EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19366, 24 July 1925, Page 5

EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND

THE YEAR’S RECORD. PROGRESS AND CONDITIONS. SUCCESS OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS. (By TelcgraphA (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, July 23. Sir Jas. Parr’s report on the progress and conditions of education in Now Zealand during 1924 was tabled, in tho House to-day. Referring to junior High schools, the establishment of which was authorised by last year's legislation, the report says: It will thus be seen that tho tour Junior High Schools now established are of entirely different types. Possibly only two additional types of the school need to be provided to complete a series which, by duplication, would meet the needs of the whole Dominion if the system bo fully applied. Of the other two typed one would be somewhat similar to a Junior High School in that its pupils would be, collected from the fifth and sixth standards of a number of small schools in an area where at present not even a District High School can be established though such a school could not be as fully equipped and staffed al the Junior High School proper; thd arrangement would be distinctly beneficial to tho pupils and in any casfl would be necessary so that on the complete adoption of the scheme for pupils above the age of twelve these children would all be engaged in a similat course of work and could, if they changed their place of residence or i( they transferred to a higher school after completing the primary stage, ba able to proceed with their studies on the same, footing as all other pupils where the Junior High School system had been established under ordinary conditons. In addition, there would suit remain many very small and scattered schools whose pupils, after reaching the age of twelve, could not be conveniently conveyed to any central school for the purpose of combined instruction in a modified Junior High. School course. As the instruction o£

senior pupils in these small schools is practically individual instruction the teacher would need to provide the necessary course of study for pupils. There is no need for experiment regarding the value of the Junior High School principle itself. That stage is passed. The testimony of other countries as well as our own experience sufficiently establish the validity of the principle. Wo are now trying out different methods of applying the principle to the varying sets of condition! to be found in the different, districts of New Zealand and the results already obtained are. distinctly encouraging. SECONDARY AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS. Tho amalgamation of Secondary and Technical Schools is thus referred tos Tn several centres in New Zealand the Secondary and Technical School Boards concerned have approved of the principle of amalgamation and the matter is being discussed in other centres. In the Amending Act of 1924 statutoryprovision was made for carrying into effect amalgamations of the kind referred to wherever the local authorities agree to the proposal. THE YEAR’S COST. • Tho total expenditure on education amounted to £3,723,000 against £3,350,UOO .for the previous year. Considerable progress had been made in adding to existing schools and building new ones. Approval had been given for the erection of open air rooms in connection with four or five schools and it was expected that shortly a complete school of four or five rooms would be built on the new plan in two centres. The idea of consolidating small schools had been put into prac-

The number of university students increased from 4202 in 1923 to 4236 in 1924.