EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 903, 24 August 1910, Page 6

EDUCATION

ADMINISTRATORS IN CONFERENCE. PRELIMINARY BUSINESS. ■ The conference of delegates from .the various education boards in Now Zealand, arranged at the instance of the Wnnganui Education Hoard, commenced its sittings at the Wellington Education Board Office at 10 a.m. yesterday, when there we.-e proso-it the i'ollo.ving delegates:—Auckland: Messrs. C. J. Parr, H. J. Greenslade, M.P., and 11. Crowe (secretary); Taranaki: Messrs. W. M. Kennedy and H. Trimble; Wanganui: Messrs. V. Pirani, F. ■Purnell, G. D. Braik (chief inspector); Hawke's Bay: Messrs. G. F. Roach, W. Morgan, and G. Craw.sbaw (secretary); Wellington: Messrs. K. Lee, A. W. Hogg, M.P., and G. t'. Stewart (secretary); North Canterbury: Messrs. C. H. Opie, T. W. Adams, and 11. C. Lane (secretary); South Canterbury: Messrs. W. M. Hamilton and A. Bell (secretary); Grey: Mr. T. Y. Seddon, M.P., and Hon. A. R. Guinness; Westland: Messrs. J. 'Griiuuioud and A. J. Morton (secretary); Otago: Rev. P. B. Fraser, and Messrs.-J. Mitchell and P. G. l'ryde (secretary); Southland: Messrs. Thomas M'Gibbou, 1). Gilchrist, and J. Neill (secretary). The conference .has no connection- witn. that previously announced by the Minister for Education to be held in February, 1011.

Mr. F. Krani (Wnnganui) was unaui-. niously elected'chairman of the conference, and in making his acknowledgments reviewed the history of the negotiations instituted by his board with regard to the holding of a representative conference of delegates from the various administrative bodies. Since the Minister for Education had not given any indication that .a conference 'would "be convened- this ycai. the Wan'ganui Board, after due consideration, - had decided to take the initiative in the matter, and invite the co-operation .. of the othei boards. He was very gratified thai; Iho conference which had now assembled was of such a representative character, and oven if it were only- to celebarte a tangi, for , according to the Prime. Minister's Budget this session the death .knell of the, boards had been sounded, them still remained, he considered, an urgent necessity lor. their coming together. It had been stated by the Minister for Education .that the conference he had promised stfine time ago would be held .in l'ebiuary next, but if the Budget forecast meant anything at all, there would be no boards to summon to such a conference. Under 'the • circumstances/ he thought it-.wrfs rather unfortunate that the. Government should' not have eonsuited the Minister for Education beiors he committed himself to u conference in 1911. •

Continuing, ,Mr. Pirani, referring to the agenda paper, said that the business of the conference would best be accomplished by the setting up of committees, each one of which would take a section of the seventy odd remits,' consider'it, and bring down recommendations to bo dealt with by the- conference as a whole. Under such an arrangement the whole of the remits should be disposed of in two days. . •'• -_Mr W. 'H. Swnnger, acting-secretary of the Wangnnui Board, was appointed to act as secretary of the conference. -, Correspondence was then taken. - The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) telegraphed his felicitations to the conference, and assured the delegates, ol /his interest, in their deliberations.

The Secretary for Education (Sir E. 0. Gibbes) wrote, regretting his'inability to, be present at the'conference. In view of the fact that much of the business to be transacted was'.concerned with mutters of public policy, it would not.be possible for any of the Departmental officers to contribute, opinions to the discussions of delegates,-but any information which l the conference might require during its deliberations would be gladly' supplied the Department" if possible. The letter was received. ~

A. lengthy, communication ,on the subject' of !th'e primary school 'syllabus was received from the Marlborough School Committees',' Association. : 'The'., letter dwelt on the evils which; in was contended, were-manifestly arising from the unwieldy -nature of the school syllabus, and regretted that more emphasis had not been placed upon that circumstance by the school ..inspectors. : The educational attainments of the children of today, their fitness for practical work after leaving school and entering into commercial and other walks of life, compared very unfavourably with those possessed by school children some years ago, and for this, the present syllabus was held responsible. The letter, was received. \ ; ■'~ '.

It-'was agreed to extend to the. Minister for Education nu invitation to be present at the conference,, should .his Parliamentary, duties 'permit.. The thanks : of the conference were .cordially extended 'to the Wellington Education Board and its executive staff for the very- complete arrangements .-which had been made for the accommodation of the conference. ■',--.-

; The conference .then-resolved itself into various committees -for the -consideration of the remits. Open conference Will be resumed .at 10. a.m. to-day.