Junior Colleges Plan Favoured

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31116, 20 July 1966, Page 8

Junior Colleges Plan Favoured

The proposal to set up junior colleges in New Zealand was supported by the Avonside Girls’ High School board of governors on Monday. Although no formal resolution was made, the board will make its views known to the Secondary Schools Council and the Shirley Boys' High School. The principal (Miss M. P. Stevenson) said that although junior colleges had been criticised, she could not see how they would fragment the present system. Junior colleges would allow senior

pupils from all high schools, intending to attend university, to meet, mix and study together. “The system has much to recommend it,” Miss Stevenson said.

Miss Stevenson thought that students could learn much about discipline and conformity. At high schools rules had to be followed and many students had difficulty in adjusting themselves to the freedom of universities. She did not consider that the standard of school leadership would drop because of loss of sixth form numbers. There were many students in lower forms well able to accept responsibility as prefects. At the moment, it was not possible for a girl at Avonside to become a prefect until she was in her fifth year. Mrs M. Rae said to lose the “cream” of any school would be a blow to the staff and principal. However, she agreed that junior colleges could be of much benefit to students.

Dr. J. J. Smail said junior colleges would be of real advantage to schools with small sixth forms. But he doubted their practibility for larger high schools.