The Timaru Herald TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1929. EDUCATION IN ENGLAND.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18200, 26 February 1929, Page 8

The Timaru Herald TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1929. EDUCATION IN ENGLAND.

Returning’ to New Zealand a few days ago, the senioi inspector of primary schools in Auckland eoale.-ised that after examining the ettucalion system of New South Wales, tie was satisfied that New /.ealaiid ottered more libex al facilities for secondary education than were made available ill the senior State of Australia. It was shown that whereas in New Zealand the entrance examination is mildly qualitative, pupils going’ forward to secondary education in NcwSoutli Wales had to win their spurs in a somewhat difficult competitive examination, and only the successful ones go forward. New Zealand offers, as we have repeatedly pointed out, fiee secondary education to every bov and every girl who qualifies by passing' the proficiency examination, which to say the least, has become less exacting in recent years; indeed there is a glowing agitation in New Zealand, supported by the teaching’ profession, in favour of abolishing the proficiency examination and making entrance to secondary education merely subject to the recommendation of head teachers. Even under the present conditions wo do not believe there is another country within the Biitisli Empire which provides such liberal facilities for secondary education as New Zealand. The point we have always stressed is that this country should not he guided by other countries when the difficult problem of post-primary education is examined. Very much to the point, is the warning contained in the report of the Consultative Committee under the chairmanship of Sir W. Hadow. appointed by the Board of Education to examine the problem of the education of the adolescent. The report says that “a country must solve its educational problems in accordance with its own traditions and circumstances, and even were the experiences available for comparison more complete than it is, it would supply suggestions to be pondered rather than an example to be imitated.” New Zealand then, should evolve a system of education which will meet its' peculiar needs. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note the educational progress in other countries. A British Official Wireless message published this morning reports that the President of the Board of Education (Lord Eustace Percy) has issued figures which indicate the progress made in British State schools during the last five years. In 1928 there were 393,000 full time pupils in secondary schools in England and Wales, as compared with 358,000 at the corresponding rate in 1923. In secondary schools the average number of pupils per teacher was 29.7 in 1927 to 1928, compared with 31.4 in 1922 to 1923. These figures are very significant, and if the education authorities in New Zealand will closely examine Sir Eustace Percy’s report they will very soon discover the reason for the establishment of central schools in the metropolitan centres of England. The Hadow Committee, as will be noted by the order of reference, was invited to consider and report upon the organisation, objective, and curriculum of courses of study suitable to children who will remain in full-time attendance at schools other than secondary schools up to the age of 15; in other words, the Hadow Committee, contemplating the raising- of the compulsory school age to 15, was faced with the big problem of providing for the huge mass of children who are educationally stranded at the end of the elementary school course. In England and Wales, “300,000 pupils,” says “The Next Step in National Education,” are completely lost to the education system when they reach the age of 14, and an additional 220,000 when they reach the age of 15. If we assume that only full-time education in the daytime can give children of these ages t.lieir full opportunity of development, and yield a maximum of benefit to the nation, we find that in England and Wales 420,000 lose this opportunity at 14, and another 190,000 at. 15. Uultimately, both these age groups, as is already the ease in many parts of Canada and the United States of America, must be brought into the day school, if Britain is to supply the groundwork of education that is now increasingly regarded as necessary in civilised communities, and this will involve an increase of over 1,000,000 in the day school population.” Contrast this state of affairs with the education provision in New Zealand, where a free place in a secondary or technical high school is offered every hoy and every girl who can satisfy a qualifying- examination. Some time ago the new Minister of Education pointed to the number of' junior high schools already provided in London, but he omitted to say that these institutions are really central schools, without any relation to the secondary or high

schools, and are really finishing schools for children going forward from the elementary schools who leave at 15 years of age. New Zealand, on the other hand, has no need for intermediate schools since the organisation is already in existence in this country—but it does not in England—for 1 the hoy or girl to progress without a break right thiough the system of education from the infant classes to the gates of the University. The

figures issued by the I’residexit of aie Board of Education show how Utile progress is being made in England in the provision of additional accommodation for secondary education, and liow pressing still is the need for more schools, even it these are more or less makeshifts lor the real secondary school, to provide postjvrmary education for the Hundreds of thousands of English and Welsh boys and girls who aie at present, educationally stranded at the close of then elementary school career. The leal solution, however, has been put into operation in Scotl and, which in this respect is very much ahead of England and Wales in the provision of suitable education tor the adolescent.