THE INTERMEDIATE AND TECHNICAL SCHOOL

Te Ao Hou, June 1959, Page 43

THE INTERMEDIATE AND TECHNICAL SCHOOL After the children complete Standard 4 they have a choice of going to an intermediate school for another three years or continuing at the primary school for another two years. The aim of the intermediate school is “to provide a period of expansive, realistic and socially integrative education that will give all future citizens a common basis of experience and knowledge.” It is designed to introduce all children gradually and sympathetically to the world of industry, commerce and

the professions; and to help each child to a rational choice of future school course or occupation based on knowledge of his own aptitudes and interests and on the nature of the work involved. However there are only a few Maoris who use the advantage offered by the intermediate school, not because they do not see the value in it but because it is more convenient to continue in the primary school. There is only one known Maori teacher in these schools in Auckland. Her actual teaching does not include Maori culture. From intermediate schools or primary schools a Maori child has the choice of going to a post-primary school or a technical school of which the post-primary schools figure the most prominently as far as numbers are concerned. Technical schools were first established about 40 years ago partly as a result of the failure of the secondary schools to provide adequately for a short-course and non-academic pupil. These schools tend to serve those who will eventually find work in non-professional fields, though they offer advanced technological courses in their evening classes. There are no official figures regarding Maori children in these schools, but there are quite a few.