Nursery schools
Sir: The article by Rhodes Boyson on Outmoded Nursery Schools is good to read, as the emphasis on nursery schools is assuming an unbalanced proportion. The answer to teaching problems Is not the nursery school where nothing is taught; all the ,teacher is asked to do is to mind the children who just play around. And the playing is not of an unselfish kind, the children being allowed to do as they like short of causing grievous hurt. The children are not fitted to join the junior school — infant section — when they come to five years and the whole process of ' conditioning ' the child to any type of, and particularly formal, learning has to be started.
The whole reason for the demand for nursery schools is to be found in the evasion al' parents, especially mothers, to bear their responsibility for the care of their children: they wish to shrug off their ditties to others and incidentally are the initiators of indiscipline. Indiscipline and delinquency start at home. It children came to school in the usual way at five and formal teaching were given, there would be fewer problems in the upper classes, But what is needed most ol' all in our present situation of fewer teachers and a school-leaving age of sixteen is returrt,W all-age schools where the boy or Attl 'karts and shouldallinsh, knowing his or her teacheA and friends and their knowing of her. The 19-44 Education Act has been a mistake and the comprehensive school not as successiul as had been envisaged. In fact the comprehensive school has added to the confusion of discipline and, conduct because of its size and the consequent lack of communication between staff and pupil — in particular between the head and departmental heads on one side and pupils on the other. Nothing of this would arise in an all-age school where there would be far more 'family' feeling and pride in its institution. I was taught in one such school where I spent eleven years, and left after I had completed my Cambridge Senior School Leaving Certificate Examination. We had a very high academic and no less impressive athletic record. H. S. /skipper 20 Millstream House, Jamaica Road, London SEW
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