THE SCHOOL WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1360, 10 February 1912, Page 10

THE SCHOOL WORLD.

AN EDUCATIONAL REVIEWNOTES FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY. Teachers and others interested in the administration of education are invited to contribute notei; for publication iu •■The School World." These should lie addressed to the Kditor, "The School World," Tin: Uomixiiin-, Wellington, Correspondents desiring enlightenment upon any <|iiestiou in connection with the school work, or the general administration of the education system, are invited to submit thcFC points to the Kditor for elucidation and reply. Where, anonymity is desired, it will be strictly observed. MUMPS AND MEASLES. SCHOOL EPIDEMICS. The North Canterbury Education Hoard recently wrote to the District Health Officer, giving details of ca-os of mumps during the recent 'epidemic, and received tho following reply.—"The information is of interest as showing that cases of mumps were readmitted to school- in all stages of the disease. In. tho ease of mumps, it may be questionable whether, when mumps are widely epidemic, as was the case in Christchurch, this policy is a harmful one. In the case of measles, there is no doubt that such a policy as has apparently been followed in 'some schools is harmful, more especially in the infant department. The reason is that tho younger the. child is the more danger there is of measles proving fatal, or of doing permanent injury to the child's health." APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS, POSITION OF TRAINING COLLEGE STUDENTS. Recently the Campbell .Street School Committee (Paimeriton Xorth) protested against the action of [lip Wiiuganui Education Board in appointing n.-sistnnts at tho school direct from the Training College instead of advertising the vacancies. Mr. G. H. Dennett, a niember of the board, has siiiL'e stated the position of tho board in this regard to tlio. "Manawatu Standard." It was one of the inducements held out to pupil teachers, he said, that if they would undertake a course at the Training College they would be given positions as assistants, provider! that their work was done to Iho satisfaction of the Principal. If the board called for applications for the positions, as desired by the Campbell Street School Committee, the chances were that many teachers in the Training College would be left without positions. Mr. Honnett considered that the board acted within the Statute which gives it power to transfer teachers. As teachers in the Training College were in the employ of the Education Department the board was quite within its rights in transferring as it had done in the present ca«e. The committee found no fault with tho two teachers appointed to Campbell Street; in fact the credentials of both teachers were excellent, and the references from tho Principal of the Training College, particularly so. Even if the board called for applications, there was nothing in the Act to compel it to send on more than one name, as was done by nearly every Education Board in Now Zealand that had not adopted the transfer system. The demand for certificated male teachers was 'greater than the supply, and at its last meeting the board appointed to a. position worth .£l3O a year an uncertificated teacher, no other being available. TARANAKI SCHOLARSHIPS. POSITION OF THE ENDOWMENTS. By the University Endowment Act of 1808 certain lands, including 10,000 acres of confiscated land to lie set apart in tho province of Taranaki, were declared to be a reserve for the endowment of a colonial university to b« thereafter established. Tho New Zealand University Act, ISM, provided that the proceeds derived from the laud should be dealt with for promoting higher education in the province of Taranaki. The land was vested in the Public Trustee iu l!lOf>, and in the Crown in 1310, as an endowment for providing scholarships to be called "Taranaki Scholarships." These were to be awarded annually on the results of the junior scholarship examination of the university, and were of an annual value of .ECO, tellable for three years. Unfortunately (comments the "Wauganui Herald") it so happens that, under the present condition of secondary education in. Taranaki, the stipulations of the endowment preeUulo the scholarships being availed of. With the object.of having the terms of the endowment amended, a conference of Taranaki representatives was suggested, and tho Chief Inspector of the Wanganui Board was asked to report upon suggested amendments to the terms. "The preliminary examination," he reported, "appenrs to lie pitched in too high a key for so small an area of competition. As the scholarship is not a private foundation but a public endowment, the basis of competition might very well bo broader. It might very easily go to a certain number of Taranaki candidates taking the highest places at tho matriculation examination of the University of Now Zealand, provided that they ore prepared to comply with the conditions of tenure. The scholarships might possibly lead to a professor's chair, but they might bo less serviceable if they led to the making of intelligent citizens, especially citiz.ens well versed in the industrial needs of tho provincial district of Taranaki. The name, might l:o amplified to read 'Taranaki scholarships for Hie Promotion of Agricultural .Studies nml Research,' and the successful scholarship candidates might be required to pursue (heir studies at one of tho university colleges with a view to their taking the B.Sc. degree in Agriculture. Thus claims of scholarship and industrial problems in Taranaki would both be satisfied." It has now been agreed that ti'conference, of representatives of tho Taranaki and Wanganui Education Boards shall meet tho members of Parliament in the Taranaki district to discuss what action should bo taken in order that the Taranaki university scholarship should be arranged on a more liberal basis. VARIOUS NEWS ITEMS. Last year the Hawke's Bay Education Board was unable, to obtain applications for all the probation vacancies. This year the supply exceeded the demand, and'the Education Department has granted permission to tho board to (ill the vacancies held over from last year. Of the 2Z candidates who gained (lOfl or more marks in the recent examination for .Junior National and Educaton Board junior scholarships, Otago claims 7, "Wellington j, Auckland and Toranaki I each, and Nelson'and Hawke's Bay 1 each. The Law and Accountancy Committee of the Olago University Council has appointed Mr. G. W. lieid, of Wellington, Lecturer on Accountancy, and Mr. H. J). Bedford Lecturer on the Legal Subjects of Accountancy. The appeal case of Mr. T. Stasjpoole against his dismissal from the Linton School by the Wang;ur.ii Education Board will )]« opened in Wauganui to-day beforo Messrs. Kerr, S.M., L. W. lSroad 'appointed by the board), and 1!. M'N'ab (apointed by the Teachers' Institute on Mr. Stagpuole's behalf). .Air. Fred. Pirani will appear for the board, and Mr. Stewart, of Auckland, for Mr. Stagpoole. Tho case will further he adjourned from Wangnnui In Pal.ii'Tslon North, opening then , on Saturday, February 17. This year a new departure will be observed in some of Iho Auckland city schools, with the object of releasing the children to -nine extent from indoor'work during the brat of the dny for the remaining wecli-i of summer. Work will commence »t S.liO a.m., proreedin? till 11.Ill), when there will be an interval for lunch, and the day'-, work will terminate at 2.SD p.m. Shelter-sheds as school? are to bi> tried by the Auckland i'.diicaiiim Board with n' view Id I heir erection at places when . Hi!- jifleiidance i< not sulilciont l,i warrant a fully-equipped school buildin; , . To test the cllieicncy of (h> scheme (| lc board's architect is to prepare plans for a sholfer-hcd -chord at a com of ,CTjO The trend of evenU due t.i the development of the free-place sy.-leni at secondary school".—ln accepting the pn-ition of representative of the Otago Education Board on the Tlifrli School Board of Governors, the Hon. Mr. Fergus said that if I bey put him on the b«nrd he wnntnl. tluuA to uiulerslaad Uiat hn wwt oa it

[ with the ruin intention of having it abol'flu- worlc <.f the Iticli School Board ami lluiL of the Education Board ovci-lii])|ied, and there wore only two or Hi rue paying puiiils in the (.iirls' High Sclinol, and not more than half a dozen in the HmV dish School, who won' drawn from thoJ)i.-trietHi<!li Schools and lOordiunry school.-, and why they should have a fei>arate body wi!h all flip iiar.iphernnlia of ollices anil stall' ho failed In s«\ Hi; tin-in to nmlcHiiiul On*-, that if ho was suit to tiic jriKh Schools Hoard lip would l'o for Hie purpose of scpins; it abolished. !!<■ would do his utmost in that direction. He was jnst as nnii-h in favour of that oour=e :n he was in favour of wpin;; the Legislative Council very iiiucli rcfornu'd iiidred. He would like tliPtn to jenow llio position ho took up. The Appointments Cmnmitleo of the Norlli Canterbury Kducation Board recently received a report, from its Chief 'inspector to the elfpet that of the eight uncertiucated (caclicrs wiio had ii desire for n-sistanco in their .-tudies, une was siftins fnr her cprli'icate, a second needeil instruction in music only, two others could not fix at date when they could attend a special das*, while three others were practically governesses at small aided schools. In these circumstances it was recommended thai: a correspondence class should be established in connection with the Training College, as such a dais would also meet the requirements of somt! teachers who wero unable to incur the cost of board and travelling. The recommendation was adopted, and application is to be made to the Department for the renewal of its olfer for the current year. Tivo Taihnpo hoy? (states a. contemporary) have proved the truth of the sayini', "Be sure your sins will find you out." They.were successful in eludim; the vigilant eye of-the supervisor while they indulged in ".systematic collusion" over Junior Civil Service examination papers. The boys were no doubt proud of this achievement, but Nomesis,. in the evil eye of the examiner, has overtaken them. The remarkable similarity in the answers struck the keen corrector, and (he two candidates have been unceremoniously disqualified. A third boy was also implicated, but ho- is considered to have been mur« sinned afiiiinst that sinning. Now, the learned gentleman who supervised >ixleen boys is to bo asked his explanation of the incident. The lion. T. IVrgus (Olago Education Board), discussing rpccully his impressions of education in Canada and tho United States, said that while on his travels he had frequently thought of tho board's alfairs, and of its meeting.?, and it had been of interest to him to visit the schools in Canada and the United States as opportunity arose, and compare the back-blocks schools there with the remoter schools of Otugn. He hail come to 'ho conclusion, nnd ho held it very strongly, that the Otago schools could not be beaten much either in Canada or in the States. They had the same- troubles there as we had here in getting teachers for the numerous schools, and he thoroughly believed that in Otago they had a better class of teachers in small schools than America had. He found that tho teaching in most of the Canadian schools was done'" by women, and the people soemed to appreciate this as a good thing, though, of course, the reason for the preponderance of women teachers was the same as here—namely, that tho salaries offered did not tempt men teachers. One thing ho had noted about education matters in Canada was that there, were fewer fads on the subjpct. In Xew Zealand they seemed to bo trying to teach a little of e<drything and licit much of anything, with tho result that unimportant things wero magnified, and weightier matters excluded. "Teachers—l mean female teachersare hard to get, and 'Still'"more difficult to keep, after they have entered the service of the board," remarked a Waimate Plains teacher to a representative of the "Witness" a' few days ago. "I Jiavo had," he continued, "during tho last seven"• years or thereabouts no -fewer than fifteen teachers on my staff..-.■ Some of them were swept into the matrimonj net, or, it may lie, walked in themselves and lured somebody in with them. Anyway, matrimony is the chief agency that keeps tho young lady teacher scarce in the service! Others also discover that they were not liiiilt or born for the profession and drift into other occupations. The best female toucher I hiivo ever had," he continued, "I mean the best teacher intellectually, tho finest disciplinarian, and tin- 'most capable in school 'management mikl the handling of cluldren, was a j'oung woman to whom Nature, generous in all other respects, had in the matter of personal appearance dealt harshly, almost beyond the power of words to express. Sho was a horn teacher, and mi/jlit have attained tho Tory highest position in the service, but her looks simply killed all her splendid nuiilifications of mind and character, and the board buried her in some remote bush ?chool where her superb qualities as a teacher count for next to nothing."-