REPLY TO DOUBTS ON FRENCH CLASSES

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31098, 29 June 1966, Page 9

REPLY TO DOUBTS ON FRENCH CLASSES

Parents were not obliged to agree to a Mairehau Primary School child continuing to take French lessons at Mairehau High School if they had doubts of the advantages of the scheme, the district senior inspector of primary schools for Christchurch (Mr H. W. Findlay), said in reply to a correspondent to “The Press" who had "second thoughts” on the scheme.

The correspondent, “Concerned," wrote:— “Recently a number of the brightest Form 11 pupils from Mairehau Primary School have been receiving instruction in French twice weekly at Mairehau High School. 1 wonder, now that the flattery and novelty are wearing off, if other parents like myself are beginning to have second thoughts on the scheme. The following questions quickly come to mind. Are the children involved expected to complete normal classwork undertaken by the remaining children in their absence? If not, will not these lessons lose much of their point for those who remain behind? How will these children receiving French instruction be fitted into the secondary school structure, especially where a school other than Mairehau High School is chosen? Will those not selected for the course on entering Mairehau High School be permitted to include French in their chosen courses?" Mr Findlay said that the programmes of work planned for the children who did not participate in the French scheme were geared to their individual needs so that the question concerning the making-up of work missed was irrelevant. “All parents of children involved in the Mairehau High School pilot scheme were approached individually for their consent, and there is no obligation on the part of any parent to agree to his child’s

continuing if he has any doubts regarding the advantages of the scheme for the child concerned." said Mr Findlay. He said he had been assured by the district senior inspector of secondary schools that there would be no difficulty in fitting children receiving French instruction into the secondary school structure, irrespective of the :high school they entered. I Neither would there be difficulty in providing appropriate instruction in French for those children who had not been able to take part in the present pilot linkage schemes, said Mr Findlay.