SCHOOL LEAVING AGE

Evening Star, Issue 21743, 11 June 1934, Page 7

SCHOOL LEAVING AGE

SHOULD BE FIFTEEN YEARS EVEN PRESENT PROVISIONS FLOUTED [Pm United Pkiss Association.] [Special to the ’ Stak.’ J CHRISTCHURCH, June 9. '..Whole-hearted.support for the effort of the Canterbury District Standing Committee on Education to have the school-leaving age raised to fifteen years was given to-day by the head masters of secondary and primary schools in Christchurch, who declared that it was an urgent economic necessity. It was pointed out that not only would such a move help the question of youth employment, but it would, in the larger schools at any rate, bring about .the employment of more teachers. Dr D. E. Hansen, principal of the Christchurch Technical College, expressed himself as being entirely in favour of the suggestion 1 . “It would help very materially in solving the juvenile unemployment problem,” he stated, “ and is an aspect that has been discussed considerably by, the Boys’ Unemployment Committee. Unfortunately it seems possible for boys and girls to leave school' at almost any age. A boy might have passed his Standard VI., and he leaves, and no one seems to worry whether he goes back to school or gets a job. It is a state of affairs that needs looking into as there are many children getting through school very young, and they receive no further schooling.” Dr Hansen said that under the Education Act no boy was permitted to leave school until he was fourteen, but this provision was apparently being flouted, and no one was bothering about it. “If the Government cared to' take the trouble, it could that Act, but to my knowledge there is no official supervision exercised in this respect at all.” he added. Mr L. F. do Berry, principal of the West Christchurch School, was most emphatically in agreement with the proposal. The worjd over, he said, social workers, economists, and educationists were striving to have the. school leaving age raised. In England there was a strong movement in favour of it. Mr de Berry quoted the following extract from a speech made by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education, as showing how the official mind at Home viewed the question:,—“Only those who have had a reasonably long period of mental training, and possess some cultural background,' can be expected to cope with-the complex structure of modern industry, and the human problems. that emerge.”