CO129-608-3 Occupation reports- education in Stanley Internment Camp 7-11-1945 - 18-7-1947 — Page 13

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REPORT ON BRITISH CHILDREN WHO HAVE

RETURNED TO SCHOOL IN THE COLONY.

18

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It is now possible to estimate the effect of the war on the

educational standards of British children, due to internment or education

elsewhere. Generally speaking the standard of education in the Central

British School, which caters for the 10+ age groups, is one year behind

normal in every form from I to VI. This retardation applies in particular

to certain subjects, particularly Science, French, History and Geography.

Nevertheless, the pupils in Form VI will take the Cambridge School

Certificate Examination in December 1947 as was the case before the war.

It must be appreciated that standards vary considerably, particularly

where children have been educated in countries other than England or

Australia. The following observations refer only to the 10+ age groups

and where pupils are stated to be in their normal forms, they are one

year behind the education standard of the same form in a school in

England, though not necessarily in all subjects..

effects.

20

A table of results is appended.

Children below the age of 10 years have suffered no ill

United States of America.

With children educated in the United States of America during

the war, it is obvious that they are suffering from too much experimenting

with new and untried forms of "popular" education. Their groundwork is

generally poor with the result that they have lost the ability to

concentrate or to apply much knowledge as they have.

and general poise, however, is very good.

3.

New Zealand and South Africa.

Their self-assurance

Children from New Zealand and South Africa seem to have had

rather a narrow form of education, particularly obvious in History and

Geography which seems to have been bounded entirely by their territorial

limits. There are 58 in this group; one pupil is a year above normal;