THE SCHOOLS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1925, Page 1

THE SCHOOLS

A COMPREHENSIVE IMtOGIiA.MM I

WELLINGTON, March 1.0. After a meeting of the Cabinet, whereat it was decided to adopt the Health Department's recommendation to keep all the schools closed till 31st. of March, at least, Sir James Pan* (Minister of Education) was asked wlmt steps are being taken to utilise the teaching staff in the hope of securing some amount of education for tlie children.

The .Minister explained Unit a very comprehensive programme had been submitted by his officers. ot which he had approved. Sir James mentioned that as there were still a fair number of eases ol infantile paralysis at the end of Fobniary, it might mean the prolongation of the closing period by another week oi two, including the Easter holidays. He said* “It has to he remembered that here are 220,000 children who would he congregated in. the vinious schools when they reopen.” THE CHIEF RISK. The Minister continued : “The Health Department is quite satisfied and the medical authorities amply support thenview, that the greatest risk lies m the congregation of the children. In ordei to utilise the teaching .staff, and to secure some educational benefit to tlie children. I have approved of a programme which lias involved asking the Boards and other educational authorities to use the correspondence tuition system as far as possible during the liext three or four weeks. The effectiveness of this system in' connection with the blnckblocks children rests with themselves, while its general application will moan time well spent by the children. It is proposed to ask for the co-operation of the daily newspapers in announcing the assignrnent oi work for each stiindmd, and we are now asking all newspapeis to help in view of this national emergency. Headmasters in each centre, with' the concurrence of their Boards, will he asked to confer in settling a weekly assignment of work, which will consist of reading, transcription, mapping, essays, and the revision of the exercises in last year’s text hooks. The pupil will lie asked to send to their teachers once weekly the work they have done, and postage to be paid hv the parents. The latter will mean a verv small amount for the-individunl parent to pay, but in the aggregate it* would mean a very large addition to the expense to which the Department lias been put through this emergency. The Health Department did not approve of the pupils delivering their exercises personally at the schools, though the parents may do so. Specially marked envelopes will he provided for the teachers to return to the pupils the corrected work, and a copy oi the School Journal. Cabinet has authorised a special allocation of £IOOO to ho divided amongst the Education Boa iris to defray the cost of instituting instruction by correspondence. Ihe headmasters should employ the whole of their staffs, while the pupil teachers and probationers can do the necessary clerical work, and carry on their stud-

iOS The Minister added that a similar system of instructing country pupils in their own homes wojild be carried out, and it was proposed to leave it to the discretion of the country teachers to carry out the details, so long as the pupils do not come to the schools. He considered that in small country schools there was no reason why the teacher should not go to the pupil. The District High Schools and Secondary pupils should he communicated with individually, and directed as to their course of study. The refresher courses for the teachers which were of considerable educational value, in the opinion of senior inspectors, will shortly conclude, and the teachers will then he free to proceed with the correspondence tuition. THE WELLINGTON SCHOOLS. WELLINGTON'. March ]ft. The teachers under the Wellington Education Board are under instructions to attend their respective schools on Monday morning next, to undertake duty in connection with the arrangement of the work for the yeai, and the proposed scheme of instruction of the pupils by means of correspondence. At a Conference this morning between the Board, the inspectors and the Headmasters’ Association, a small committee was appointed to draft the first assignment of work.