THAT RURAL COURSE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1188, 25 July 1911, Page 5

THAT RURAL COURSE.

FOR PETONE SCHOLARS. AN INTERESTING CONFERENCE.

A conference was held last evening between the committee of the Petone District High School and the Wellington Education Board, in regard to the institution of a rural course nt the Petone High School. Tho chair was occupied by Mr. Kobt. Lee, chairman of the Education Hoard.

Mr. V. M'Kenzie, chairman of the District High School Committee, advocated tho claims of Petone for the adoption by the board of the proposed rural course, and pointed to the success of tho cour«o at the Masterton school. He stated that the pupils of this school had done very well in the matter of scholarships. Ihe Rev. A. Thomson pojnted out that ithe, High School Comniittee-had' been by no means unanimous oh adopting a rural course, Tho motion in favour of it had been carried on Mr. M'Kenzie's vote. He went on to say that Petone was an indusz[ lal PJ* vt , of Wellington, and therefore they should cater for that aspect of

Mr.-Lee observed that the board wonld consider whether it was not possible to both parties. If the meeting wished to hear Inspector Fleming they could do sn. '

Inspector Fleming stated that the teachers in Petone were excellent, as judged on their work, and the Government inspectors had formed the same opinion. U was rather difficult for the inspector to give a pronouncement on the rural course, but they (the inspectors) had reported last year on the scheme. Personally, he believed that, -when they got tno course worked with teachers properly qualified, it would not interfere with prepSra' lon , for 'natTiculation; To make it absolutely perfect, the course required more hours per week than was now allowed. Ho thought that the course could be carried out at Petohe under certain conditions, but, unless the Petone committee would alter the conditions, thev were not prepared, as inspectors, to lavdown a course. Before thev thrust the course on Petone, they should see if they conld not make the conditions better, fhero were only two teachers at Petone, and, at present, the classes had to be broken up, and the children had to go half a milo to the building where other courses were held. His opinion was that it was not a rural course that-was wanted at Petone, but an industrial course. (Hear, hear.) If he had the power of amending the rural course, it would have more English in it. • As things stood at present at Petone, he did not see that it, would be fair to thrust a rural courseon them. Even an extra teacher would not solvo the problem. Mr. Foster, headmaster of Petone District High 'School, said that half the school consisted of what might bo termed a commercial class, and he did not think that sufficient prominence had been given to this in the discussion. When he went to the school he was asked to report on the rural course, and he reported adversely and there his resnonsibility ended. Ho had since drafted a scheme at the suggestion of the inspector, but it could not be carried out unless the buildings and garden were self-contained. One of the first hurdles to overcome was that another hour a day would be required to ht in the courses. Il 2u pctt Sr *' lemi "S her o remarked that he thought that the course, as previously out inert to the board by Mr. Foster, could be carried out, given an extra hour per day.

J } l ';, M A? nz,e ' ! u rePfr t fl 'he inspector, said that the majority of the school committee were agreeable that the scholars should bo -up to the Technical School rooms. Tho next thing was for tho board to meet the Board of Managers of tho Technical School, and get the rooms u t .i 'A> Thon] pson did not think that tho managers of the Technical School would object to use being made of their school in the daytime. Tho other body, however, had to be consulted. iif /}■ logB ' I f J> - EtatC( l that he had followed the rural course at the Mas terton School very closely, and had not heard an adverse word against its introduction there. The headmaster of the school (Mr Jackson) spoke highly of it and said it in no way imneded tho nrepnrahon of the pupils for their exam nations. The best proof that if had ? t .east done no harm-he would not outline the good it had done-was that no district high school had given a better account of itself in examinations than Masterton. He was informed that eve,, oiio presented at the examination pn«cd the junior civil service examination and nio same thing happened in the matriculation. (Hear, hear.)

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