SECONDARY SCHOOLS CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2776, 20 May 1916, Page 15

SECONDARY SCHOOLS CONFERENCE

BUSINESS CONCLUDED Tlie' Secondary Schools Conference concluded its business'yesterday. ■ The Military Committee submitted sug.(jested rules mid regulations for tho future conduct of the New Ifeuland Secondary Schools shooting competition. Some important alterations were provided for, the main, one being that tho competition would Lo 'under tlie control of 'the conference, which would elect an executive committee of three school cadet officers. A proposal to raise the limit from 19 to 'ID, the competitors to be bona ii<le members of a senior cadet corps, ivaa thrown out by amendment. Clause (l): "That, for the purpose of these regulations, a secondary" school be any school having representation on. this conference," was amended, after discussion, to include private secondary schools, but excluding technical schools. The remainclef iof the report was adopted, ana Messrs. Cresswell, Broad, nnd Renner were appointed a Management Committee. J-10 Military Committee' also iccommenilea that the Deviuish Shield (originally fi football trophy) be accepted for-the competition. The Defenoe Department was urged, to grant, as soon as convenient, suitable riiles and an adequate supply or ammunition to secondary 6chool. cadets for the purposes of the New Zealand. secondary schools shooting competition, further, that as 6oon as convenient a pro rata distribution of carbines be mado w each school for musketry instruction. It was agreed that the syllabus in English for the University entrance scholarships—paragraph 3b—stooe in need of revision by substituting for the second of that paragraph the following words: "In testing the candidate's knowledge and Appreciation of standard English authors (from Shakespeare and Tennyson), a' J' 11 ™ choice of questions be given ; also, that exercises in condensation or a paraphrase, or both of these subjects, should ahvajs be comprised in the. English paper, and that the essay subjects and many questions testing the appreciation of the author should bo more carefully suited to the candidate's age, and their range # leading, thought, and information. With regard to the specialised courses, tho conference resolved: "That principals be invested with greater discretionary, power than existing free-place regulations allow of, in framing more specialised professional and (vocational postmatriculation courses subject to departmental approval in each case." SCIENCE SYLLABUS. The report of tho sub-committee set up to consider the syllabus in science for tho Public. Service intermediate, matriculation, and university examinations, was adopted as follows:— (1) That in the Publio Service entrance examination and intermediate examinations, paper (a) in Home Science—as in the syllabus of Publio Service entrance examinations—be added to subjects 7 (dairy science),'. 8 (hygiene), 9 (geoloey), 10 (botany), 11 (zoology); and; that the marks for each of those bo raised from 3GO to 400. « (2) That in the matriculation examination syllabus, section physical science .9 '(b), the subject Light ho cut out,' and the programme in Heat be somewhat .enlarged, and tliat a corresponding alteration be made in tho ; syllabus for the Public Service entrance and intermediate examination syllabus. . JUNIOR FREE PLACES. 'On the motion of Mr. J. W. Tibbs (Auckland) the following resolution was carried-.— ' r "That the conference respectfully asks tho Minister of Education to. amend the regulations governing admission to. junior free, places in the ; direction of. encouraging- earlier entrance than at . present to the secondary schools: (1) By giving to all children under the age of thirteen on December 1, preceding their entry upon a froa place, a third year tenure of free secondary education, ob a matter of right; (2) by, lowering,, after due notice,_ .to fourteen -yeare -!tho.-.ago .for .eligibility, to..a, junior free place.'.on a certificate-of : ficiency in the case of pupils attending primary schools in the four chief cities; (8) by relaxing the proviso that a candidate for a free' place must obtain at least 80 per cent, in arithmetic."

OTHER MATTERS. It was decided that the Education Board bo requested in future elections to the Council of Education to issue [ballot papers in time tt> ensiiio the teachers obtaining the same in term time. _ A recommendation to the Ministers or Railways and of Education to permit the use of free railway •passes, and also concession tickets by secondary school pupils on -Saturday for the purpose of doing school work, or cadet work,, or of ■_ participating in school names, was carried. 1 •«. The Defence Department was asked to grant to secondary school cadets as soon as it may judge feasible every facility for - Holding annual camps, and to subsidise the same. . It was stated that the next meeting would be held in Christchurch. The question of the date was left; in the hands of tho Standing Committee. . The following ? wero appointed a Standing Committee The president and secretary, and Misses- Allan, Jobson, and M'Lean, Messrs. :C. E. Bevan-Brown, Walton; Vernon, T. K. Cresswell, J. W. Tibbs, and J. P. Firth.