"WE ARE DRIFTING."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1229, 11 September 1911, Page 3

"WE ARE DRIFTING."

AN EDUCATIONIST'S CONCLUSIONS. PBLMABY SCHOOL LIFE TOO - PKOTRACTED. "In my report last year," observes the Inspcctor-Genorni of Schools (Mr. George Hogben), in his annual statement to the Jliuister for Education, "I drew attention to the marked increase in recent years in tho proportion of pupils in tho preparatory classes, and suggested four possible causes which might account for this increase :— "(1) There may have been an increase in the proportion of young children, say, between five and eight years of age, in the population- of tho Dominion (luring the period in question. (2.) A larger proportion of children may he entering the schools between ages of fivo and seven than formerly. (3.) A certain proportion of children may bo leaving school from the upper classes at an earlier age to go to secondary schools, or day technical schools, or to go to work; this would mako the numbers in tho lower classes appear relatively larger, (t.) Tho children may bo spending a longer time in the infant or preparatory classes than they formerly spent.

Four Causes Examined. "During the past year the percentage of children of ages live to seven remained stationary, whereas the marked increase already pointed out in the percentage of children in preparatory classes is going on. If wo examine each of tho four causes above-mentioned separately we got tho following results:— . "There has been a decrease in the proportion of young children in the population between the ages of five and eight. In 1905 the proportion of such children in the European population was O.IS-t per cent.; in 1(110 it was 5.591. Between the years 1905-10 there was a general increase in the percentages of young children five to eight years, of age entering the public schools. The percentage 1 of girls of seven to eight years of ago slightlv decreased; and the largest increase is shown in the children of six to seven years of age. The average increase is about 31 per cent. (During the year 1910 the percentage of tho population between five and eight years of ago attending public schools "actually decreased.) With regard to the suggestion that pupils of tho upper classes are leading school at an earlier ago than formerly, investigation shows that this is not "the case; on tho contrary, the percentage of both boys and girls attending these classes, especially tho latter, has increased to a greater extent than that of the corresponding number of children in the Dominion. That the children arc spending a longer time than formerly in the preparatory classes is suggested by tho fact that in the last five years tho average age of children in Standard I classes has increased from eight years and eleven to nine years and two months."

What is Retarding Them? Tho. Inspector-General goes on to state his conviction that wo cannot look to (ho first and third of the possiUo causes enumerated for an explanation of the matter, while the second suggestion only partlv accounts for (ho increases in the preparatory classes. It remains, therefore, ho concludes, to examine the fourth suggestion. In December, 1905, there were 3000 children less in the preparatory classes than there were children under eight years of age attending school--3G,s23,against 39,781; whereas, in 1910, tho number of children in Hie preparatory classes exceeded the number under eight vcars of age attending fchool by. over 8000—55,563 against 47,203. Statistical analyses, go to show that the increases in the number of children between live and eight years of age, and between twelve and fifteen years of age. in tho population and on the rolls of public schools, and the number in the P™P<»»tory . classes (excluding Maoris) are as between 5 and 8 7142 or 13 5 per cent; on the rolls between 5 and S 7152, or 13.8 per cent, j in the preparatory classes, 18,740, or 50.9 per The rise in the average age (this particularly refers to Standard VI). is shown have been as under:— Stand. I. Stand. IV. yrs. ins. yrs. ms. 190G 9 0 13 9 mn ' 9 1 "10 1908. ::: »j «° 1909 9 2 8 11 1910 9 2 14 0 Grave Consequences Suggested. "The remarks made in my report of last year in reference to this matter have aroused criticism, and 1 am glad that it is so," continues Mr. Hogben. lho facts are sufficiently serious to demand very careful examination. It was not intended to attribute blame to anyoneteachers, inspectors, boards, or Department;, but the fact appears to beit at wo are drifting into a state of things that carries with, among other, grave consequences, the result of. postponing the beginning of secondary courses ot our boys and girls to a higher age than is desirable. The explanations given do not appear to mo to be adequate to account for the facts. Brief reference maybe made to some of theso explanations:— "(a) The inspectors of schools have "found in the promotion of the children from the preparatory classes nothing lo compel censure, or even to, excite remark; since the slow promotion is general in all .districts, this would have been done had tho evil been serious. But the facts are' there—manifestfbn the most cursory examination of the figures contained in the returns. It might not be out of place to remind ourselves that when the promotion of pupils was placed in the hands of the teachers, a general cry was raised that many teachers would be anxious to promote their pupils too rapidly. Tho fear thus aroused has checked any such possible tendency, as tho figures show, in tho promotions from Standard I up to Standard VI; but it may have had the effect of delaying the promotions into Standard I from the infant classes.

An Opinion—And an Objection. "(b) Teachers are agreed as to the necessity and desirability o! lengthening the time spent by pupils in the infant-room. No. reason is given for this opinion; it seems to bo fully met by the consideration that the more natural and concrete methods now fortunately in voguo in the preparatory classes should bo concoursij again, it does not answer the objection that, as regards English (the most important subject at this stage), the reading-books used in Standard I are far too elementary (as the experience of Great Britain and the United States shows) for children of eight to nine years of ago. "(c) The nature and amount of work prescribed for • the various classes; increase in work prescribed, chiefly handwork; adoption of slower methods of work necessitated by the present syllabus, etc. The- present syllabus, certainly, is intended to insist upon quality rather tlian quantity of work; the quantity of work, except .in English and arithmetic, is in the hands of the teachers and inspectors; and. finally it is to the point that theso objections are largely overcome by the fact that the interval of time spent in the standard classes from Standard I to Standard VI remains practically the same now as it was in 11105, before the introduction of tho present syllabus. "(d) The fixing of a definite time—the beginning of the school year—for the general'promotion of pupils. This might havo had somo effect, tho first year it was introduced; but all the necessary adjustments should have been made at once, and it could not account for the continued incrcass in tho proportion of tho preparatory classes that has taken placo this year. Neither could it account for the iarge increase that took placo between the years 11)05 and 1007, beforo tho rule was introduced. "I trust," concluded tho InspectorGeneral, "that the questions raised thus tentatively in my report last year, and emphasised still further the returns of the past year, will continue to receive tho serious attention of nil concerned."