JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1922, Page 6

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.

A CHANGE IN EDUCATION. OBJECTS OF THE SYSTEMS A very interesting address on “Post Primary Education” was given by Mr. J. A. Valentine, Chief Inspector of Schools in the Taranaki education district, at the New Plymouth Technical School on Monday night. The lecture was the first of a series under the auspices of the School Committees’ Association, and in introducing Mr. Valentine, the chairman of the executive (Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P.) said that the subject of the address was one of tremendous importance. Speaking on behalf of the Association, Mr. Smith said that before any change took place in their system of education the public had a right to know what that change would mean At present they felt it would be wiser to give our own New Zealand system a fair trial, which it could not be said to have had when there were classes of ’<so and 70 pupils in the primary schools.

Mr. Valentine said that at the end of 1920 there werp 222,885 pupils on tne rolls of the public and private primary schools, and. of these, the average ages showed that just over 22,000 were finishing Standard 4 at the average age of 12 years and three months. These were the children they were concerned with. In 1915 there were 22,896 pupils in Standard 1, and in 1920 there were 14,084 in Standard 6, so that 39 per cent, of the Standard 1 pupils of 1915 Igft without completing Standard 6 in 1920. Of the pupils who passed Standard G Mr. Valentine said that some went to work in 1920, 71 per cent, enl tered upon a course of secondary eduea- ' tion and some went to evening technical classes.

After quoting some opinions, condemnatory of certain phases of our secondary school curricuhim. Mr. Valentine Turned to the United States and to Canada, where, he said, they had made a radical change in the primary school course and had evolved the junior high school system. The Americans aimed in their scheme of secondary education at health and life preservation, worthy home membership, citizenship, variation, ethical character, and the worthy use of leisure. It was caid that the advantages of the junior high school system were that it prepared for real life and was largely free from bookish artificiality, provided ample opportunities for manual training and for varying aptitudes, and allowed for the beginning at an earlier age of the study of modern language-. According to Mr. F. Milner, of the Waitaki Boys’ High School, the main reaj sons for the junior high school were the ? necessity nf stopping the early mortali ity, i.e., leaving school before educaj tion is completed, of pupils, the demand j for adequate vocational guidance, the demand for'more scientific provision for ■ the distinctive needs of adolescence, and a desire to economise school time and to make the curriculum bear directly on the practical needs of life. Further, continued Mr. Valentine, the study of child psycholo- - showed that [from six to twelve y formed the i period of mechanical training, the eleI mentary education period. At about 12 years of age came a marked change in the child. His outlook on changed, his curiosity became much stronger and his latent capacities began to reveal themselves. This department considered that the conclusions arrived at in the United States and in Canada were sound, hence they would now see in New Zealand the laying of the foundations of the junior high schools, one of which was established in Auckland. Mr. Valentine said that the school, in effect, would be a primary one for two years, but, in addition to the ordinary primary subjects, there would be a course in French, mathematics, science, etc. Different courses were provided to suit the different aptitudes of the pupils. These schools could be set up only in certain centres, owing to the number of pupils available and for a time could be applied only to our larger cities, but the experiments about to be made by the department would prove the value of the proposals. It had not yet been clearly established when the junior high school pupil would proceed to the already established secondary school, but, while the elaboration of the scheme for the’ Dominion was not yet available, it would seem that after a three years’ course in the junior high school fit and apt pupils would proceed either to a secondary school or to a technical school. It was very evident that many questions would be asked as to the conditions in country areas, conditions that would require an excellent system of conveyance or the establishment of a large number of suitable hostels. In conclusion, Mr. Valentine said that - there would be little doubt that the proposals were the outcome of an honest desire to use more profitably the years which the children spent at®school. After answering some questions Mr. Valentine was accorded with acclamation a very hearty vote of thanks.