AIMS OF POSTPRIMARY SCHOOLING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 16, Issue 33, 15 December 1950, Page 4

AIMS OF POSTPRIMARY SCHOOLING

HEADMASTER SETS OUT HIS IDEALS

Aims of post-primary education, as outlined at the Whakatane High School break-up last night by the principal, Mr I. McHarg, are:— Assist in the training of character and help the pupils to form a basic philosophy of life and ideals of service founded on the highest principles. Teach pupils to think for themselves to express their thoughts in good English.

Assist in teaching pupils how to work and in creating the right attitude towards their work.

Give pupils a foundation of the basic skills which will be useful in their training for their work after they leave school. Lay the foundation of a knowledge and appreciation of such things as music, literature, or art, or an elementary skill in some craft, all of which can be a source of real joy to them in their leisure hours all their lives.

Assist in their physical well-be-ing and development. “Post-primary education has changed a lot since the days which are looked back to in some instances with rose-tinted glasses. Thank goodness it has,” he said. “Today the 30 per cent who would have entered at the post-primary level a generation ago are, according to the ideals which I have stated previously, better balanced and better equipped by far to enter into the complex modern world, their standards of attainment in. what are referred to as basic sub-' jects are, if they stay at school long enough, as high as ever, I am firmly convinced that the standard of work in both forms is higher than ever before.

“Of the 60 per cent who would not have entered on post-primary education in the past, the majority good and reap immense benefit from their higher education. There is however a small percentage, I would say about 10 per cent, of entrants who leave as soon as possible and who require some different treatment from those who stay at least two years. They present a problem to us and must dp also to employers if they regard them as products of the post-prim-ary system. Nevertheless even the time and money spent on their education is by no means wasted.”