The Board of Education have issued the Report of the
Consultative Committee upon Higher Elementary Schools. The main question on which this large and representative Committee were asked to report was the nature and amount of the higher instruction which should mark off such a school from the upper part of an ordinary publics elementary school. The Report points out that such a scheme should provide educa- tion between the ages of twelve and fifteen for the brighter children who have previously attended a public elementary school, and that such teaching ahould aim at developing "a right attitude of mind in which interest makes for intelligence and intelligence for interest." A good general education must come first, and the higher elementary school should develop it on fuller lines. There should be three main lines of develop. ment—humanistic, scientific, and manual ; and for girls, domestic. Physical training is also taken for granted, and it is recommended that, where possible, rifle-shooting should be encouraged. The Committee are not in favour of introducing technical subjects. They argue wisely that such instruction is trade instruction, and that in a higher elementary school what is wanted is the basis for any future specialisation.
Previous page
