FOR SCHOOL TEACHERS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1892, 29 October 1913, Page 5

FOR SCHOOL TEACHERS.

NEW TRAINING COLLEGE. FOUNDATION STONE LAID. ■An important step in tho training of public school toachers was marked yesterday by tho laying of tho foundationstono of tlio first portion of tho now Teachers' Training College at Kelburne. 'Ihe function was performed by the Hon. A. L. Herdman, representing the Minister of Education (Hon. J. Allen), who was unnblo to be present through illness. Tlio chairman of'the Education Board (Mr. 11. I.ce) presided, and there were also present: Tlio" Hon. G. Fowlds (ex-Minister of Education), Mr. G. Hogben (Inspector-General of Schools), Mr. G. M. Thomson, M.P., and the members of the Wellington Education Board. Tho students of the present Training Collego and several teachers wero also present. Tho boisterous weather prevented anything like a largo attendanco of the general public. An apology for absence was received from the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke). Mr.; Leo was • tho first speaker. Ho said that the Education • Department had wisely established four institutions for tho training of teachers —men and women. Already there wero threo buildings, at Auckland, Christchurch, aiid Dunedin, and the building which thoy wore now commencing would complete tho scheme. Ho inferred from tho large gathering present that the bulk of the people wero in sympathy with the can so of education, and that they wero in the main satisfied with tho present education s.vstom as it now stands. (Applause.) Tho building of- which they wero laying the foundation-stone was one of threo buildings which would be ercctod on the site. The sito was not very presentable at the present.time, hut ho hoped it would be greatly improved. Tho Value of Training. They had really come to the final stage in the history, of the training of teachers in Wellington. On October 28, 1881, exactly 32 years ago to the day, he had examined for the first timo tlio start made for fhe training of teachers in this city. The Thorndon School was used, and tho master was ■ Mr. Mowbray. There wero eleven students. Two of these held Education Board Seholar«hips, and tho other nine paid fees. This institution was not dignified' by. tho name of Training College, but was called tho Normal School. Thoy had n "normal master" and a "normal mis-' tress" (Mrs. Griffin). Other teachers visited the 'institution periodically. Amongst theso \vero the two Misses Holmes, of South Kensington, London, who held classes in drawing, and practically laid the foundations of the present Wellington Art School. The aim of the Training College was to give to every teacher a complete equipment for life. Everyone who knew anything at - all about teachers knew that the difference between the competent tracher and tho 'incompetent wan_ tho difference between plus and minus. 1 lie essential factor in the whole education scheme was that the teacher should be wpll trained for his work. There wero threo essentials. The first was that he must have knowledge. ' Tho second was that he '.must have personality. He must be able to exercise Biich an interest on the young that they could be almost "mind to mind" with him. The third essential ' was sit ill. If they wero to havo skill thoy must have adequate training colleges. Tho building, were, then commencing would serve not only for tile Eiesent, but for tho future, for it shouldn good for another 100 years at least. 1 hoy must set as their aim that every loachor who wont out into the utmost, beck-blocks should bo efficient and thoroughly "up to" his work. Knowledge was power, and tho more learning a man could get the more valuable ho vould be. A man was a fool who did. not learn something every day, no matter how long he lived. '

Mr. W. H. Bennett, contractor for the building, handed to tho Minister the silver trowel with which lie 'was to lay tho stono. Ho said that in'the past most of the big. Wellington schools had teen built in wood, and had thereforo only a comparatively short lease of life. He was pleased to seo that thoy were beginning ■- to erect their buildings in more substantial materials. "Well and Truly Laid." Tho Hon. A. L. Herdman thon laid ■tho stone. Having declared it "well and truly laid," ho said that he had ftolings of both regret nnd pleasure at boing present. ' His regret was owing to the absenco of tho Minister of Education (Hon. J. Allen), who was ill in bed. He had seen Mr. Allen, who told him that he was sorry to_ have to ].o absent,'but hoped to see tho building when it was completed. There was lio one in tho Dominion more interested in-the causo of education than Mr. Allen. .(Applause.) His pleasure ftioso from tho fact that 110 had been honoured by being asked to take Mr. Allen's place. As a resident of KelLurne, 110 was glad that tho school was heiiij? erected in that suburb. The piogress of Kolburne was phenomenal, art,! spaces which wore quite deserted oighteou months ago wero now quite covered with houses. He hoped tho college would long stand to fulfil its purpose.

The Training College Movement. The Minister then gavo a resume of, tlio history of the training college movement in New, Zealand. In tlio year 1903, ho said, there wero iti New Zealand only two Training Colleges for teachers, namely, the Christchurch and Duriedini Normal Schools, and the .number of jftudents atjtho end of tlio year wast 45. Tho amount voted for tho training of teachers was £1000. In that the Education Committee of tho House of recommended that thero should bo four Training Colleges, one at each of the four centres, ai)d that the work should he co-ordinated with that of the University Colleges as far as possible. Tho grants wore intreased to £1400. In 1904 the committee reaffirmed it 3 resolutions, and regulations were drawn lip, providing allowances for students as at presentProvision was to bo made for 80 students at each college, or 390 in alt. The vote was increased to £5400: t.ho number of students at the two Colleges was 97. In 1905 Parliament voted money for tho conversion of WelIrsley Street School, Auckland, and tho Thorndopi School, Wellington, into Normal Schools and Training Colleges, and thoy were accordingly opened in'thc beginning of 1.900. The vote for Trainin" Colleges in 1905-6 had grown to £8000. In tho year 1906. then, a real start had been made with the Training Colleges; the number of students at the end of the year was 9 1 6. namely, 4S men and 216 women. The amount oxponded on Training Colleges for tho year 1906-7 was £92,577. The ma-irmnn number of students allowed tn be fdmittorl was- increased from 80 to 100 at each college, or 400 111 all: this year it was again increased, namely. to 125 at each college, or S()Q in Jill. The number of students in attendance at all four colleges during tho last quarter of 1912 was 398, namely, 113 men - and 253 women. The amount expended last year (including half the salaries of the staffs, the other half boing charged to elementary education) was pearly £30,000, and this ve.nr the cxr"Midit<tiro is expected to roach £33.000. Tlio chief alterations in the regulations have been mado with the view of providing short courses for university graduates and for thoso who have taken previous courses in agriculture and homo science, and also of living greater variety of practicc

in tbo actual management of classes. As has been already said, the Wellington Training College was opened in February, 19U6. Tho first principal was Mr. Win. .Gray, M.A., 13.5 c., now head of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne. At first the college had no home of its own, but was carried on in temporary roopis at tho offices of the Education Board; it was not until August of that year that the alterations of tho Thonidon School wero sufficiently advanced to enable tho students to migrate there, and the alterations and additions wero not completed until tlio next year. From tho very first, oven before; tho number of students was bo largely increased it was evident that tho arrangements at Thorndon could bo regarded as only a makeshift; tho spaco both within and without the buildings was far too small, the students lacked, and still lack, the conveniences for work possessed by the colleges that have been able to erect new buildings. As it was found to be practically impossible to obtain sufficient land at Thorndon to erect an up-toklato Training College and Normal School; it was determined with tho concurrence of tho Government to look elsewhere for a site. It was important that the site should bo fairly near the University College, as whilo tho Training College remains at Thorndon the students lose time by having to attend University Coltcgo lectures in another quarter of tho city. The New Building. Moreover, it was found that tho cost of re-erecting the Training Collego and Normal School at Thorndon, with tho prico _ that ■ would liavo to be paid for additional land, would be very little different from tho cost of the new Training College and Normal School at Kolburne, if tho fact that in any case a school would be required at Kelburno was taken into account. Accordingly, in 1910, Cabinet gave a grant of £4000 for tho site; additional sections have since been added at a cost of £1325 sd that tho total site is of quite respectable dimensions, although perhaps not ideal. The situation, too, does not lack dignity. There will bo three principal blocks of buildings; tho main part. of_ the Normal School and the infant school on the west or left-hand side of Kowhai Road, and the Training College on tho cast or right-hand side. Tho infant school is to bo erected first; for that Government gave last year a 'grant of £4370. Competitive designs wero called for the whole group of buildings. Tlio winning design was that of Mr. W. Gray Young, of Wellington. Tho infant school, besides affording practice for tho students, will fill a much-needed want in Kelburne. Tlio next matter to bo considered in connection with tho college is tho building of tho students' portion, or Training Collego proper (estimated to cost about £9000). _ This matter was now under tho consideration of tho Government. ; Mr. Herdmin corcluded by 'remarking that he hoped the- matter was not only'under consideration by the Government, but that the much-needed want for ,a training college in the City of Wellington would bo provided for when the Government was preparing its estimates for next year or tho year after. He hoped the college would flourish; and that'the infant school would do , a great deal of good in the community. (Applause.) Mr. J. S. Lcnnant (principal of tho collego) said that' the Education Board and the Government had done their parts. Tiio responsibility now devolved upon himself and his staff to make the college a success. The residents of Kelburno, lie hoped, would be so satisfied, with the work of tho.school that thoy would aid materially in the future improvement of the site. The' children in tlio school would not only bo experimented upon, .but they .would obtain as good'air'education'as in 'any other primary school, and he hoped it would bo better. '

Mr./ Gr. Hogben' congratulated the district of Wellington and the wholo of the Dominion on having taken a most important step in the training of teachers. He did not think it likely, or even possible, tliat the community would^give to its teachers the honour due to .their profession, but it seemed to him that tho country would not Ins unwise to choose its very best men and women to teach the youug people. The wisest thing the country could do would be to direct the training 'of the young by the best brains the community possessed. Ho wished to say a few words of"advice to the students. He wanted them to realise, that their work ivas of the utmost importance to the State. ]f there was any 0110 amongst them who did not have his or her. whole heart in the profession, ho would say before it was too late: "Change your profession." • The tcazher was not worth his salt who did not love his profession, and who would not "stick to, it," apart from any consideration of salary—and he thought that teachers. deserved bigger salaries than' they were getting. Several votes of thanke ■ were carried, and cheers were given' for the Minister, tho Education Board, and others.