SECONDARY SCHOOL SYLLABI EXAMINED BY ASSOCIATION

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 54, 13 July 1965, Page 2

SECONDARY SCHOOL SYLLABI EXAMINED BY ASSOCIATION

The national conference of the Post-Primary Teachers* Association will he invited to decide to what extent changes in the existing form of the school certificate exam i n a t i o n should be made. This statement is contained in a report of a recent meeting of teachers held in Rotorua for the purpose of discussing problems associated with the present syllabi in post-primary schools. It was made by the association's curriculum officer, Mr J. R. Kelly, Waihi, when he spoke on the work of. the association's curric,ulum panels which have been established in all subjects taught. He said that considerable dissatisfaction was being expressed within the association and the Department of Education with the present concept of the school certificate examination. Mr Kelly also spoke of the considerable aehievements made in co-operation with the department in the

preparation of science syllabi and the planning of laboratories. In the planning of future homecraft facilities, the department had made extensive modifications as a result of association advice, and new syllabi for school certificate geography and history had been finalised. Following the meeting, members broke up into 10 groups and for two hours considered new syllabi and the use and suitability of various text books. They also compared their difficulties in the use of inadequate facilities, over-large classes in technical rooms and considered the load imposed on children by the syllabi of, today. More than 180 post-prim-ary teachers, about half the total in the Rotorua region, representing 17 schools, attended the meeting, the report on which was given in Taupo yesterday by the regional chairman, Mr A. R. P. Eustace.