AVOIDING MISFITS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 28, 3 February 1938, Page 5

AVOIDING MISFITS

. VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE ; ,1 N.S.W. SCHOOL PLAN .... SYDNEY, Jan. 23. A complete vocational guidance scheme aiding scnool children to decide early on their future is planned by the New South Wales Education Department. The Scheme Involves Special examination of all children in the fifth classes in primary schools. Personal record of each child for the guidance of secondary school teachers. Appointment of district and school “councillors” to direct the work of individual children along the best lines. Individual contact with parents where home conditions may bear on school work. Complete survey of employment prospects to advise children or parents upon most profitable study. No attempt to place children in work after they have finished their schooling is contemplated. This function is to be left with the Labour and Industry Department. The scheme is now being drawn up following experiments in the Canter-bury-Bankstown area, at Gosford, and at Goulburn. These experiments have convinced the department and the Minister (Mr. Drummond) of the great scope for early vocational guidance. Children in the lifth year primary school classes will first be examined in groups of about 40. They will be given special intelligence tests. These tests will indicate individuals who require further examination.

Personal Record. Result of these tests and examinations will be that each child will have an individual record. This record will be added to through the remainder of the school period. Each child will be advised whether to sit for high, intermediate high, technical or domestic science schools in their qualifying certificate examinations. Where necessary they will be advised to repeat fifth or sixth year in the primary schools. This work will be supervised by the district councillors, specially chosen. When they reach the secondary schools, the children will find school councillors who will advise both children and teachers upon the work of individual students. Misfits Avoided Many thousands of misfits both in secondary schools and in after life will be avoided by this scheme, it is anticipated. In fifth year classes in primary schools in New South Wales are about 48,000 children. To apply this scheme to all will be a huge task, undertaken gradually. Already in Bankstown-Canterbury area, out of a school population of 50,000, 10,000 fifth-year boys and girls have been tested. District councillors are already working in that area. School councillors have been appointed at Fort-street Boys’ High, Sydney Boys’ High, Sydney Girls’ High, St. George Girls’ High, Canterbury Boys’ High, and Goulburn High Schools. A special officer, known as a “Welfare Officer,” has also been appointed to Sydney Technical College. His function is to guide students in choice of subjects. A similar appointment is contemplated at Newcastle.