“PLUS ELEVEN” SYSTEM

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1930, Page 8

“PLUS ELEVEN” SYSTEM

education reform scheme CONSOLIDATION PROPOSALS. RESULTS OF DIRECTOR’S TOUR. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The opinion that in certain cases the primary school course can even now be concluded at the age of 11, or after the pupil has passed Standard 4, has been lormed by the Director of Education, Mr. T. B. Strong, who has returned to Wellington after a tour of every education district in the South Island, accompanied, by Mr. A. Bell, as-sistant-director. Mr. Strong undertook the tour with the object of investigating the possibility of putting into effect certain recommendations of the recess committee on education, and he is to draw up a report on the findings for presentation to the Minister. One of the questions receiving immediate attention relates to the introduction of the “eleven plus” system, under which a primary school pupil will pass into a secondary school at, the age of ]]. or after passing standard 4. This means that the present Forms 1 and 2, formerly known as standards 5 and G. would no longer be part of the primary school. They would be incorporated in the secondary school, an advantage claimed for this system being ; that there would not occur a break ill the instruction which is liable to hinder real progress under present usage. Of recent years shell subjects as French, Latin and Algebra have beefi taught by some primary schools in classes which would in former times not have been undertaken until the pupil had reached secondary school status. The objection to this method has been that Forms 1 and 2 in the primary school-are not'sufficiently linked'with'the secondary school 60 as to provide continuity of instruction and teaching interest, and it is claimed that the introduction of' the “eleven plus” system would give this continuity in fa- greater measure. Discussing the subject to-day, Mr. Strong said he was of the opinion that the system could br introduced in some districts he visited, where it would involve little or no extra cost. ■ . Inquiry is also being/made into the question” of consolidating schools in country districts and Mr. Strong said he had found that many districts visited were keen to bring about a form of consolidation as outlined in the committee’s report. Under the present system one teacher in a country school nfight be controlling and teaching eight, classes- from the primers to standard 6. If as under the consolidation scheme the surrounding schools were abolished a I the available teaching power marshalled, ’ the one school remaining to serve the district would be conducted alone the lines of a city institution with” resultant benefit to the pupils arising from the ability of the teachers to give more time to particular classes.