PRIMARY EDUCATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 6 May 1925, Page 7

PRIMARY EDUCATION

THREE R’S PARAMOUNT

THE MINISTER EMPHATIC

MAIN PURPOSE OF SCHOOLS

That education in “the three R’s” must take precedence over every other lorm of instruction was emphasised by the Minister for Education, Sir James pai/r, when he explained to members of the Taranaki Education Board the reason for tlie Education Department s refusal to recognise the rural science classes recently inaugurated by the hoard. The Minister stated that it was of paramount importance that the children should concentrate on ‘‘tlie three Rs and any subjects, such as rural science, which interfered too much, with the regular course of work must be abandoned, except where special educational advantages were to be gained. Sit - Janies Parr said he would lay it down as a fixed regulation that where children in order to get woodwork instruction had to leave other work for the best part of the day, they could not go. They must stay at school and concentrate on “the three R’s.” He had investigated the matter carefully, and was satisfied that breaking into the work for the best part of a day was a mistake.

A member of the board stated that there were 103 children from 10 rural schools attending the classes at Stratford. This number included girls. The .Minister: What is tile use of giving these girls rural science? VVe can do something better than that with tlie

girls. The teachers recognised that the work was being interfered with, said the senior inspector, Mr J. A. Valentine, and were not desirous that the children should lie absent from school more than half a day. The parents, however, pressed for it. In some cases it had been overdone, declared the Minister, and he was stopping it. There was a woodwork faddist m Auckland who had obtained too much recognition from tiie hoard, and he had had to alter tilings there. Primary education did lfot consist in teaching a boy how to use a few tools in order that he might make a fence or a gate, but in becoming thoroughly conversant with “the three R’s.” At a function in his honour Sir James Parr said an advancement of whidh he was rather proud was the system of correspondence tuition for children prevented by natural difficulties from attending school. Over 500 children in lighthouses, sheep stations and elsewhere were receiving correspondence tuition. The inspectors reported that these children'were making progress equal to that of the children attending school.

Speaking of dental treatment of children, the Minister said they were struggling with one of the greatest evils that threatened the country. The children of New Zealand ate more sugar and sweets per capita than any other children in t'he world. To see young people with full sets of false teeth was a very serious commentary on our civilisation. The Education Department- now had about 50 trained nurses working in the care of the children’s teeth'. In addition to the clinics a dental ambulance was travelling the back country.