EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 174, 9 November 1877, Page 7

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

A. meeting 1 of the Bakdutba branch of the Educational Institute of Otago was held in the school here, on Saturday last. There were present : Messrs Gri«ror (in the chair), Malcolm, M'Neur (secretary), Yonngson, Ay son, Moore, Waddell, Porteous, and Key. Konaldson. The ininutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Secretary reported there were no communications to lay before the meeting. Mr Malcolm mentioned that a valuable library belonged to the Institute, and it had been resolved that books be forwarded to those branches which had paid their subscriptions to the fund, the books after being- read being returned and fresh ones procured. The Chairman explained that the Balclutha branch had received and read. They would now be sent back to tie librarian, and if members would hand him a list of those they wanted, they would be got in return. Mr J. S. Fleming 1 was elected a member of the Infinite. Mr Malcolm mentioned than he understood an attempt was to be made to «lect the Board of Management at a general meeting of the institute. He j - pointed out that each branch should j have a voice in the management, and he intended to do what he could to secure this. Mr Malcolm also called attention to the fact that under the proposed new education arrangements the teachers in Wellington and the northern provinces would be placed on the same footing as to status, remuneration, &c, as- the Otago teachers, although the examinarion that had to be passed by those in Otago was much more difficult than in some of the other Provinces. In Wellington, for example, the. examination was only elementary, and not, so difficult as that prescribed for first-cla«s pupil teachers in Otago. He hoped the teachers here would take a determined stand against this, and demand that the whole teachers of the Colony be placed upon the same-level, and their qualifications be tested according to a standard at least equivalent to that in force in Otago. Several members concurred in this view, and pointed out the '.njustice that would be inflicted were different standards continued. The Chairman then called upon Mr Waddell, who read a paper upon the the subject oi' " Higher Education in District Schools," which we append in full below. The paper was freely criticised by the members present, who concurred generally with the sentiments therein expressed. All acknowledged the ability which had been brought to bear upon the subject, and expressed the hope that they would have many such able, interesting, and instructive papers read at their meetings. On the motion of Mr Malcolm, seconded by Mr Ronaklson, it was suggested that Mr Waddell hand over his paper to the editor of the Clutha Leader, and that- gentleman was requested to publish the same. The meeting then adjourned.