Home Assignments Will Be Sent To Wanganui Pupils

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 January 1948, Page 4

Home Assignments Will Be Sent To Wanganui Pupils

Arrangements made for the instruction of school children in the event of schools not opening on February 10 were conveyed at yesterday's meeting of the Wanganui Education Board in a circular from the Education Department. The circular gave information regarding the instruction by correspondence and added that the National Broadcasting Service would give a certain amount of instruction over the air. The circular AdcCd t:’.at the booklets would be distributed by the teachers who would return to duty on the ordinary date. The lessons will be issued in eight booklets, one for each class from primer 3 to form 2, but so far the board has received supplies of the form 3 booklet only. "The first two assignments for the correspondence school for each class are at present being printed,” stated the circular. “The assignments have been slightly amended by representatives of the New Zealand Educational Institute and are intended to give a foundation for at least two months' work by correspondence. It is no(* intended to bind schools to the use of these assignments, but it is felt that they may be useful to teachers in building up programmes to fit their own particular schemes.” “The success of the correspondence lessons would depend on the cooperation of parents,” said Mr. N. Bromiley. The senior inspector of schools, Mr. H. G. Johnstqp, said he agreed with Mr. Bromiley about the importance of parental co-operation and considered that in most cases the co-operation would be forthcoming. The assignments were so constructed that the minimum of assistance would be required above the primer classes and the average pupil would be able to cope with the lessons without difficulty. The material supplied was very worthwhile. Mr. Johnston said that the correspondence schools did a very good job, pait.cuiarly if the co-operation of parents was received. He had visited the schools on several occasion! and had found that the work done in some aspects of the primary curriculum was really excellent. However, * there would no doubt he problems of distributing and collecting the assignments. The radio broadcast section of the work was really only a small part of the programme which even suggested a timetable for the', pupils to work to. Mr. W. F. Johnston (Raurimu) suggested that as teachers would be returning to their schools next week from Auckland and other infected areas, the Education Board should not open schools for at least 14 days after their return. This was the incubation period of the virus. The chairman, Mr. W. B. Tennant, said that the matter was really ona for decision by the Health Department.