Summary

Course at a teacher training college or they are university who have taken an additional one year teaching qualify On a national average about 35% of pupils continue to the two final years of secondary school, even though school attendance is only compulsory between the ages of six and fifteen year, I two years students begin to specialize in their course of Some may choose to follow a Science stream; others may Arts (Humanities), Commerce or Technical Arts as their main area of concentration.

At the same time as they are beginning to specialize in their sub-ject areas, students are encouraged to become more independent learners. How is this done ? Let us look into some year 12 classrooms in a modern school. What are we likely to find?

The first room we come to is full of noise and activity: most of the students are huddled in threes and fours around workbenches, talking and occasionally calling out in excitement. One group, goes across to the glass cabinet on the wall and takes an instrument from it; a girl drifts over to another group of her

order to watch their progress. Moving closer we can see that they are dissecting rats; it is a biology lesson. In a quieter corn: back of the room three students, sitting separately, are Of the experiment which they have just finished leave, there is a burst of laughter from one group and, looking we see the teacher for the first time; she is joining in the laughter and pointing out to one of the students his mistake in confusing heart with its liver.

The next room is much calmer, although it seems to be who is conducting the lesson. He is standing at front poem to a group of about twenty others, including the teacher who sit in a semi-circle around him. stop reading and ask an opinion about the poem. There is an embarrassed silence for a moment; people look at the floor and the ceiling, shuffle shy or uncertain to speak first. Then one girl quietly .

She liked the poem; it has a mood of joy and freed slience again. Another girl points out an image she didn't under A thinks it's too difficult, too obscure. The boy next to her Others join in; suddenly there is a babble of talk, and the m become a cluster of separate conversations. The boy next to at looks confused. He tries to speak over the noise but cannot himself heard. The noise goes on until the teacher claps for silence.

As we go out the door we hear her talking to the door, you read the poem well and you were beginning to get discussion going. But you must try to guide the speaker Direct who is to speak first . . .'