Much more possible besides Te Reo: a re-look at our schooling system

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It's Maori Language Week and the debate about whether to make Te Reo compulsory in schools up to a certain age, make it totally voluntary, or consign it to the 'dustbin of history' is with us again.

PN79

I'd like to add my two-bob bit, not on the compulsory-voluntary debate, but on how to make  Te Reo -- and several other worthwhile subjects -- possible with only minor changes to the present secondary school system. A similar approach could also be used in primary and intermediate schools.

Things  have changed since I was in secondary school but working on what was: there were seven 40 minute periods, three in the morning before the 11am break, two afterwards before the lunch break, and two in the afternoon. More periods were given to English, the branches of Maths, the Sciences and Social studies/History/Geography, and less to Physical Education and Music, and they varied between Year 9 and Year 13.

Majors and Minors

What I'm proposing is the creation of two classes, or strata,  of subjects, majors and minors.   

Majors such as English would retain 40-minute periods, and minors could be scheduled into afternoon classes from 1:30-3:00pm of 40-35 minutes duration. Offerings could vary between schools, and at different levels of schooling.

Many possible minor subjects come to mind: Physical Education, Music, Choir, basic to advanced Te Reo, Mandarin, Samoan and other languages, Civics and other citizenship skills, Art, Homecraft, electrical and woodwork skills (for boys and girls), Driving skills and car maintenance, Budgeting, Computer skills, Love and Sex, Oratory/debating, and so on. 

Of course, some minors such as Art and Music could be majors, and where students do not proceed to the more advanced maths, sciences and social sciences, the basic knowledge could be taught as minors. And some minors could be make compulsory, depending on a the 'roundedness' of a child's education.

Further, where the teaching staff lack the knowledge to teach a subject (or some children wished to study something not offered by the school), a national TV channel, dedicated to schools staffed with expert teachers, could be established and beamed into schools during the afternoon.

A spin-off benefit would be that adults could record the subjects they are interested in. TV would become a vehicle of Adult Education. Those of you old enough to remember NZ before TV may recall that many people hoped it would have educational benefits.

After school activities  today are mainly sports. Some of the minor skills would also make ideal after-school activities.

He aha to whakaaro?

What do you think?

--ACW

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