EDUCATION COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1461, 8 June 1912, Page 6

EDUCATION COMMISSION.

—» GROUPING UPPER STANDARDS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Auckland, June 7. Tho Education Commissioners devoted this uiorniug to a tour 'of tho schools. When the commission resumed, 'Mr. E. C. Purdio (formerly teacher and inspector under the Auckland Board) brought forward his scheme for reorganisation of certain standards in the'priiuary schools , for classification of children of varying mental capacity. Roughly, his idea was to concentrate in three large centres the higher standards,- namely, 1, 5, and (J. Ho mentioned that his proposals would make for economy and efficiency, and had boon • universally commended. He felt sure tho country which first adopted his scheme of grouping the upper standards in threo schppls would make great strides.', Witness thought the work of tho inspectors could'; be made much more :effective if each one haul- charge of - a defined • district, and was' made' responsible for the state of the schools in'that district. • - ' ", '.' Mr. G. Coiisins,'head.'.iast,er of the Normal School," said that the most crying'need of the present time, was-.the training ot children.in the back-blocks. He dwelt on the''importance of regular attendance, and said that'tlio state of the roads in tho Auckland district prevented the children attending school regularly. Another disability -was getting teachers for the backb'ocks, and still another-difficulty to contend with was the frequent changes of teachers in outlying country districts. He recommended the Government'to improic tho roads in the locality of these school?, so that thev could be reached more easily. Good roads" would also tend largely to improve the social life of tho dwellers in the conntrv. The salaries in the country were not sufficient to maintain the teacher in comfort, and ho advocated that higher remuneration should be given, and also extra service marks to those who serve 111 remote schools. Then those who remained in such schools f*r a period, say of three years, should bo assured cf a better appointment. The witness considered that there should be a Dominion scale of salaries for inspectors, and the inspectors should have higher salaries than the officers working under them. The efficiency of tho service required that the best teachers should be placed in tho best positions irrespective of sex. With regard to the subjects in the syllabus, the teaching of English should be more definite, and the Department, should insist more and more on simple written language only. Those who used the pen frequently could not write without making many errors in spelling. He would allow tho dictionary to be used in all examinations, so as to train the children in the habit of using the dictionary. This was better than teaching them to spell long words. The dictation lesson should be more a test of language than of spelling. Ho advocated physical education, and for this purpose ; largo playgrounds wero necessary for the ■ schools. Mrs. Moore Jones, Principal of tho Ladies' College, Romuera, requested that the Commission should take into consideration the advisability of altering the clause in the Act which provides fpr the inspection for private schools. This 1 should not be in the way of "examina- : tion," but should bo confined to the lit— oral meaning of the word "inspection."

The Wellington Branch of the Teachers' ," Institute last evening appointed the fol- '. lowing committees to make arrangements for tho collection of evidence for prej sentatiou to the Education Commission at its sittings in Wellington-.— Syllabus and Examination of Teachers: Messrs. G. Macmorran, A. MTvenzie, J. I Tamblyn, D. M. Yeats. 0 Salaries: Messrs. J. C. AVebb, B. H. - Low, S. Duncan, and E. H. Ballachey. t Council of Education: .Messrs. W. T. Grundy. C. Watson, and J. C. Burns. Classification and Promotion of Teachers: Messrs. W. W. Itountree, B. T. :. Blake. J. A. Cowlcs. W. J. Hopkirk, J. e Malcolm, and W. H. Gould. II Centralisation sof Country Schools: Messrs. V. Bennett and J. 11. Worboys. " Manual and Technical Instruction: K Messrs. C. Bary, J. Lynskey, and J. 0 Howe.