EDUCATION IN WELLINGTON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 909, 31 August 1910, Page 8

EDUCATION IN WELLINGTON.

. REMARKS' BY MR. ROBERT LEE. ■ At yesterday's meeting of-the Wellington Education Board, Mr. Robert Lee was re-elected to the position of chairman for the ensuing year. In .moving- that Mr. "Lee be re-elected, Mr. :A: W. Hogg, M.P., spoke In eulogistic terms of the great work Mr. Lee had dons for the. cause of education in "Wellington, and paid a high' tribute to his indefatigable . energy . and sincerity in everything appertaining to education. Mr. J. Kebbell seconded the motion, which was carried.- : In reply, Mr. .Lee- referred ; to the friendly relations which , existed between the Education Department and the boards Though the Wellington board had to regret the loss of JE2OOO' on' its building grant, its members did. not join with the i impeachments 'of 1 the Department which might come from other quarters. Their' relations, too, with the teaching staffs were of ■ the friendliest character. The district high schools were. progressing satisfactorily.: The, time had come when, in his opinion, the two-' high schools in the Hutt Valley should be combined into one. As to technical schools,-he noted especially the large proportions assumed by the Wellington Technical School, which, however, should now be'put' on a' very much better basis. (Hear, hear.) ; Of the primary schools, it was more difficult to speak. After recalling some of the old headmasters, Mr. Lee 'said it, would be hard for those who had replaced such men- to equal 'them, though'.he'expressed the hope that they would. Referring to certificated, and uncertificated teachers,!he would say-that, thore were some uncertificated teachers who were better, qualified "to teach and train children than some who had gained certificates.'' It was,good that the children should be > under ladies: and gentlemen of high training and superior education. He knew of one case, that of a lady from the Old Country'with Oxford and Cambridge certificates, who could speak German and French fluently, yet under the certificate system slio could not be appointed. He regretted that the system could not bo relaxed a little, to admit such persons to the teaching profession! Mr! Lee concluded his' remarks with ;the :hope. that, the year just opened would see continued progress in education in the Wellington district.