PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3191, 15 September 1917, Page 9

PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE

THE TWELVE YEARS , PROPOSAL

TEACHERS OPPOSE IT

The Wellington Education Board's proposal to terminate tho primary school course at tho ago of twelve years vus discussed by tho Wellington Urnnch of the Is'cw Zealand Education Institute lust evening. Mr. H. A. Parkinson moved that tho proposal was contrary to the beet interests of the children, und therefore to tho people of the Dominion, -lie 'esked: What are children educated for? Ho answered: (1) Tho manufacturer would Bay to inako intelligent and rkilful workers; (2) tlio economist would say to increase their earning power; aiid (ii) tho general citizen would say to make good citizens for the State.' He believed the third answer wns right, and wid tho proposal of tho board would not tend to make good citizens. Only the brightest children got to the Sixth Standard by their twelfth year. All teachers knew of twelve-year-old children being in tlio Third or Fourth Standards, jnd » - ct if the board's resolution meant anything it meant that those children would have to leavo the primary echool at the age of twelve. Row insecure would be the child's foundation, in many cases, would b* easily realised. The individual's power to earn a living would be greatly reduced. Tho well-to-do would see that their children were not drafted into technical schools if they had not 'oeen -scry clever or into secondary schools if they had been very clever, and 'here would be a class distinction between the children of those who could afford to take such measures and thoso who could not alford it. The board's proposal meant that in Waihi (a mining town) the children would all be taught to bo miners, and in Taranaki all would bo taught to bo dairy workers, notwithstanding that i.t might make a miner of a man who oiHit to be im astronomer, or a dairymaid of a girl who might Jiavo been a Florence Nightingale. He did not like to go into motives, but said ho believed tho proposal nrose- out of a. desire to economise in time and mouey. However, it would be false economy, and tho idea wae opposed to tho ideas of other countries. , ~ Mr. W. H. Foster seconded tho motion. He said the proposal would seriously affect the status of the primary schools. The proposal was weird, and practical teachers would say it could not be carried out. He would like to know if the inspectors had endorsed the proposal- ~ Mr. A. C. Blako agreed with the previous speakers; but said it wouid be more satisfactory to know the reasons for the proposal before going further into the matter. .... Mr.' E. C. Webb said Ins fear was that in all this ferment we would overlook tho moral education of the cm 1(1ren. Look at Germany! Her scientific advancement had been the admiration of the world, but where was Germany to-day? He'thought tho outlook was gloomy for Now' Zealand if this -proposal was carried. . Miss Coad agreed with the motion, but thought that thore might be arguments for the proposal that should be beard, for twelve years was the age favoured in Australia. Miss )'. Myers suggested tnat the branch should doputatiomeo the Jiducation Board against the proposal. Mr. W. W. Rowntree eaid ho nad lalccn out figures on the subject, and nad found that the proposal would- tako -15,000 to 50,000 children from the primary schools ont of a total of 183,000 children. It would leavo in Standard VI 210 children for the whole Dominion, and in Standard V 2500 children for tho Dominion. It would take out of Standards V and VI 25,550 children. A member: Thoso figures are very striking!' ' . Mr. Fisher put his views this way: It is a, groat pity to tako the child from hi= mother too soon." • Mr. Parkinson's motion was carnsd,