EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 904, 25 August 1910, Page 4

EDUCATION.

{ADMINISTRATORS IN CONFERENCE. STANDING GRIEVANCES VENTI-?V^-:-;V;. LATED. V. ;/;;;. ' ; ::> -.A STRENUOUS DAY. t\ .-.',-.;.' "•■.•..-•. ■_ ■:■-.-" !';.' The conference of delegates from the various- Education Boards ■of the Do.imnionwas resumed -yesterday, Mr. F.:Pirani presiding. Mr. G. Hbgben, ■ Inspector-General of Schools, was prefisent -throughout the- day., Mr. Jas. : Allen;, M.P..- for Bruce, ..was also pre- ; sent during the forenoon sitting., '.'■.-'-Ihe four sub-committees—A, B, .0, ;iaj down separato sets of. recommendations as tho result of their deliberations . upon ■ the respective sections of remits; alloted to' -them, -and tho conference straightway pro-ceeded-to dispose of these item by item., IT: LOCAL CENTRALISATION. f FOR BQARDSi ' Should ,tho'-three departments '.. of' .educational work in 'a.district— primary secondary ' -.'education, and governed "solely I by,one district board, or, as atpresent, Jiby three'distinct controlling authorities, hall.more or less'tinked together, if not, /in,an administrative sense,, at'least in ■an educational sense? Upon this, question' there, centred an interesting. -.. de-, bate. ■ The commrttefl appointed to re■■port upon the question recommended:— I . "That-it is not desirable 'to ; havo ! uniformity in the method of local control and secondary ;educat.tion..throughout the Dominion; that i (due 'regard should bo had to the in("teresta: of the . smaller education districts j: 'that the..-education.- boards '■should be represented.-, on both technical i'.and- secondary governing bodfes as at il present-and that tho. method of elec-' K tion and "tenure of office-of these bodiesj:«h6uld/be amended."' ■'.' ' '.-'" I Speaking to the motion'for the adop-. i tion of this clause, the chairman of the |:'A Committee explained'that: tho. \ comCmittee were■ unanimous on.tho question lof reserving- k> the■ local • authorities i their existing, powers, but'we're not ■in favour of bringing the goveriiment of .seoondar) , and technical education under |the'. same- authority. ]' The ..work _of 'teclmioal education, to earn, the sympathy, and interest of all classes of tho i .comniimity ,. ebould as far. as possible y, be.controlled- ; by repreeentatiyes of all -classes; • '-. . '■/'.'••."■'■. ; Mr.'G. D. Braik (Wangauui) conitended that the education ,hoards,_ as 'theV central gdveraing- local authority, t';;wexe; quite capable of; supervising -all; {■branches of education in its district; t. ; He '/thought that; the third part of .the. f.jclanse might be amende to concentrate t'its.intention. Hβ.moved:—-, -~..-•' r '-'That the election and tenure of office f -of"high school boards- -and techaical ;.BchpoF- ! associated;' boards '. 'should bo |: : :amen<ied." ; . :■". ... . .',. -.. .' f- '■- /The" amendmentwas seconded by Mr. i?.Guthriei M.P."'-;' -...' ■■■'■-■■.. ,■• :; '-, ■■■■' |-;j-;.'- : 'The chiinnaai (Mr. the [course ;of, .an. .interesting .speech, de-'.. [: scribed ■ the development' .-of 'i technical, j' education ..in; ,tho ,- "Wanganui district [ nnder a : system'of control bytho. cenf.tral local .authority.' The_district' had f; 'bcen'-divaded into'• three districts, each ('under a.director, and technical ■ schools, I'- enthusiastically supported b}'. all classes j'of-.tho. community, paying their' way, S -,ajid'-,flcHiiishiiig'.',ni'..ev.ory.:.respeot, had f- teen established .; in. every' j; centre.of-the education, dislstrict. >:,.Thoy:' should"have , a "thorough i. system of Government from top to. botI'itom. '■:-,; He,disagreed, further with the k opinion fiat secondary, schools should' '/ lie controlled : by a separate'local authoI , ,; xity. Ho had had'experience'with that i system, and he condemned it. As.an }-4sxanip]e of-what could; be clone by'a i'-iinincd system, :he pointed to'the Wa-I'-'^igamii'Girls' College—the finest in NewZealand. . . '. '•'.,' f Mr. Parr: What. about-the Boys'. : : ."•.' [-;' TheVchairmaa:-We.don't control tliat '•■;~7-much-'the worse.for the.boys. . - [• Mr." Mitchell (Otago) dissented from" f-'the suggestion that the, boards should [intrude, upon the territory now hold by 'other...educational controlling authorities in. its district.' To do that wa-sto [ : : f creat» i ;,.dissension ! ..and-neutrah'so local [ 'iaterest.-. : '. .. ■ . '■.-'. : . ' ..- ■ £■: '. Mr.'M'Gibbon said that ho would liko j .the reinstatement of the-original rei,.mit- froin SoutUand:. "That: the' ad- [-.' jninistratioa of primary., technical, and ;"Becondary education be under the con-, j. trol of education- boards,\ plus .tho I amendment of Mr. Braik's,.tp take tho [.place -of the. committee's recommenda{..iion, and moved .accordingly." Mr.: [." M'Gibbon's ■ motion • for the reinstatoj men.t:of the original remit was ropect- ! /Ed, .and the l , committee's recommonda-j-tion,-as amended by Mr. Braik, was fedopted.";■ ■'■• ; '.. .-"' ' -."-i j- ;■ FOSTERINC ILLITERATES^ I';; age:op,'exemptiontoolow. ! .-Continuation, classes for boys', and f \girls up to the age of 18 were strongly, j> advocated by Mr. C.-.-J. Parr (Auck- ! land)' jn moving the adoption of the [following recommendation by Section [■'. A Committee:— ...;■■■ — ■ ■ "... : . !■ "That boys and'girls be required to i attend continuation classes up to the j. ago of ,18, unless'they aro otherwise '. continuirig their education with suitj able provision for exemptions," I '/There was, ho , said, a serious leakage |: taking place in the-'numbers of those ■: who should bo continuing their studies ./after passing Standard IV. Tho age of ['.-•■. exemption,;. (14). pormitted ~ that. It I. means ..that, hslf the population, of the j; country was illiterate. - It could be r shown, he. continued, that 35 per cent 'of the. pupils, who passed Standard VI ! dropped their education at that point. L~This was 'really a very serious ques-. !' tion; and had. already received tho atj tention of other countries. In many I places'at the prosent timo'.the law ini sisted .upon attendance .at continuation ;.' classes' up till"tfie age of-18.- ■ ! The recommendation was adopted. . ','. It was also resolved: . . . : j "Tliat this conference is of opinion i that it is worthy of careful consideraj. tion by, the Hon. tho Minister whether I the standard of. exemption (Standard. ! V) should not be abolished, and, with ' due reservations, every child compelled r to.remain in a primary, secondary, or ;, technical school until the age of 14 at [. least.", ■ ■■ ■ . .-. j: .. Speaking to this resolution, thp. Rev. P. B. Eraser referred to the rep'rehen- !; sible indifference of parents to the ? benofits'of the free education. which [■!• the country offered. One individual to ''his own personal knowledge had pubi'.licly boasted of the fact that the situa- ; tioii of bis. place .of. abode, boing out- :' side the; school district in his' locality, '■placed him beyond the reach of the I; law respecting compulsory school at- :■ tendance. I Apropos of the foregoing, the rcso- ; lution hereunder was also adopted, at I a later stage:— .. ' ■ ; ; '■; ■ ':. "That the Department's'-. attention ; be called, to'the fact that Regulation ;■ No. 17 (examination and inspection of ■■ schools)' is practically a dead letter; J that every year a large number of, , children leave the public schools withi> out having received from an inspector i i.a certificate as to the proficiency they |; ; ..-have attained, and'that- under such F ■ regulation it should be -mandatory for [',-inspectors to ( examine children inStan- !-. l.dardVfor competency certificates."

DISTRICT BOUNDARIES. A READJUSTMENT DESIRED,. Some discussion arose upon a'motion by' Mr. H. Trimbell (Taranaki),. with reference to the readjustment of the education district' boundaries,— Ho moved: — That the Government bo requested to sot up a Royal Commission, upon whicheducation boards would.bo represented, to alter the boundaries of education districts so as to iucreaso the size- of tho smaller districts and : reduce, that of tho larger ones. :■■■•■ Tho' general trend of' the ■■ discussion was in favour of the idea of revising the present partition of the Dominion for tho purposes of administering tho education system. There was, it was agreed, not sufficient uniformity in tho size of tho present districts. Axickland was a huge unwieldy district; Taranaki was so small that tho educational efficiency might well be better served by the: absorption of a portion of the Auckland district, while certain of the smaller districts in tho South Island might be amalgamated. As to the-method of-proceeding towards this end, there was some difference of opinion. Mr. C. J.- 'Pair (Auckland) was of opinion that the end would bo attained by consultation between tho boards •and tho Department. " Hβ moved an amendment to that effect. Tho chairman (Mr. Pirani) dissented from the previous speaker. Ho had not Mr. Parr's faith- in the Department. He could not.see how a satisfactory solution of the problem would be. attained except by a.Royal Commission consisting of representatives of education boards, the Education Department, and expert surveyors. Mr. Parr's amendment was "flat, stale, and unprofitable." '.. , Tho Rev. P. B. Fraser supported Mr. ■Parr. They were apparently agreed .on the,main question in the disproportionate, size of the districts—but, wore not agreed upon the mariner of. ad justing this. . ■ After further discussion, Mr. Parr s amendment, '' slightly ■' modified, • was adopted. ■<' ; - PROFESSIONAL MATTERS. SALARIES, CERTIFICATES, AND TRAINING., , Thenumber of uncertincated teachers at present holding appointments in the schools'of New- Zealand has frequently been the subject of' comment. •'As a remedial measure,' the conference resolved/:— .' . "... ... |p ', , • ■'(a) ''that the' Department ■ be. advised to divide the D examination into two sections, with a view, to the encouragement of uncertificated ■ teachers to qualify for certificates"; (b) ."That any teacher or candidate having passed in any single subject shall not be required to . take such subject for the examination." .....-,■■ On the suggestion of.Mr. R. Crowo (Auckland), it 'was.'also agreed that a time-limit--th«o years—should bo imposed. .Teachers to ■whom ' might be extended'the benefit of such-'provisos, should, he said, bo expected to take advantage .of them ' within a reasonable period! ':•■"'■. • It was also resolved:... .-:..-■• • , "That the salaries of assistants' in the, secondary departments : of district-high schools are insunicicntj-'arid that the Honourable the Minister , for Education be requested to have the scale amended SO; as to increase such salaries.", -.-, , ', The conference.also adopted the'following:, resoltition. with "reference .to pupil-teachers and 'matriculation:- , — ' . "That, in ' view of tho contemplated raising of- the standard of' matriculation .'examination,''.the,'Departinent. bo recommended to, substitute 1 , for such. examination another, .mqro in consonance with, the attainments, of pupil teachers who have not passed' the .matriculation examination. before the. end of .their second year, -thp: passing of such examination to, carry admission -to- tho Training College.'V '-. ■ ■'■;■ ■ Two recommendations oh the subject -of training colleges were' adopted :— "That no!, deduction, should'he-made from allowances of training college students on account of payment for services rendered-in teaching during term holidays." '.' ■ ■.'• ' "That the Education Department be requested 'to make provision for, the cleaning. , ' and other incidental ■expenses.of training college buildings." The interests- of- isolated-.teachers were represented, by the. following remit, which was adopted:—. . "That provision.be made by'the Department for isolated teachers attending demonstration schools within their own districts for ono month in each year for the . first, two years after appointment. . ■',•'• i ■•': Recommendations affecting the appointmerit and classification of teachers, and also superannuation, were- adopted as follows: — ~" ; ".'.." '.;'. ~.'.'. . ' 1. "That tho Education, Boards bo recommended when considering applications for appointment as. teachers, to apply their regulations to all candi : dates irrespective of the district from which they .apply." . 2. "Ihat it be a recommendation to Education Boards to adopt schemes of grading and classification of teachers on a uniform basis, mainly of ability (including-professional skill), scholastic attainments,-and length of service, with a' view to early formulation of a schemq foT the whole of the Dominion." 3. "That the Minister be requested to promote an amendment of tho Public Service Classification and Superannuation Act to provide for the admission on equitable terms, ana without loss of back service, of those' members-of the education service' "who' have' hitherto found themselves unable to. take advantage of the provisions of tho Act." -(otago.) . -.■"..'• ; 4. "That the: Minister- be requested to promote an amendment of the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Act to provide that contributors co the Teachers' Superannuation Fund who retired prior to October IG, 1908, and whose allowances aro lower than .those provided : under the Act of 1908, shall from the date of tho passing. of the amending Act receive allowances calculated as under the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Act of 1908."-(Otago.) . \ INTO CLOSER TOUCH. ■ EDUCATION BOARDS AND THE v DEPAIITMENT. Mr. D. H. Guthrie, M.P.- (Wanganui), moved: — '"That it is necessary in the interests of education that there should bo some clearer'definition of the relations existing between the Education Department and the education boards (1) in tho direction of giving the boards somo power in the compositioin of the syllabus, (2) in.framing regulations, and (3) as representing the'people, ■ in shaping the educational policy of tho Dominion." The motion was seconded by Mr. Parr (Auckland), who observed, inter alia, that the syllabus urgently required alteration, and he wished to state' emphatically that hoards claimed tho right to be consulted upon such an important matter.—Adopted. Another recommendation adopted under this head was the following:— "That the alteration of regulations or the enactment of new regulations without consultation with education boards is inimical to the smooth working of education administration." On the subject of book-keeping it was resolved: — , , "That'in the matter of tho-record of tho cost of tho administration of tho several education boards, the Department be requested to revert to tho eystan in operation prior to the year

I 1903, namely, to show in separato columns tho expenses of tho actual administration, and the expenditure on inspectors' salaries and allowances respectively." HICHER EDUCATION. SOME INTERESTING SUGGES- • ' TIONS. It was also resolved: — "1. That it bo a recommendation to the Department to establish a system of agricultural and other technical scholarships." Speaking to the recommendation, Mr. Opio (North Canterbury) said tliat what was desired was not more money for tho purposes indicated by the recommendation, but a rearrangement of tho benefits. at present existing for higher education. Life was too strenuous nowadays for a boy to be saddled with unnecessary learning, and the whole>trend of modern thought in modern countries was in the direction of vocational education. The recommendation was adopted. "2. That young people be admitted free to continuation classes, and that holders of Standard VI competency certificates be allowed to attend prescribed practical courses at technical schools free." "3. That provision be mado for an intermediate certificate for pupils taking a three-years' course at the district high schools, or in other . secondary schools and technical 'schools." "4. Tliat where, the Education Department considers it necessary, the secondary department of a district high school may 'be abolished, and that 'assistance bo given to technical schools .where they exist in the same town." . "5. That provision be mado for grants sufficient to enablo scientific instruction to be given in district high schools or technical schools by competent instructors."