EDUCATION POLICY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18785, 19 May 1923, Page 5

EDUCATION POLICY

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER SYSTEM MUST BE MODERNISED SOME INTERESTING VIEWS. A statement of interest to all concerned in the work of the Dominion’s educational insti- 1 tutions was made by the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, in an address delivered yesterday to the conference of secondary school teachers. [Per Press Association 1 WELLINGTON, May 18. The Hon. Parr, Minister of Education, addressing the Conference of the Secondary Scii Nils’ Association, said he had liad the an fortunate experience of deputations throughout the morning, who all wanted more money. Fortunately he had a fellow sufferer in the person of the Premier. The demands inX eluded £7O,(M.K) lor the Girls’ College and the Technical College wanted £50,000, quite small ameunts. The truth was that New .’Zealand liad succeeded to a heritage of past neglect. Up till now there had not been sufficient money available, and now there was a passion for education everyone wanted new schools. He had, in some three years, spent £4-34,000 on buildings, as against £90,000 to £lOO,OOO in past years. Referring to ihe past three years of secondary education in retrospect, he •said they had made progress and mast not forget it. The conditions were simply chaotic three years ago There were 33 or 34 boards then, run on the capitation fund. There had been a classification which, to a great extent, remedied the results of the illiterate whims of the boards. They might not be satisfied with the classification, but it was much better Emoluments had increased by £21.) in the case of male principals and £145 in the case of women. Since 1914 male assistants’ salaries had increased by 59 per cent., and those of women by more than this. On these figures ho could claim some progress in the past three years. He notied that they had been attacking matriculation and other examinations, and he was largely in accord with them in their desire for fewer examinations. He agreed that the Senate should not be allowed to dictate by its examination what the curriculum of the secondary schools should Im?. To permit this was not m t-h<* interests ol secondary education There was something wider and bigger in -secondary education than the matriculation examination, and it was a matter of question as to how long the Department and the Minister would allow post-primary education to be • overshadowed by this state of affairs. ! ihe Senate 1 of the University was someI what obdurate in the matter. He had occasionally to meet people who stroug- | ly objected to free secondary education. | and when finances were difficult it was not unfashionable for the man in the street to attack the education vote. He was not, however, in sympathy with criticism of expenditure on secondary education. The time liad gone by when a Sixth Standard certificate was sufficient. The adoption of the present form of secondary education was, perhaps, a mistake made years ago. Sooner oi later there must bo a more scientific system. They must get the child earlier than they did now from the edeearlier than they did now from the elementary school. By twelve a child should have beein sufficiently long in the elementary school, and then, according to how long ho was going to remain at school, he must be sorted into different types of post-primary sc hoods. At this stage there must be a try-out. Most children would leave by the age of fifteen years, and they should not then be abandoned, but carried on to part-time schools, if they were going to get good citizens in this country. From fifteen to nineteen was the proper age for high schools to function. There were many who should not go to a high school; their natural aptitudes were not suited to high schools, and the schools did not have time to do anything with them. The problem was to work out a system of education that would cater for the aptitude of the pupil. He concluded by expressing his aid the country’s appreciation of the conscientious work done in the high schools. They were deserving of tint tribute more than was realised. These schools were fashioning I future citizens and were doing it well. (Applause).