TEACHING THE TEACHERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1855, 15 September 1913, Page 11

TEACHING THE TEACHERS.

SPRING SCHOOL AT MASTERON. During tho past fortnight over forty teachers from tlio country districts of the Wellington province have been undergoing a comprehensive coursp of instruction in nature study and elementary agriculture at tho District High School, Mastorton. The classes wero organised by the Wellington Education Board to give those teachers who bavo not had tho advantngo of a training collego course, and who are situated too' far from tho larger centres to avail themselves of Saturday classes, an opportunity to acquiro' information as to the newer .methods of introducing their scholars to a knowledge of their surroundings. They wero under tho directorship of Mr. C. A. Cummiug, the board's instructor in nature study and agriculture, assisted by Miss F. C. Kilroo and Messrs. E. Howo and D. Grant. Lecturos, occupying over an hour, morning and afternoon, wero delivered by Mr. Cumming, and covered a wido variety of subjects; some of the headings being:—Soils, their origin, composition, and fertilisation; plants and tho conditions necessary to their growth; fungi and other destructive parasites; insects, beneficial and otherwise ; water and its influonco over vegetho atmosphere, weather observations, and methods of recording temperature, winds, altitude of the sun, etc. Lectures and demonstrations in hygiene, physiology, and tho chemistry of foods wore also given by Miss Kilroo. Tho well-equipped laboratory. was in constant use for tho carrying out of the many experiments suggested in fhe lectures, and microscopic work was engaged in by a largo number of tho Btudents, a fine set of microscopes and specimens having been collected by Mr. Cumming from tho district high schools. Tho school museum was also thrown open, and much useful information gleaned by tho teachers from the fine collection under tho guidance of Mr. Cumming and Mr. XV. H. Jackson, the headmaster of the school., All tho time that could bo spared from tho ether work wa3 occupied by tho teachers at the woodwork room in making the sots of apparatus and appliances necessary to carry out tho experiments and observations suggested by the lectures. A course of light woodwork suitable for tho lower standards was also carried out by Mr. Howe and many of tho teachers, especially tho ladies, wero intensely interested and enthusiastico over this new form of, handwork. During the first week of the school, Mr. A. L. Cockayne, Government Biologist, visited the classes, and delivered a lecture on "Weeds," and, along with Mr. Cumming, conducted the teachers in a ramblo over tho grounds of Mr. King, of Mastorton, where actual examples of weeds and also insects were studied in their natural habitat. Visits were also paid by Messrs. Moss and Hogg, members of the Education Board, Inspectors T. R. Fleming and F. G. Stuckcy, and Mr. E. C. Isaac, inspector for the Education Department, all of whom wero. highly satisfied with the work of the school and th« progress of the teachers. Tho recreative sid© was also catered for, two social evenings being held in tho large new school assembly hall, tho arrangements for which wero in the hands of an enthusiastic committee, who spared 110 pains to make tho functions enjoyable. Prior to breaking tip onl Friday last tho teachers, staff, and visitors assembled in the Domestic Economy room, when Mr. D. E. Leslie, of tho Mastorton School, and Mr. Edio, Martinborough, on behalf of tho teachers, thanked Mr. Cumming and his staff for the pleasant and profitable way in which the school had oeen conducfr- . Ed, and presented each of tho instructors with a small token of appreciation for help and stimulus received.