UNITY IN EDUCATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 621, 25 March 1929, Page 14

UNITY IN EDUCATION

THREE SYSTEMS CREATE FALSE DIVISIONS TEACHERS’ VIEWS STATED Arguments in favour of the unification of control and direction in the Dominion's education are advanced by the New Zealand Educational Institute in a statement placing before the public what the institute belives are the main principles that should be observed it a system is to be developed that is at once in keeping with modern thought on the educational process, and worthy of the nation in which it is to be applied. Our educational system in tlie beginning was a primary school system only, administered by education boards in the various districts. As the needs of the country grew, secondary schools and. later, technical schools were established, not administered by the education boards but by separate gen - erning bodies of their own. These schools were thus added to the system, but not incorporated into it; and it is to this fact more than to any other that the criticisms and com- j plaints against the faults of education ; in New Zealand have been due. Ii fact, there has not been a single sys- : tern of education in New Zealand, but | three systems, each a separate compartment, ignoring if not actually ig- | norant of what is going on in the i other compartments. The executive of the institute there- i fore would lay it down as the first j principle to be observed in reform of j the system that there should be unity, j It has been the custom to speak of ! the various stages of education, the j secondary stage, the technical stage, j the university stage. In actual fact i there are no such stages. Education | is a continuous process, and the education system should be so constructed as to recognise and apply that fact. The break that is heard so much of between the primary and secondary schools is not a natural break inherent in the qualities of children, but an unnatural one' forced on them by the lack of unity in the education system. There should be no greater break for the pupil in passing from the primary to the post-primary school than in passing from the second standard To the third in the same school. The loss of ability that the nation suffers through the disjointed - ness of the existing system is beyond calculation. The first thing, then, that the institute looks for in any scheme of reform is unity—not uniformity—but unity of organisation. NEED FOR CONTINUITY The reason why the institute asks for unity of organisation is that by that means alone can the greatest need of an education system be met — the need for an orderly continuous progress of the pupil from the infant school to the end of the school course —whether that be at the high school, trade school or university. In every j enlightened country to-day effort is | being made to get rid of the artificial and false distinction between primary and secondary (or technical) education. It is customary to talk of the break at the eleventh or twelfth year. T lere is no such break in the pupil’s growth, and there should be none in his school course. Said D. Ballard recently: “There is no universal change or psychical crisis at 11 years ol age.” The second principle, then, that the irstitute hopes to see embodied in the reform of the system is the possi r bility of a single continuous course, or curriculum, that will allow the pupil tc proceed without any break at all through the whole of the school career. That does not mean that all pupils j a -e to follow the same course—far fror* it. If modern educational science lias a lything to teach it is that there is infinite diversity among pupils, and the essence of educational administration is that it should provide in as Urge measure as posable for parallel courses along which differing qualities and aptitudes may be developed and utilised. In this way, by this provision of parallel courses, pupils of liter- | ary bent will be able to follow their bent, pupils of what is called the motor type will devote themselves more to the hand-work course, scientific leanings wil find scope in the laboratory, and the budding farmer in the agricultural course, and so for the commercial course, and, by no means of least importance, the home science course. That is what is implied in the phrase continuity of progress; and ty that means the breaks that have cone much mischief in the past, and are doing it now, will be avoided. How is this to be brought about? There i 5 probably only one way. Certainly the most obvious way is by a coordination of control. BREAKING DOWN OF BARRIERS To give effect to the principles of l v.nity of progress and continuity of i curriculum, there must be a breaking | c own of the barriers that separate the i so-called primary schools from the so- ! called secondary and technical schools. ! In each district, instead of three sep- | £ rate governing bodies dealing with j only a part of the work, there should be a single authority. In real fact i there is only one work to do. and one body could do it much better than three. It is inherent in the nature cf the work to be done that it is only one body that can do it to advantage, and not three. Given a single controlling authority in any £ rea, it would be possible to so arlange the work that the facilities j.vailable could be used to best advantage of the pupils. A boy of mechanical tendency need not then be compelled to pass his time in the uncongenial atmosphere of the grammar ; chool, nor would a girl with a leaning toward science be confined to the commercial school. The parallel courses under co-ordin- £ ted control would give opportunity 1 or changing from course to course, as i.bilities and temperament and desires

bvsun io declare themselves. A sln . . authority would bt“ able io take ? comprehensive survey of the ar * under its control, and arrive »t • best means of using the facilUv, a\ ailabit', and estimate the need redevelopment in one direction or other. , A single authority is needed to survey the whole field and dip.-. the work within it. . Such a body must have definite responsibilit,,’, and the corresponding powir, -Modern education makes an eve-, increasing appeal tu the hearts minds ot the people, and the syster that is going adequately to reeogtk. that tact must give scope for opportunity to. and make use ot y the thoughts and feelings and deavours that are summed up k term local interest. Local kno\vi.-rc local enthusiasm, local pride, otter wealth of support and assistance thc no wisely designed system will leet. In w hat has been here set down th, executive ot the institute has confine itself to what it regards as the the cardinal principles that govern th’ situation. Matters of detail can |,* dealt with as occasion demand, t, institute will be ready with replies ,! any questions that may arise en d . cular points.