A WINTER SCHOOL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1783, 23 June 1913, Page 6

A WINTER SCHOOL.

' TEACHING THE TEACHERS. BIG GATHERING AT NAPIER. A big winter school for teachers, about whiifh very little ha-s been heard in the press, has been held in Napier during tho past fortnight. It wus, attended by about 160 teachers, and its principal object was to inaugurate in tho HnwWs Bay educational district the new system of physical culture which is replacing the school cadet , training. The teachers assembled daily, tht, men at one hail and the women at anothtr, and were given n systematic course of instruction in the Swedish exercises, and thus enabled to gain a grasp of the work in a comparatively short time. Mr. Koyd ; Garlick was in charge, and was assisted by four instructors, Messrs. Just and Johnston and Misses Heritage and Larsen. Advantage was taken of the bis assembly, of teachers to discuss matters of professional interest* and a number of lectures on various "sul>Jects were delivered nu different evenings. Social entertainments were also arranged, and tho gatharing proved both profitable and enjoyable. It is the Department's plan to hold similar schools throughout the Dominion, and thus inaugurate the system in one district .after another. To allow theHawke's Bay. teachers to assemble, the usual school mid-winter holidays were extended from one week to three weeks, the first two of which were devoted by tho teachers to tho winter school work, leaving tire 'usual week's leave free at tho end of the holiday. The only complaint iimong tho tcacliers seems to have been as to the allowance for their expenses. They were allowed their railway expenses to Napier, and were: given a sum of £2 for board and lodging for the fortnight during which the school lasted. This, of course, left a deficiency to be made good hv the teachers, as it was naturally not possible to obtain casual accommodation at ,£1 per head per week. The individual teachers were left each to make their own living arrangements during their stay, and it is suggested that in future schools some effort could be made with advantage to bring about a closer correspondence between the expenses and the sum allowed for them.

The formal proceedings began with r> civic welcome, and tlio citizens of Napier endeavoured generally to make the stay of the visitors enjoyable with a round of social gatherings. Among the lectures which were also delivered on different evenings was one by Mr, Dinwiddie on "The Teaching of Local History as Illustrated by the Early History of Hawke's Bay"; Jlr. Heaton, principal of tho .Napier High School, on "Marconigrams," by Jlr. Edmundsen on "Liquid Air," and by Mr. Eeid, of the Government Veterinary . Stall',' on "Tuberculosis." Mr. Reid, besides, gave a valuable practical demonstration and lecture on "Diseases of Animals Contagious to Children." The teachers were taken to the abattoir, and a number of beasts suffering from disease were slaughtered, and the affected parts shown. . t ■ • Mr. J. Duggan, of the Waipawa District High School-staff, in speaking of tho work of the school on Saturday evening, stated that it. was most successful in evpry way, was thoroughly enjoyed by the teachers, and would undoubtedly be of great benefit to them. It is proposed to introduce the Swedish exercises in the Hawke's Bay schools immediately on resuming after tho holidays.