HIGH SCHOOL AGE.

Shannon News, 28 August 1925, Page 4

HIGH SCHOOL AGE.

PRIMARY PERIOD TO BE SHORTENED. MINISTER FORECASTS NEW DEPARTURE. WEL.LINTON, Last Night. When speaking at the laying of the foundation stone of the Hutt Valley high school, the Minister of Education (Sir James Parr) outlined an important departure in the educational; system of the country, as affecting the inter-relatlonship between primary and secondary schools. "In, the near future, he said, "the Department of Education will have to face a serious problem in New Zealand. It has been a general thing for children to commence their high school career at the age of 14 years. Nowhere else in the world is thit so. In every other country, the primary school course is brought to a close W .12 years, and the high school commences from that age. That is the proper age"lo join a high school. If. then, a child goes in with a junior scholarship and leaves at i the age of 15, it leaves with a much better education than under the existing New Zealand system, where the primary course is prolonged and a child going in at the age of 14 .years, spends - only one year at hisrh school . Others will, of ~ course, go on from fifteen to eighteen years at a secondary school, and there is no reason why in New Zealand an attempt should not be made to send boys and girls who intend to remain at school until that age, to a secondary school ! at eleven to twelve years old. That is -what is being done all over the world to-day. Our present system has borne .'excellent results, largely owing to the .nigh intelligence of the children of this country, but it is not a system generally accepted as being in the •best, interests of the child.

"There is no use," continued the Minister, "in going on as we are. It is my, duty, as Minister of Education, to tell you how improvements may be effected. Possibly next year, the reform will be brought about, that those who intend to remain at school until the age , v o/f 1.7 ,or 18 will join the high school at 11 or 12. It is not a thing that can be brought about in a day, but having recognised the principle, we shall gradually bring about a change which will be -for the betterment of the children."