CLASSIFYING SCHOOL PUPILS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 30, 29 October 1921, Page 3

CLASSIFYING SCHOOL PUPILS

o THE BRIGHT AND THE BACKWARD RETARDATION PROBLEM Classification, age, and examination of pupils are interestingly surveyed in the report of the Minister of Education for tho year 1921). “The question of retards- ■ tion,” the Minister states, “is at present receiving the attention of the Department, the necessity of the time 6IK-nt in the primary school being used to tha pupil’s greatest advantage being recognised ae a most important matter. Standard tests of mental efficiency suitable for ' New Zealand children will require to ba devised, and although, the work which is now being entered upon by a special committee presents many difficulties, the Department has every assurance that the results to be attained will fully compensate the work and trouble involved. “On the assumption that school life is commenced at the ago of five years, and that two years are spent in the preparatory classes and one year in each etandard, pupils should eight years old at the end of a year in Si, nine years old in S2, etc. The following figures show the position for each, standard:— Normal Above Below Class. classification, normal, normal

Too Old For Their Classes. “While 51 per cent, of the pupils are one year or more below normal classU fication, about 20 per cent, are two years or more below. Beginning school life at a later age than five years doubtless accounts to a great extent for the high ages of the pupils, and other causes beyond the teachers’ control are irregular attendance, migration from school to school, and mental ness. It is well, however, to keep tho ' fact steadily in view that large numbers of children arc much older than they should he for the classes they are in, and everything possible should be done to avoid tho waste of time and opportunity represented by such retardation. Tho following are the average ages of the pupils in the several classes at the end of the year’s instruction-.— 1919. 1920.

Shortening Primary Course. “The average figures ;re practically the same as for many years past; the results from the various education districts also still show an unaccountable range, the difference amounting to as much as seven months in several classes. The average age of the pupils at the end of the year S 6 is being freely criticised. Careful comparison with the position in other States goes to show that although the age may bo too high in New Zealand, it is not higher than prevails elsewhere when equal standards of work are attained. Children leaving the primary schools at lower ages in other countries do eo with a smaller equipment for entering upon secondary work. Tlie matter of shortening the primary school course so as to enable qualified pupils to enter upon an intermediate secondary course at an earlier age is no,!!- under investigation by the Department, and it is hoped shortly to present a draft scheme for discussion by educational authorities with a view to some advance being made in the near future. “A record is kept of the percentages of children in rhe various classes and of the various ages, tho percentage of pupils in the preparatory classes being in 1920 34.85 yer cent, of the .whole number —a very slightly lower figure than that for tlie previous year. Any reduction in this figure is welcomed as one sign that the retardation suspected in these classes is being overcome. The fact still remains, however, that at the end of (he year 21 per cent, of the pupils were eight years of afce and- over, and G per cent', nine years' of age and over. Higher Leaving Age. "A matter for serious concern, commented on in previous years, is revealed in the classification tables, which show a great discrepancy between tho number of pupils in SI Mid in SG. In 1915 there wore 22.890 children in SI, the majority of whom, allowing for various contingencies, should have been in Sb in 192(4It appears, however, that there were only 14,084 pupils, or 61 per cent, of the number, in 86 in 1920, so that 39., per cent, of the pupils left school without doing the work of SG, and similarly 19 per cent, loft I'.cbpol before completing the S 5 syllabus. The actual number of children'who left school in 1919 without having passed S 6 was 5169, —half as many as left having passed that standard. The standard of work reached in SB is the least rdiftation.nl equipment that a child should have before taking up its life’s work, so that the provision of th» Education Amendment Act of 1920, making it compulsory for a child (» attend some school until (he age or nttcen instead of fourteen as at present, will, when it comes into force, bo lieneficial in reducing this large number of insufficiently educated children The provision of free places at technical schools offering training in subject i elated to industrial occupations to ipeciallv. recommended pupils who have not passed 86, has been of some assistance to such Children, n'bout six hundred free places of this kind being taken up m 1920. „ Examination Results. "The examinations resulted in 10( ‘* 8 certificates of proficiency being a «arded, the number representing .0.0 nei c-nt Of tho S« roll, and 217 G certificates of competency, representing U. 5 per cen . Of the roll. Of the latter certihcatcs 31were endorsed for merit in science or in handwork. The percentage of proficieiic certificates awarded was 22 grcatei than in 1919, and the percentage of uetonev i. 5 less, so that the average results for the two years do not show any wide difference." -

Percent. Percent. Per cent. Class P . — — 21 Claes SI . 39 14 47 Class S2 . 37 12 51 Class S3 . 33 12 55 Class S4 . 34 12 54 Class S5 . 35 13 52 Class SG . 38 16 40 — — — Classes S1-S6 .. . 36 13 51

Yrs. mos. Yrs. mos. Preparatory classes 7 1 7 1 Class 81 .... 9 0 9 1 Class S2 10 1 10 2 Class S3 .... 11 3 11 3 Class S4 .... 12 3 12 3 Class S5 .... 13 1 13 1 Class S6 .... 13 11 13 11 Mean of average age 9 10 9 10