EDUCATION POLICY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3183, 6 September 1917, Page 7

EDUCATION POLICY

PROPOSALS FOB THE FUTURE. ■ The Minister of Education (tlio Hon. J A. Hanan) outlines the following proposals in his annual report presented to thu Legislative Council yesterday, which proposals, ho states, are under ctonsidera■Vn extension of the regulations governing free places to provide for free education at technical classes related to industrial occupations, aiid for a higher scale of payments to technical high schools. ' ■ ' . The establishment of a system of agricultural bursaries to provide for tlio training of future instructors and c-xports in agriculture. . A fuller revision of the ipnm&ry s.-hool syllabus in the direction of making it more helofcil to less experienced teachers, and of securing greater thoroughness in primary education. ~ , ! The establishment of juvenile , employment bureaux to advise and assist boys and girls on leaving school, as to the best means of securing employment suited to their capacity. ■ . Improvements in tho course of instruction for free-place holders in secondary schools, particularly, .with respect to English, civics, and history, mental arithmetic, domestic science, and agriculture. Provision for more complete inspection of secondary schools. • Tho establishment of Departmental correspondence classes for -uneertineated teachers. .. ' .. ~.,,• The standardisation of school buildings. Among further matters that have been under review or are ready for action when the necessary authonty-lesislative or-finanoial-ie given, are :-Fuller provision for the extension of compulsory continuation classes, possibly to ho held in tlio. daytime; provision for the con-solidation-of small schools into larger central schools; an increase ot capitation for schools with an average attendance ot less than nine; a readjustment of tho capitation grants' for technical high schools; the supply of school materials j a moro satisfactory and btisiness-hko system of dealing with'funds 'provided for the maintenance andi'ebuildiiiß of public schools; a temporary increase m the nllowancea to school committees toi incidentals; an alteration in the electoral system of appointment of members to represent urban and rural districts on educational boards; the establishment of small observation schoole to provide s( me means of preparation for untrained teachers before they enter on. ho work of teaching; and tho establishment ol a travelling dental clinic. Many of the above proposals and some of those already initiated cannot for the Resent be developed so fully or so rapidly as could havo been done it the teaching starts of all types of echoota. ae veil as tho staffs of, inspectors and other directing officers, had not been seriously SS«i»« to the enlistment of lenchers. inspectors J™'™?*»rs, -and ntlier ofiiccrs. In fact, it k> n»U «} * effort that tlio schools cm bo kept So?n- nt nil. and this renders the present for tlio introduction ot many or great changes.