RADICAL EDUCATIONAL CHANGES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1011, 29 December 1910, Page 6

RADICAL EDUCATIONAL CHANGES.

I HON. .G. S. BEEBY INTERVIEWED. ...Yesterday ..the Hon. G. S. Beeby, Minister for ;Education for-New' South .Wales, who..arrived', here by the Marama, Sati^™ 6 r by ; a :^preHe 'gaVe-.an' outiine of a number of important educational changes which" are contemplated, m -his Department. • "The ¥ r " Beeoy.' "are' in two directions.', .First,,;whilst, wa r'liave developed a 'particularly efficient' system of education,up to<the:present secondary "education has been -neglected Ihe new scheme, will • provide .'for. 'two classes of schools between the. primarv schools.and the. university. The district superior, school will carrv a boy from (he primary- school oil to a two years' course, continuing; his education, until' he is. 16 years of age. The- high scho6ls-ra number of which will .be established; and which will bo free—will provide a four years' course, and . also-lead .to the university,. '.The extension- of the secondary and. scholarship system will offer facilities which :have not existed in. the past to poor, boys and girls to get a complete secondary education.",'' The other important change, said Sir. Beeby, is to deal with.'the boy or girl;'who. .leaves • school at 14 and "whoso education stops at that age. Fully SO per cent .of the. boys and,girls, of 'New South .Wales, he added,'are included in this class. Continuation sohools on -a voluntary basis,'to, begin ivith, 'arc to be started at tlio beginning of the year, the subjects to-be commercial and industrial. Only a proportion of the : number of" schools •of ' this class -which the. Government has in view mil be. started in the New Year, but, added Mr Beeby, they will be added to steadily. , ;

"We :do not propose to, I.make the schools , compulsory at present'," continI ued Mr. Beeby.- "We recognise that pubj lie • appreciation and sympathy' must be gained before this is done. We are.atI tempting to, create this' by. keeping in communication ..with boys leaving the schools,-and_ with- their parents, and con- , stantly urging the value of continued education. It is proposed,- however, within the next'twelve months,, to commence a compulsory system by establishing afternoon schools and as a beginning, making it compulsory for boys and girls engaged in factories to attend, the employers to give the employees the necessary time off, probably- two hours a day for three afternoons a week. Of course; wo anticipate opposition to this proposal from the employers, but .at the same time we believo. that they will, soon get a compensatory, advantogo by the increased intelligence and efficiency of .the labour. A reform of the university is also , contemplated with a reduction (of the fees, ultimately making towards a free university. With these changes," concluded Mr. Deeby, "we believe wo will have, picked, the best ideas oh education to, date, and we will have facilities at least equal to the best that can bo found in other, countries."