EDUCATION IN N.Z.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XX, Issue 6508, 29 April 1922, Page 2

EDUCATION IN N.Z.

REORGANISATION ADVOCATED

POST-PRIMARY FAULTS

SUBJECTS FOR CONFERENCE

In an interview accorded to the Wellington Times representative, Mr. John IT. Howell, Director of the Technical College, discussed the matter of post-primary education in New Zealand in its relation to that of other countries.

AHEAD OF AUSTRALIA—BIT

"We are ahead of Australia,” he said, ‘‘in our educational system, inasmuch a« wo have had a public secondary system for between 30 and TO years, while the Australian public secondary system is, domp-arativoly, of recent growth, being only about eight, years old. The one great advantage of tho Dominion's secondary system is that it is free to all who are believed to bo capable of profiting by it. The secondary systems of England, Scotland, and most of the other European countries, while in many respect better than ours, are not free. The proposals, now before the Dominion’s Education Department, deal with the bringing of our system into line with the best thought and practice of to-day, making it both free and good.

■‘Though our own system is free,'’ continued Mr Howell. ; ‘it certainly has not been based upon sound principles. There is no attempt made to start languages or mathematics until too late for such teaching to he o( any real benefit, whereas not a single European country but commences those studies before the age of I‘2 years,*

PRIMARY TO SECONDARY WORK

“Would you credit,” asked Mr Howell. “that the great majority of New Zealanders leave school finally without knowing anything of Greek or Roman history. In America pupils used to remain in primary schools until LI years of age. and then were removedl to a high .school course for the next four years. As the result, however, of a recent Commission appointed to inquire into secondary education, the American primary course is now terminated at 12, the pupil's then going into high school to make an earlier start with secondary work. “In New Zealand it is high time that the system of education should, he reorganised for it is fully fifty years since it lias been touched as regards its proper basis. With a. view to iteffective reorganisation, the department is circulating a summary of the proceedings at the recent conference, so that, at the coming conference m May, the suggestion of the various educational bodies may ho obtained!.

PROPOSED SYSTEM CONDEMNED

'lt should bo obvious,” said Mr. Howell in conclusion ’“that if, in the

larger centres, all pupils have fo go through the separate junior high school's for throe years—that is, mild the majority are between fifteen and s,xteen—very many will be lost to further full-time education, and the condition of things will lie even worse than at present. As a matter of fact, the system proposed, as the result of Iho recent conference, is really a combination of the Scottish and American systems, hut without the good points of either.

“In regard to classics amf the more ancient histories, it i s rather deplorable that more effort i,s not, being made to inculcate in the pupils a hotter knowledge of these most important subjects.

“Wo aro living in a practical ago of course,” added Mr Howell, earnestly.

“but there i.s such a thing as being too practical and mlrutter-ol’-fact. Ignorance of at least a smattering of Greek and Latin i s a i-cal handicap to the thoughtful and intelligent student, for upon these two languages is based so much of the languages, .sciences and nrt s of to-day.’’