Problem children increase

Press, 20 April 1979, Page 4

Problem children increase

The increasing number of problem children in schools was largely the result of the breakdown of family life, said the president of the Canterbury Federation of ParentTeacher Associations (Mr L. N, Woodfield) in his annual report.

Although school rolls were static or falling, said Mr Woodfield, the number of problem children was increasing. “We as a people have to a considerable degree lost our sense of family loyalty. We opt out of our responsibilities too easily. Unless we as parents hold a clear set of values then the problems will increase. I doubt that the school can maintain a set of values that society has forsaken.” Christian values, he said, were like the steel reinforcing in the concrete building of society: if the steel rusted away the building might collapse.

Although the exploitation! of children and malnutrition common in some countries were not big problems in . New Zealand, Mr Woodfield said “our permissive material- ■ istic society” had produced - the “unloved” child who rebelled against the system. ] Children needed a lot of i intelligent loving care. Ad- , vances in education were desirable, but unless children ; were brought up in a stable, , loving home, then schools were fighting a losing battle. The importance of the fam- ■ ily must be re-established, said Mr Woodfield. Parent- ; Teacher Associations could ■ help by interesting parents in ■ their children’s progress at school. i Mr Woodfield said that an increasing number of school i classes were being disrupted by “disturbed children.” The’ federation felt it was es-l sential that action be taken at primary schools to assist!

i these children and their families before they became “the unruly, disruptive element” at secondary school. Now was the time to act while there was a surplus of well-qualified primary school teachers, he said. Mature, experienced people with a stable background, accustomed to dealing with children of this type, should be appointed as counsellors or back-up assistants to primary schools. Turning to physical education, Mr Woodfield said the federation believed it was essential to establish and maintain a minimum, uniform standard of health and fitness in schools at all levels. The federation had recommended more physical education specialist advisers, and a set number of compulsory visits by them to each school .every year, said Mr Woodfield. I It had become increasingly

clear during discussions on the Johnson report, from the committee on health and social education, that classroom courses in social educa-; tion would not solve society’s problems, said Mr Woodfield, but counselling and assistance for individual children would help. The report said that "at least up to the age of 16, primary socialisation must be the over-riding concern of home and school.” If socialisation was to become the over-riding concern of the school, Mr Woodfield said, there would be an over-all decline in the quality of education. Although there were many excellent recommendations in the report, he said, this concept and those on controversial subjects should be investigated and be seriously questioned by all parents and teachers.