COUNCIL OF EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 238, 26 June 1918, Page 8

COUNCIL OF EDUCATION

OPENING ADDRESSES

AIMS OF SCHOOL TRAINING

The first meeting of the new Council of Education was held yesterday. There were present: The Director of Education,. Or. \v. .1. Audorson (chairman), the As-sistant-Director (Mr. J. Caughley), Messrs. It. M'Calluni, M.l\ (representing education boards in the Nortn Island), D. T. Fleming and W. M. Hamilton (representing education boards in the South Island), T. U. Wells (representing male teachers in tho North Island), T. S. Foster (representing male teachers in the South Island), F. 11. Campbell (representing male teachers of secondary and technical schools), G. Hogben (uppointe'd by the Government to represent industrial and technical interest), E. C. Banks (appointed by tho Government to represent agricultural interests), T. K. Strong (appointed by the Government as an extra officer of the Department, being an inspector' of schools), Dr. Elizabeth Bryson (appointed by the Government ns representing those specially interested in the education of girls), Miss P. Myers (representing female teachers in the North Island, Miss E. A. Chaplin (representing female teachers in the South Island), Miss A. B. A. Butler (representing female teachers of secondary aud technical schools). These are all the members, of tho council, with • the exception of Professor MacMillan Brown, the representative of the University Senate, and Mr. J. K. Kirk, but it happens that there is some doubt ns to whether Mr. Kirk, who is now on active service, can be considered a member of the council. He was chosen again this year as tho second representative of the North Island education boards. An apology was received yesterday from Professor Brown, who is on his annual visit to islands of the Pacific groups, pursuing his researches into tho ethnology of the Pacific Native races.

The Minister of Education (the Hon. ,1. A. Hanan) was also present. The chairman welcomed the delegates to the meeting, and then invited the Minister to address the meeting. War Difficulties.

Mr. Hanan extended' a welcome to all members. He appreciated very much what had been done by the Council of Education in the past, and ho looked to see it do more and more useful "work. The Minister of Education was in the happy position of having more advisers than any o.ther Ministor of the Crown. First of all there was the Director of Education and his' staff, but there were also the education boards, tho school committees, and the Educational Institute, and also every third person on the street considered himself ou eipertl From all his many advisers came many divergent views, but he was at all times giau to see interest taken in education. He hoped that the council would give full consideration to those reforms that might be necessary to meet tho ' new conditions to follow after the war, and indeed he was sure that on those questions he .would receive much helpful advice. Ho was very anxious to have the views of the council on one or two important questions. A good deal of criticism was from time to time levelled at the primary school syllabus. His own opinion was that tho syllabus in ine hands of capable teachers was not open to much objection, but ho was also aware that ih the hands of inexperienced teachers the syllabus was not giving desired results. Ho would like to see thoroughness in education. Ho would liko the council to discuss also the curricula for secondary schools. He hoped 1 the council would take an opportunity of considering the question oi remodelling our local government institutions controlling education. He believed in local control, and ho would like to see it maintained, but ho thought tho subject of remodelling of local control might be considered by the council. To his mind the extension of the school age was necessary. Compulsion at present ended at 11 years of ago, and the increa.se of this age was desirable. He would also like to see tho State get control of children earlier, in that form of ulucation known as kindergarten. He had the greatest regard for the work of kindergarten associations and teachers, but ho thought thd work ought to be undertaken by the State. He noticed that the question of improved staffing in the largor primary schools was mentioned on the order paper. He recognised that it was a reform that should come, but he would like to make a remark about the prese.it difficulties in carrying on by reason of tho shortage of teachers. There was the greatest need for more instructors and jrore school accommodation. But while ho'was satisfied as to the need for all these reforms it would not be easy to get Parliament to accept them. He was sorry to learn that some .teachers of the training siaff in the Christchurch Training College had been called up, for this-was going to embarrass the training, of teaehors. If our training staffs, were to ■be taken away, progress in education would bo arrested. Already there wore difficulties about the supply of teachers, tho reason being that the inducements were greater in other avenues of empbyirnit. The question of better inducements to young people to enter tho profession was now being considered by the Government. He hoped for good results 'roin the mooting of the council. . What are tho Aims?" Dr. Anderson addressed tho council ut considerable length. He referred to the syllabus, agreeing wholly with the Miniver that it was Ihe teacher rather than the syllabus thai, was really important! If. haxl been said that the pupils coining from the schools to-day, while not lacking intelligence, lacked accuracy and precision, and were in this respect not so good as were tin pupils rf primary schools of some years'ago Ho claimed, however, that the present day scholars had other qualities, the result of other methods of training, which were much more to be desired than mere precision. He argued that it was very easy to exaggerate the' importance of accuracy, Correctness in spelling was desirable, but tho effort extended in tho endeavour to secure accurate spelling was out of proportion greater than the educational value of the object sought. After all, spelling was merely a convention, and many very clever men had beon quite unable to spell. He himself had to confess some respect for the child who could spell "cat" "k-u-t." It was quite true that tho man who misspelled words was not accounted 1111 edu-. cated man, and incorrect spelling was some evidence of untrained or detective observation, but it was also possible to devote too much time and effort to the ' teaching of spelling. v He was of opinion that compulsion for continuation classes would have to come. In order to make these classes useful there must be available proper teachers. They must be obtained. If they could not be kept from other profgessions, then inducements should be made so much bigger as to provide the extra teachers required. The director went on to discuss the reforms already achieved by the council, answering' many recent criticisms of the Education Administration. His remarks under this head are noted at length elsewhere in this issue.) The meeting decided not to have press reporters present ut the deliberations of the council.