progress, but all knew it was a fact that in this country education practice was 100 years behind the times. Mr Miller’s proposals were only aiming at an ideal, and the conference should take its courage in both hahds and go boldly for what all knew was badly wanted.

Mr W. A. Armour, headmaster of Wellington Boys’ College, was afraid that under Mr Milner’s proposals they would have different standards of examinations in many centres. It was desirable that there should be uniformity in the standard of examinations.

After Mr Milner had replied to the points raised, the remits were all passed.