New Zealand Education: Academics--Development Programs

Figure 1.--.

Secondary schools are also working hard to make sure that the less academically gifted all are able to successfully develop their potential. Programs exist to help those students who have difficulties in academic study. Their problems usually stem from a lack of development in Mathematics and English. Weakness in these two areas affects other subjects and so they experience continual failure and often become demotivated and develop low self-esteem.

Purpose

This program has been developed to help those students who have difficulties in academic study. Their problems usually stem from a lack of development in Mathematics and English. Weakness in these two areas affects other subjects and so they experience continual failure and often become demotivated and develop low self-esteem.

The Program

The development programs vary from school to school. One secondary school provides one class each in Forms 3, 4 and 5 to help these students progress. In all subjects, emphasis is placed on the acquisition of basic skills and content. The syllabus is trimmed down to its bare essentials which are then presented to the students in an appropriate manner. These classes are kept small (about 16-18 students). As the students are of similar ability, each young man is able to develop, have teacher attention and is not swamped by the more able students. Key features leading to the success of this programme are that students opt to go into the programme, and that students who are not prepared to make the effort or are disruptive are removed from the programme.

Goal

The goal of these development programsis that students, when ready, move out of the programme into ordinary classes and are able to cope as they will have the basic skills and knowledge in order to survive. Many of these students have done extremely well in School Certificate with a number achieving results in excess

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