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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1980
MR TOPLEY BELIEVED THAT THE MAIN THRUST TO RESOLVING THE MANY PROBLEMS SHOULD BE TOWARD MAKING SCHOOL MORE ATTRACTIVE RATHER THAN A PRISON FOR THE UNWILLING.
+WE ARE AT PRESENT SEEING TO THE STRENGTHENING OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK. WE ARE CONTEMPLATING A WHOLESALE RESTRUCTURING OF THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND SHALL TRY TO FIND OTHER WAYS OF MAKING MORAL EDUCATION MORE EFFECTIVE, HE SAID.
THE DIRECTOR SUGGESTED THAT THERE MAY BE NEED OF SPECIAL INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS CLOSE TO THE SCHOOLS FOR PUPILS WHO ARE, HOPEFULLY, TEMPORARILY RECALCITRANT.
A REGISTER OF ALL PUPILS, HE SAID, WOULD BE EXPENSIVE BUT A POWERFUL GUIDE FOR TRACKING THE IR PROGRESS THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
SPEAK ING ON THE ROLE OF PARENTS, MR TOPLEY SAID: +WE HOPE BY REQUIRING ALL CHILDREN TO STUDY UNTIL THEY ARE 15 THAT THEY WILL BE BETTER PREPARED FOR LIFE BUT NOT ALL PARENTS SEE THEIR CHILDREN AS OTHER THAN A KIND OF INVESTMENT IN THE FAMILY.
+THERE ARE OTHER ASPECTS, SOCIETY AND THE CHILDREN THEMSELVES HAVE THE IR OWN CLAIMS, NOT ALL CHILDREN WISH TO OR ARE CAPABLE OF MEETING THE IR PARENTS' AMBITIONS. THEY NEED A DIFFERENT KIND OF EDUCATION TO ENABLE THEM TO REAL ISE THEMSELVES AND TO FIND THE IR OWN PLACE IN SOCIETY. THE IR PARENTS NEED TO RECOGNISE THIS. ONLY THEN CAN THE SCHOOL SYLLABI FIT THE NEEDS OF OUR CHILDREN.+
TURNING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK, MR TOPLEY SAID IT SHOULD BE SEEN IN CONTEXT WITH THE FOLLOWING STATISTICS
FOR THE SIX TO 11 AGE GROUP, ATTENDANCE IN DAY SCHOOLS ROSE FROM 98 PER CENT IN 1975 TO 99 PER CENT IN 1977, AND REACHED 100 PER CENT IN 1978.
IN 1977, BEFORE THE SECONDARY SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION WAS ABOLISHED, THE PROPORTION OF PRIMARY 6 LEAVERS WHO PROCEEDED TO FORM 1 WAS 85 PER CENT, THIS ROSE TO 96 PER CENT IN 1978 WHEN JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION BECAME FREE, AND TO 97 PER CENT IN 1979 WHEN JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION BECAME COMPULSORY. IN 1979, THE OVERALL PROPORTION OF 12 AND 13 YEAR OLDS ATTENDING DAY AND EVENING SCHOOLS WAS 96 PER CENT.
DURING THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER 1979 TO AUGUST 1980, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATED MORE THAN 13 000 CASES OF NON-ATTENDANCE IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND 3 000 CASES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
EXCLUDING 2 000 PRIMARY AND 2 300 SECONDARY PUPILS WHO WERE UNTRACEABLE, OVER-AGED OR SICK, ABOUT WHOM NO FURTHER ACTION COULD BE TAKEN, 93 PER CENT OF THE PRIMARY PUPILS AND 72 PER CENT OF THE SECONDARY PUPILS WERE FOUND TO HAVE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL OR WERE BROUGHT TO SCHOOL AS A RESULT.
/OM THE