SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2236, 24 August 1914, Page 3

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

ASSISTANTS' ASSOCIATION'S . ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of the Secondary Schools' Assistants' Association -states that the financial position of the association- has become stronger in"-spite of tlio Jarge demands made on its funds during the past year for the location Bill campaign. • The membership has increased from 136 to 154. ■ In the terms of tho motion moved for granting members of Technical Day Schools the right of entry to the association, the secretary circularised all technical schools throughout New Zealand. .The response was not satisfactory': . Only two such members applied for and wore granted admission. The reason for 116 further applications from the secondary department of .technical schools-is that these schools have now taken steps to form an association among themselves. At the last general meeting, matters affecting cadet work.were brought up. 'Though tlio-association urged that the military • year for secondary schools Senior Cadets should be made to coincide ' with tho school year, ! the De % fence authorities made'no reply'to the, representations. As.regards the holding of half-day parades arid the, '.firing of tie musketry course being carried out on working school days, thero' seems to bo a gradual movement in secondary schools towards' the abolition of Satur|day drills and shooting. It seems to the committee that Cadet work, jf not taken in school hours, that is, if not regarded as part of .the school course just as much as is Latin, French, etc., need not necessarily be mado so arduous for tho Cadet officers, as to force them to give up their Saturdays to tho work. The splendid training that Cadet work gives to the boys, particularly Cadet work in uniform, in, developing tho qualities of self-respect, self-re-straint, and obedience, should cause itto be regarded not as the kind of work that can be undertaken by' anyone, or on any day.except a- school day,\but as one of the.most important-factors in the general education, physically and morally, of the , young New Zealanders. The association feels confident that the work done by the association so far iu connection with niatters pertaining to secondary Ischools is .based on right lines. The difficulty seems tc be to persuade n Conservative Government (for all Governments are Conservative, whether Liberal or the opposite);'to recognise the importance of secondary work to the State and to the individual. "Until the Government's" eyes are; opened to tliis and until the association con bring every secondary teacher into its lariks, the association is not politically a power to be reckoned with_.:.",~ ■ Tho balance-sheet for the-year shows a balance to credit of £61 Is. 9Jd-