POST PRIMARY EDUCATION

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1926, Page 11

POST PRIMARY EDUCATION

SCHOOLS IN NEW PLYMOUTH NEW SYSTEM TO REPLACE OLD. WHAT COURSE WILL PUPILS TAKE? PARENTS CALLED UPON TO CHOOSE Thia week will witness the passing away of the existing system of secondary education in New Plymouth preparatory to the new scheme with two schools instead of three that will come into operation next year. The Technical College as a separate institution loses its identity when it breaks up to-inorrow evening, and next year all boys undertaking secondary education in New Plymouth will attend the Boys’ High School, and all girls the Girls’ High School. In reality the classes requiring instruction in technical work will continue to be taught in the present Technical College building, but it is intended that in time all work will be carried on in the buildings of the two high schools. For the increased attendance of boys and girls that will naturally result at the high schools next year, provision has already been made at the ' boys’ school by the erection of the new block of buildings facing Avenue Road, and is being made at the girls’ school by the block of buildings at present in course of erection there. It only remains now for the respective heads of the schools to complete the tremendous task of organising the classes, timetable and curriculum, and the scheme will be under trial. ABOLISHING TWO EVILS. It is considered that the composite high ' schools will abolish at leagt two of the chief faults of the present system. In the first place the overlapping arising from the carrying on of similar work in both high and technical schools will no longer exist. Secondly, and most important of all, an attempt will be made to guide boys and girls into the work for which they are best suited. It is generally agreed, for instance, that a large percentage of boys who during the last few years have taken a professional course at the high school have in reality wasted a great deal of their time for the reason that their aptitude was for manual work, or work of a vocational natufe. Keeping pace with the more and more confirmed opinion that boys and girls should be carefully drafted into the work in life for which they are suited, and that the course of work at secondary schools should be of such a nature as would be most useful in preparing them for this life work, the Education Department is modelling its examinations to meet the recognised needs of to-day. Conditions for the Public Service entrance examination, for example, have recently been drastically altered so that a boy entering the public service need not go through a course of instruction that would not be useful to him afterwards. CIRCULARS TO PARENTS. With the object of explaining the position to parents, circulars are being issued from the two high schools, and will probably reach most of their destinations to-day. The circular from the boys’ school states, inter alia:—

“The proposed amalgamation of postprimary schools in New Plymouth will come into operation at the beginning of next year. A composite high school will offer facilities for courses of work in a wide variety of subjects in an endeavour to suit the varying aptitudes of the child. We take this opportunity of bringing to your notice the various courses in order that you may study and fully consider them before enrolling your son. ■‘The curriculum will provide for two main courses of work: (a) The professional; (b) the vocational. The professional course is for those pupils whose aim it is to sit for the Public Senice Entrance, Matriculation, or allied examinations with a view to becoming undergraduates of the university. It contains the following subdivisions:— A. (1) For those wishing to take Solicitor’s General Knowledge Examination. Subjects: English, Latin, mathematics, history and eivies, physical science, chemistry, woodwork and metalwork, geography. (Boys can take French and Latin by omitting woodwork, metalwork and geography). A. (2} For those wishing to take engineering preliminary or matriculation with a view to taking up professional work in science: English, mathematics, French, drawing, history and civics, physical science, chemistry, electricitx and magnetism, woodwork and metalwork.

A. (3) For those wishing to take medical or dental preliminary: English, Latin, French, mathematics, history and eivies, physical science, chemistry. (These boys will take French in place of woodwork and geography). A. (4) For those wishing to sit for Public Service Entrance or accountancy preliminary: English, mathematics, geography, history and civics, physical science and chemistry, woodwork and metalwork, book-keeping, French. THE VOCATIONAL COURSE. The vocational course is for those pupils whose aim it is to enter a commercial or industrial occupation, after leaving a secondary school, and provides a sound training in the principles of tiieso occupations. If continued for three years it will enable pupils to sit for Public Service Entrance, City and Guilds of Lonton, in carpentry auJ joinery, engineering (mechanical, electrical and motor car). The course is sub-divided as follows: B (1) For those who wish to follow farming as an occupation: English, alternative mathematics and mensuration, history and eivics, agriculture and dairy science, physical science, magnetism a;pl electricity, woodwork and metalwork, book keeping. Internal combustion engines (in second and third years). B. (2) For those who wish to enter any branch of engineering: English, history and civics, alternative mathematics and ' mensuration, physical science, magnetism aud electricity, applied mechanics, steam, free, geometrical and mechanical drawing, workshop practice. In second and third years: Electrical Engineering. motor car engineering, (workshop theory, pattern making.

B. (3) For those who wish to enter any of the allied building trades: English, history and civics, physical science, magnetism and electricity, applied mechanics, freehand and geometrical drawing, building construction, bookkeeping, woodwork and metalwork. B. (4) For those who will take up clerical work, but not to university stage: English, history and eivics, geography, alternative mathematics, book-keeping, physical science, woodwork.

COURSES FOR GIRLS. The circular from the girls’ school states: — The courses to be taken at the girls’ composite high school are set out below. Parents are urged to make a careful study of these before eurfilling their children. There will be four courses which may he followed Professional. —English, French. Latin, history, geography, mathematics, science (needlework or cooking for the first two years).. This course is intended to fill the net Is of those girls who wish for a professional career, and whose purpose it is to matriculate and later cuter a university life. Commercial.—English, French, history, geography, arithmetic, home science, drawing, hygiene and first aid, needlework or cooking, book-keeping, shorthand, typing. This course is designed to fit girls for entrance to the Public Service, to become Government short-hand-typists or to do office work. General. —English, French, history, geography, arithmetic, home science, drawing, needlework. The general course may lead, if desired, to matriculation, and bo taken by those who have no aptitude for mathematics. It also serves those who wish later to become probationers or pupil teachers. Domestic. —English, French, history, geography, drawing, hygiene and first aid, home science, needlework, millinery, craft and cooking. Girls who intend to spend their lives at home or who wish to become dressmakers or milliners are advised to take this . course. All girls are advised to enter for one of the above full courses, but for those who will be staying for a shorter period (say, two years) in either the commercial or domestic course, French will be optional. In place of French more practical work will be taken. Free Places are provided for those who hold Junior National or other scholarship, proficiency, endorsed competency, or being over 14 years of age and recommended by an inspector. Free railway passes to all free place holders. If parents are uncertain as to the eligibility of their girls for a free place, application should be made to the headmistress or to the Director of Technical Education. MISS ALLEN'S OBSERVATIONS. The change in the system to be brought about next year was touched on by the headmistress of the girls’ school (Miss D. N. Allan) in the course of her report at the school breaking-up ceremony last night. In the course of her address shrr'said: “The departmental scheme of amalgamating the Technical School with our own is one which should affect the future of our whole town. There always exists a certain freemasonry among those who are old school fellows. If a divided house cannot stand, how strong should be the unity of a single school? Thia amalgamation gives to us a unique opportunity of fostering in the youth of New Plymouth a spirit of unity, of solidarity, of civic pride', and civic responsibility. Its possibilities are many; its increased number of buildings, its equipment for the teaching of art, of science, cooking, sewing, dressmaking, commerce, must reaot favourably on the work of our own school.

“Until now Qie high schools have prided themselves largely on the excellence of the education they give, on their preparation of students and scholars, in short on their professional training. The technical schools on their side have taken equal pride in the excellence of their vocational training for the practical side of life. Because we were two, there has grown up division between us, each having a slrained belief in the excellence of her own system and the weakness of the other. Now we have the chance to know each other, to learn that good brains are needed for and found in commerce, business, trade, home life, as well as in the professions. We ean break down our watertight compartments, can take the good of both systems aud combine into one rounded whole.” The working of secondary education under the new system will be followed with the keenest interest by educational authorities all over New Zealand. A similar amalgamation scheme is being contemplated in more than one town. Headmasters of several important secondary schools have intimated that they will follow closely the developments in secondary education in New Plymouth next year. And those responsible for the change have expressed theiwpelves'as confident that the scheme must succeed, especially under the control of the present headmaster, headmistress and director of Technical education.