PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2966, 3 January 1917, Page 3

PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

MALE ASSISTANTS' ASSOCIATION

•Tiieamr.ial meeting of Uio New Zealand Public School Male Assistants' Association was held yesterday in tlio Normal School, Delegates wore- presout from Auckland, Wellington, North Canterbury, and Otago. Mr. Ballaehcy (Wellington) was voted to tho chair. The following remits were agreed to: 1. That a vigorous effort should bo made to socuro synchronous annual examinations for Standard VI, and especially to.havo uniformity in the following Subjects for that standard: Proficiency pass in arithmetic, composition (including grammar), and drawing.—Otago.. 2. That this,association.strongly disapproves of. the- practice- of specially coaching proficiency ■[ and scholarship candidates, such'special coaclfing tak- , iug tho form of getting children to school before schedule time, keeping in after hours, or bringing them together on-.-a Saturday. This association requests • headmasters' associations to agree to arrange that such practico be discontinued. —Otago. 3., That all teachers should receive their grading marks under each heading.—Wellington; 4. That owing to tho difficulty in fairly assessing marks for attention to. environment, such marks should be cut out-altogether.—North Canterbury. 5. In tho event of tho Department not giving saUsfaction in regard to remit 4, that marks for citizenship be cut out.—North Canterbury. 6: That this,association support the proposal that the N.Z.E.I. make all soldier teachers financial. 7.'That the scholarship, freo placo, and proficiency examinations now teing held should be dispensed with, and that a rigorous effort should be made to have one uniform, synchronous examination to'take the pjaco of the sameAuckland. ; ■ ■

Tho afternoon session began at 2 p.m. The first remit was amended and' , agreed to as under: —"That in order to safeguard men's positions it is desirable that in all schools where there are four assistants or moro tho first position should be held by a male, the second by a. female, and the remainder alternately beginning with a male as far as thero are available men for those positions." Thero was considerable discussion on this remit until finality was reached in the above. .',-.- ( p . ■Remit No. 2, to tho effect that tho full fifteen marks for organisation'and management be open to all assistants was amended to read:. "That the full fifteen marks for organisation and management be open to all assistants who havo been in charge of a school." Election of Officers.,; >For tho purpose of carrying on tho work efficiently it was agreed that four of tho oxecutive officers should bo in ono.centre.. The Wellington delegates were strongly of the opinion that theso officers should be appointed in one of tho other, centres, but the visiting delegates wero- insistent upon tho Wellington men holding office tho ensuing year. •

Tho officers were elected as under:— President, Mr. Ei H. Ballnchey, M.A., Wellington; vice-president for North Island Mr. Crawford -(.Auckland), for South Island Mr. Malcolm (Christchurch) ;-. secretary, Mr. Blako (Wellington) ; treasurer, Mr. Kidson..(Wellington); committee. Messrs. ' Kean (Wellington), Abel JOtago), Irwm (North Canterbury), Harvey; (Waihi), Lako (Gisborne). Tho balance-sheet was road, received, and _ adopted. In the annual report, which was Toad and adopted, the secretary (Mr. Blake) stated that thero wero now.eight hranclx associations, which included' a total membership of a very large number of assistants. Ihcre wero as yet, lioivevcr, J a feiv branches that had not taken nn activo part, but it was to be hoped" they would in the near future- join force with and strengthen tho hands of the association; that it was'ouly by complete unity and active work that much ,good could be achieved in thocauso of education. _ It was, however, vefcy .gratifying - to iknow that sound progress had already been made, and' that more was expected for tho future -It .was agreed :to-send■••printed reports of-.the annual report, tho annual balance-sheet,, and. the report of tho conference' to all associated members. •Tho decided to- brint;. before ,tho_ various branches -for discussion during .tho forthcoming year tho I following suggestions:— 1. Reduction in the size of schools to a. maximum of 550 ,or less. 2. Maximum, number of children for any one teacher to be 40. 3. Elimination from the syllabus of tho less important subjects,, in order that more .time may be devoted to ■those.of.greater, importance; ' -,*•. -That-on--account of .the impracticability of uniformly and equitably grading all the teachers of the Dominionon one list, the Dominion be divided into four grading and promotion areas. 0.-Increase of the-widows' allowance under the Superannuation Act to £52 a year. •■ ; - l '': , Votes, of thanks'to the outgoing offl-eers;-to'. tho "secretary, and to tho chairman; concluded.tho conference.