French Teaching In Junior School

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31108, 11 July 1966, Page 7

French Teaching In Junior School

Mr H. W. Findlay, district senior inspector of schools, has given a further explanation of provisions for junior school pupils who take French lessons, and for those who do not.

“Concerned,” a correspondent to whom Mr Findlay replied earlier, in another letter says:—

“Mr Findlay invites the writer to withdraw his child from the programme of French instruction, but does not suggest how parents whose children are left behind can withdraw their children from their present situation if they are dissatisfied with the twice-weekly time-filling periods. What does Mr Findlay mean when he says that these children receive work geared to their particular needs? For this work to be meaningful it would have to be of a remedial nature. Could Mr Findlay explain why so many children would require remed. ial instruction? In my letter I asked, 'How will these children be fitted into the secondary school structure? The senior secondary inspector’s assurance that there would be no difficulty is hardly the reply my question deserved.”

Mr Findlay replied: “The correspondent has drawn two quite incorrect inferences from my reply to his previous letter. In the first case I stated: "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 concerened.’ This is certainly not an ‘invitation’ to the writer or to any other parent to withdraw his child. However, any parent with doubts concerning the best interests of his child Should discuss his concern with the head teacher of the school.

“Second, your correspondent assumes that the pro-

grammes provided for the non-French pupils would either be time-filling or have to be spedficially remedial. While I am unable to agree that this assumption is soundly based, I would again recommend an early discussion with the head teacher of the school.

“In the space that can be available to me for comment I can do little more than suggest that ‘Concerned’ might re-read my earlier reply. I would be happy to discuss any points about which he may still be uncertain if he cares to arrange an appointment.

“The district senior inspector of secondary schools (Mr M. Hewitson) reiterates that there would be no difficulty at the secondary level because new entrants are classified according to their ability and put into forms where they will be able to make a contribution and get some sense of achievement from their work. If a parent is not happy with the classification of his child, he is quite at liberty to discuss the class the pupil is in with the secondary principal.”