CHANGES AT SCHOOL

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20987, 14 December 1939, Page 12

CHANGES AT SCHOOL

WIDER CURRICULUM HAMILTON HIGH STUDIES PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY Important changes have been made during the year in the curriculum of the Hamilton High School and the wider scope of studies, affecting as they do even the first year pupils, have been planned to give a broad and generous education with the hope that it will widen the pupils’ range of interests in life. A review of the educational facilities at the school, together with an outline of the activities of the year, were given at the annual prize-giving ceremony today by the Principal, Mr H. D. Tait. 'Changes have been made in the school curriculum and in the school time-table,” said Mr Tait. “Owing to a generous Departmental grant, electricity and magnetism has been added to our science subjects. Our

drawing classes, hitherto confined to the training college candidates and to a few pupils intending to offer the subject for one or two other examinations, were this year extended to include all the third and fourth forms. The reasons for making this change were not the desire or the belief that all these pupils would one day develop into artists, but to affc/d them, first a valuable means of self-expression, and secondly an approach to the understanding of art. In our prosaic, workaday world, we realise less perhaps than we are aware, how completely the machine has taken from us the initiative and the instinct for self-expression in beautifying our surroundings. Manufactured adornments have displaced handcraft, and this is a greater loss than at first it appears to be. Attention to Individuals “Our school day now ends at 3.30 p.m. as against 3 p.m. in former years,” said Mr Ttait. “The extra time at our disposal allows us not only to give our train and bus pupils a full day’s schooling, but also to ensure that they are able to take part in organised games twice weekly. Our sports afternoons have been a marked success. Further, we have been able to give the girls one period a week in which they can be grouped to do dramatic work, or hand-work or first-aid. This period for cultural work has been both popular and useful. “Much has been done in recent years to assist the educationist in

giving the individual attention necessary to discovering and to fostering the pupils’ aptitudes. In striving to give each pupil the opportunity of developing his aptitudes to the fullest extent, we must guard against too early specialisation, which may easily become a real danger to allround development. Specialisation should be delayed until the habits of industry and application have been formed. Further, if a pupil were taught only what he wanted to learn, it would not be at all certain that he would develop the requisite character and lay the foundation that would allow him to continue his education when removed from the immediate school influence. Pupils Specialise “After passing the University Entrance Examination our sixth form pupils are given an opportunity to specialise to a high standard, he said. “The form is divided into groups preparing for commercial work, entrance to training college, and Accountancy Professional Examination, while one section, with a view to proceeding to university, is taking the full scholarship and

bursary course. It is much to the pupils’ advantage to have at least one year in the sixth form after passing the University Entrance. The results of University Terms Examinations of this and former years support this view.” Lessons in singing and musical appreciation continued to be given each morning to the whole school. The aim of the singing lessons was twofold—to become acquainted with a large number of songs and to attain some facility in the performance of specially selected works. A •full review of the sporting activities of the school in Rugby, basketball, athletics, tennis, cricket, swimming, and life saving was given by the principal. Examination Achievements Good work continued to be done in the cadet battalion. A week in barracks last February materially helped to mould the battalion into an efficient unit. At the end of last year G. A. Burtenshaw, battalion sergeant-major was awarded the Fryer Memorial Prize. He was adjudged the best non-commissioned officer in the cadet battalions of the Northern Command. “The term and public examinations figure prominently in the school life,” said Mr Tait. “They are undoubtedly an incentive to steady work and a great stimulus to most pupils. If not abused, examinations are a useful aid to the teacher in testing the thoroughness and effectiveness of his work, though necessarily imperfect as a complete criterion of general education. Pupils leaving school are at a disadvantage unless they can produce some tangible evidence of attainment, and this is what the examination provides.

The results of the various examinations held in November and December last indicate that the standard of work in this school .is being maintained. Lynette Robinson and A. H* Carter won University National Scholarships and Jean Isdale obtained a credit pass in the same examination. To win a University National Scholarship is a difficult matter and a real scholastic distinction. Six pupils won University Bursaries. Awards of Higher Leaving Certificates numbered 31. Nineteen pa.sses and two partial passes were gained in the Training College Entrance Examination; 41 passes in the University Entrance Examination; 21 of these candidates also qualified for the Medical Preliminary Examination; 41 pupils passed the School Leaving Certificate Examination and 16 gained partial passes. Twelve boys passed the Public Service Entrance Examination. In the Pitman’s Examinations 13 pupils passed the typewriting speed and 5 the shorthand speed tests while one candidate was successful in passing the Teachers’ Certificate Examination.”