SCHOOL AGE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3185, 3 April 1911, Page 3

SCHOOL AGE.

DECISION OF SOUTH CANTERBURY TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE. IPER PRESS ASSOCIATIONS TTMARU, April 1. At a meeting of the Teachers’ Institute to-day a paper was read by an infant mistress, Miss ‘ Long, on experience in infant teaching, which led to a discussion on the remark of the In-spector-General that children were kept too long in the preparatory classes, and on the suitable age for children entering school. Regarding the former point- the contention was. that two to two and a-half years for bright children and half a year more for the average child was not too long -or infant room tuition. As to the entry age some teachers thought six years, some seven years, and a few eight years, was early enough. Returns from six of the largest schools in. South Canterbury showed that the average ages of admission were from five years five months to five years eleven * months, and the mean of all five years seven months. Resolutions were adopted that pupils are not spending too much time in the infant room, and that the •department would be asked to replace pupil teachers in infant rooms by. assistants.