TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 13

TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

,, t , -— ANNUAL NEW ZEALAND CONFERENCE, THE ORDER PAPER. Tho annual conforonco of delegates from tho affiliated branches of tho New Zealand Educational Institute will do held in WeUington m JaniUuy noit. Visiting delegates will assemble on Mondaj, January 3, and the sittings of tho confaronto will commence on the following day. It. is anticipated that tho gathoring will bo one of the most important in the history of the institute Thera are 1 a largo number of remits on tho order paper, and some of those deal with urgent questions affecting the Noiv f Zealand education 1 system. ' , , Administration of the Act. No fewer than fourteen remits from the various branches refer to tho administration of tho Education Act. They covoi the following suggestions .- If education boards have the powoi to transfer a teacher to an inferior position or grade of school, ,then steps should bo taken to aniond , the Education Act so us to withdraw that power.—(Giey.) ■The Teachers' Court of Appeal Act should bo amended so as to titinsfors as "oil as dismissals.-{\Vanganui) rThn inspiictors should'bo placed under the control of tho Education Department with respect to tho interpretation of tho regulations and of the syllabus.—(AubUand.J \ The Minister for Education should bo asked to i introduco legislation t that shall nioko it compulsory for pupils attoudinft tho primpty Bchodls of the Domimon to attGlid every tj.Sfte the school is open, tho usual coemptions being alloived.—<South Canterbury.) The standard of exemption should be the Sixth Standard, not the Fifth Standard, as at present,—(Auckland,) "Till such time as schools can be staffed with assistants only, a candidate for , the teaching > profession should servo an apprenticeship of at least four years, two of which shall bo as f ' pupU-tcachor and two as a student in a training college, or three as a papil-teaoher and one ' v in, the training collage,—(North Canterbury.) Inasmuch as the Education Act Amendment 'Act, 1908, anticipates the substitution of trained i assistants for pnp\l-tcachers, the Minister for Education should be' respectfully urged that Borne' regulation be framed whereby as the supply of trained teachers allows, assistants may be "gradually appointed in lieu of pupil-ieachers.-<North Canterbury,) The present eystom of distribution of free Bchdol books is unsatisfactory.—(Wellington) Stops should bo taken to ascortain'-what additional payments could bo made to the Teachers' Superannuation Funds to provide a bettor allowance to the widows of contributors —(Wanganui.) i ' ' The rcsulations bearing on the conveyance of 6choof children to school should bo so amended as to enable any parent who 11; e , ) out- / eid-ei the three nitte radius and provides a conveyance, to claim tho crant for each day his child 'attends soheol.-iA.uckland). The- Primary .School Syllabus. ' The agitation for tho amendmont of the ' primary eohool syllabus still continues, as will be seen from tho following points fiot out for / discussion und9r this hoad:— < - Tho Minister for Education ehould be asked 'to'add to the conference of inspectois to be - held early, in ISIO, -representatives of headmasters, infant Mistresses, sole teachers and assistants.—(Otago.) i < , < Any extension of the prescribed duration of the school day beyond a limit of five hours is , inexpedient.—(North Canterbury.) The suitability of tho existing primary school syllabus to present day requiremonia should be considered with a view of making recommendations to the proposed conference of inspectors and teachers • early in 1910.—(South Canterbury,) " , , The syllabus ehould be 'amended in the direction of having the work in. the various subjects mado more definite.—(Taranaki.) The mshtuto approves (generally of the English'course at present prescribed by the syllabus, but suggests s—That spelling should bo judged , from the general work of the ohildren and not from speoial tests; that in writing encouragement should be given to the acquirement of facility.in. conjunction legibility! that' in seleoting subjects for composition, teachers and inspectors should bo required to give prominence to 'those topics of which tho children havo a nfiisthand laid.) ' , ' t , '• .' 'The syllabus in arithmetic should he reconsidered and recast.—(Auckland.) . -In, singing, tho. syllabus is not'arranged so ns to give the greatest educational value, and duo regard is not paid to all the following — Tune, time, tone, voice and ear, training arid breathing exercises,—(Auckland.) The tyllabus in sowing is not arranged so , > as to be of the greatest educational value — (Auckland.) A,definite course of instruction in temperance should be included in the syllabus.—(Nel- , son) , < / The Education Department ehould be asked to issue periodically a pamphlet similar to the "Suggestions" of tho English 'Board o\ Education.—(Auckland.) , i Teachers' 'Interests. < The teachers aio not unmindful of tho importance of consistently agitating for a systematic Bchomo of promotion, and also of other matters affecting, their professional intorcsts. ' South Canterbury desires to have reaffirmed the principles of the promotion ■ scheme as adopted in. IMB, and urges that the Minister for Education formulate a tentative scheme co-1 ordmate with tho University districts of the I Dominion.—(South Canterbury,) i A fixed position on the staff should I bo allotted to teachers of the in-' fant department of primary schools, , and the salary attached to the position should i not be lcsiTtlon that received by the second assistant.—(Southland.) ■ -• r * Salaiies provided for assistants in secondary departments of district high schools aro not in proportion to thoso'in other branches of school work and ought to bo substantially mcreased.HWellington.), When teachers are transferred to other Bcnopls of'tho same or of a lower grade, their , travelling expenses should ho paid by the Education Dcpartment.-^Auckland.),' Tho needlework requirements for tho toaohers' certificates are excessive.-(Welhng. ton.); tho attention of tho Minister for Education should -he drawn* to tho sewing paper sot for'teachers' D certificate, the work set on cutting, out 'being pn noither practical nor educativo lines-(North Canterbury.) Smging i should be deleted from the compulBory subjects and classified as optional for teachers certificates.-Uucklan-i.) Othw .Matters. , In view of the great benefits accruing to education through the issue of Saturday concession tickets to teachers, the Minister should bo asked to continue tho present concessions to attend classesHNorth. Canterbury.) lho Minister for Education should bo,asked to consider the following facts -(a) That many Bohool playgrounds aro unduly congested; (b) that many othws aro likely soon to bo in a similar state; (c) that in somo parts of tho larger towns children havo not spaco for suitable play; (d) that as, play forms tho basis of physical and mental development in tho child, it is necessary for the national good that provision ehould be made for tho acquirement jn tho present and future of larger areas for pla}grouttQS.-(A.uokland.) • Tho officers of the Health Department should > "K 11 an ? systematically inspect the schools and' the school children of New Zealand.(South Canterbury); the Government be asked to .appoint trained nurses to assist head teachers in caring for, tho health of the'chil. dren.—(Wellington.) '• ' .Tho work done by_ cadet, officers ehould be KCdgmsed by the issue of commissions to those of proved.efficiency .-(Auckland.) leachers residences should bo fitted with modern conveniences.—(Auckland.)