SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1924, Page 8

SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

AMALGAMATION PROPOSALS HIGH SCHOOL SUtTORT. BETTER TRAINING POSSIBLE.

Why the Board of Governors of the New Plymouth High Schools is supporting the proposed ama.ganiation of the boys’ and girls’ schools and the New Plymouth Technical College was explained by Mr. H. R. Billing (chairman of the Board of Governors) at the annual breaking-uip ceremony of the New Plymouth Boys’ High School laet u:ght. *‘lt is a movement which das t*e support of the board for tic r-ae.'u that the members of the ooard have come to the conclusion that it will be a good thing for the town,” Mr. Billing said. At the present time there was a great need for broad and general education, and for facilities for the boys to learn various subjects or various handicrafts, which would assist in their future life, he continued. At the school they had certain facilities but there was a great deal wanting in the way of engineering and other classes, and he was sure that the new scheme, provided tuey obtained the necessary buildings, would be an excellent one. DEVELOPING BOYS’ TENDENCIES. Mr. Billing added that this was the view of the Education Department, of the board and of Mr. W. H. Moyes (principal). They had been in hopes that the amalgamation would be an accomplished fact by the beginning of next year, but that seemed impossible now. The board hoped, however, to have the plans of the new buildings settled and the work undertaken so that the scheme would mature at an early date.

The attitude of the Education Department was touched on by Dr. E. Marsden, Assistant Director of Education, in the course of his remarks later in the evening. Boys could not all Lye trained alike, Dr. Marsden said. It was no use taking a boy who was stone deaf and trying to teach him music. While it was necessary to train all the boys along certain fundamental Lines, yet it was clearly necessary that they should find out and develop each boy’s particular tendencies and capabilities. That was the why the department wished to amalgamate the high and technical schools. The department wanted to give the boys an all round education so that they would have the opportunity of finding the career for which they were best fitted. JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.

This was also one of the reasons why the department favoured the junior high school system. They wanted to bring the boys into touch as early as .possible with the careers towards which they were inclined, so that each boy could make up his mind what to work towards. One of the greatest principles of the system was the explanatory idea bf finding out what a boy was best fitted for, and in finding this, the teaching of handicrafts in &, cultural manner played a big part. Any subject taught in an inspiring way. he said, had a cultural value. He wished those present could see the junior high school at Kowhai. They would see boys engaging in metal work in a cultural way, and they would see that because of this those boys were doing better in their other work.