SURVEY OF THE SCHOOLS

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1930, Page 6

SURVEY OF THE SCHOOLS

TARANAKI WORK COMMENDED READING AND SPELLING RESULTS. r GIRLS ARE THE BETTER-WRITERS. The intelligence survey undertaken in the schools of Taranaki last year was again most favourably commented on the meeting of the Taranaki Education Board yesterday. The action of the teachers in carrying out such a big work was commended. The subject was raised upon the presentation of a report by Messrs. J. A. Valentine and H. Dempsey on the preliminary account of the survey previously placed before the board by Mr. N; R. McKenzie, senior inspector. “The chief conclusion;” said yesterday’s- report, “is that our New Zealand children develop at a different rate from the children of London. Western Canada and the United States. Our children up to 11 -years of age are younger for their age. They remain ■babies longer, but after that they develop more rapidly than children of a corresponding age in the northern hemisphere. This conclusion agrees with the observations made by Mr. Valentine when visiting schools in London in 1928. iThe living conditions and the environment of our pupils seem to be factors in producing these results and we agree that these facts in development should be taken into consideration when our education system is revised. “This-survey is probably the most important yet conducted in New Zealand, and it is a matter for congratulation that so useful a report has its origin in our district. It reflects credit on the 'teachers that they should have made of their own initiative a request for such a survey, and that they should have ■examined so thoroughly the tests workid hy the pupils. “It is well known that one of the chief weaknesses of our system is that •most of the young teachers who each year, embark on their course in our schools have no sure standard whereby they may measure up their work. This survey, wisely used, may provide them with "such a standard, to the lasting benefit of their pupils and themselves. Less wasteful effort should hereafter be made in our schools, for teachers are given a means of ascertaining why certain types of .pupils show certain recurring weaknesses year..; hr. and year put In theUjWork'jn.. : sehbql MO w’. p, . . .. ♦ .»,1

“The test is a general one, easily and quickly carried out, whereby comparisons may be made between pupils of the same class and leading up step by step till even different countries and races may be compared. It will enable teachers to concentrate their efforts on those in their class who are weak in any subject and give opportunity to those more advanced to escape the drudgery of marking time while their weak companions arc being brought up to the required standard. It will enable them to measure the work of their pupils in comparison with an approved normal standard so that they will be judges of their own- efficiency. It should have the effect on the teachers generally of creating in them a more intelligent interest in'their work, with a corresponding benefit to those whom they are instructing. CONCERNING MAORI CHILDREN. “We were much interested in the conclusions reached concerning the Maori children attending bur schools. The report declares that when the language difficulty is taken into account the Maori is 'the intellectual equal of the European. In writing, spelling and mechanical arithmetic, the Maori child is generally superior’ to his pakeha brother. Generally, too, the Maori children reach Std. VI. with less schooling than do the white children. For example, the average Maori boy reaches Std. VI. after he has been 7| years at school, whereas the average white boy takes eight years to reach that class. “The report establishes an educational principle of the highest value, for it concentrates attention on each pupil, and regards him as an individual, and not merely as one of a crowd. Therefore, this survey may well be part of a pioneer movement in education in New Zealand, and it should tend to increase the pressure for small classes so that each individual pupil may be fairly and fully treated in our efforts to secure for him the soundest and completes! mental development. “The report reveals interesting discoveries in connection wit;, the more important subjects of the curriculum. In reading, our pupils read too slowly, but they understand well what they read. Usually the faster readers are best in comprehension of what they read. Wide reading is almost universal in Taranaki. In Form 2 (Std.Vl.) the average number of books read in a year is 57.- In spelling, ■ the results are interesting. Our Taranaki pupils spell considerably better than do rural New York children, hut not so well as -do the children in British Columbia. It would seem that there is in Taranaki need for such systematic and skilful teaching as is found in. British Columbia schools. ’ “The survey establishes one strikingfact, that - accurate .- .spelling .i depends' »wj "li.-m- : er.i'i.' ■><

mainly on mental maturity. It Is established also that some of the teachers spend too much time over spelling. This applies probably to mere testing, but not to the teaching of spelling. In writting, the girls invariably beat the boys, hut writing is, on the whole, of satisfactory quality. But our pupils seem to write too slowly. • One standard of attainment declares that the ordinary Std. VI. pupil should average.-. 80 letters per minute, but our Std. VI. pupils reach only 59 letters a minute. It would appear that-too much time is devoted to teaching writing, and that insufficient properly supervised practice is given.

“In arithmetic, interesting results were shown. Invariably the girls score better than the boys in the mechanical operations, but the boys beat the girls in reasoning processes. In this subject the younger children do not reach the standard attained by the London ot American children of corresponding age. The survey goes to show that as a rule arithmetic is better taught in the larger schools where there is a teacher to each class. This is an argument in favour of the consolidation of smaller schools. “The answers to the questionnaire submitted to the pupils and the teachers revealed some interesting facts. One of the most suggestive deals with agriculture. Of ‘Std. VI. pupils living on farms 259 boys and 234 girls, 493 in all, were asked if they wished to remain on the. farms. Of these, 147 boys and 128 girls, or a total of 275, answered ‘yes.’ Very I few children select agriculture as their | favourite school subject. The survey I states that changes of school have no | apparent influence on the progress of the children.

“One striking statement in the report is that the survey tends to show the futility of beginning formal instruction at too early an age. In other words, we expect "too much from the pupils that enter school at five years of age. It is found that the majority of pupils made just as rapid progress if they do not begin school till -they are six. years old.”

Though no request had been made by the teachers’ institute, the report recommended the board to show its appreciation of the efforts made b making a.-con-tribution towards printing the results of the survey.

It was decided to await advice of what the cost would bo before 'making a decision in this direction.

In connection with that dart, of the questionnaire that inquired tne children’s favourite subjects, Mr. Lei?,s suggested that in any future survey ;the teachers themselves should be asked to state their favourite subjects. The predilections of the children might be affected y the attitude of their teachers towards particular 'subjects, said ;Mr. Lees.