COUNCIL OF EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 239, 27 June 1918, Page 6

COUNCIL OF EDUCATION

MORE ABOUT SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS INTERESTING PROPOSALS Tho Council of Education continued its sittings yesterday. The following account of the proceedings is supplied by Mr. W. 15. Spencer, secretary to the council, Press representatives not being admitted to tho meeting-.— Staffing of Primary Schools. Considerable discussion followed on tho motion of Air. Wells: "That this council reaffirms the resolution passed «. previous meetings relating to tie urgent need for improved stalling in tho larger primary schools and strongly urges upon the Minister of Education that this reform bo carried out at tho earliest possible, moment."

In moving the motion, Mr. Wells cited cases in the Auckland district where classes of from 70 to 90 children wero under the control of one certificated teacher. In souio cases the teacher would have the assistance of a pupil teacher or a probationer, but the dosses referred to were altogether too largo to bo taught effectively, and the conditions under which they were taught reflected upon the physical and educational welfare of the pupils. He had been informed tha. similar conditions (obtained elsewhere, and therefore strongly urged that the increased staffing of our public Bcliools — particularly the larger schools—was a matter of paramount Importance, and upon no consideration should action be delayed. Miss Butler (Auckland Girls' Grammar School) stated that while sho had no personal knowledge of the cases referred to by Mr. Welle, she, as the principal of a large" secondary school, recognised that if such conditions did obtain the result would be to seriously affect the efficiency of the girls when they came to receive secondary education. If such large classes did exist it might in some measure account for the backwardness of eome of the pupils who received certificates of proficiency and wero entitled to free secondary education. Dr. Anderson regarded the conditions referred to by Jlr. Wells as necessarily abnormal. He admitted that under the existing scale classes were necessarily too large, but not to the extent indicated. Before arriving at a conclusion on the condition presented he would like to be informed of tho distribution of the school staff generally in each of the schools' concerned, not merely the numbers collected together in individual cases under a single teacher. ' No Teachers, Dr. Anderson also pointed out that thore was provision in the Act for increased staffing of schools .by substitution of assistants' for pupil teachers. This would give somo relief, and there is no doubt that had tho war not broken out and had the training colleges been able to pas 3 through the normal number of trainees, an Order-in-Council would have been passed providingiior further ■ steps m this direction. It was not a question of money although, of course, that aspect of tho case had to bo considered, but it was a question of inability to fine teachers. Many of those, actually engaged in teaching had gone to the war. Many of the trainees also had gone to the war, and boards found it practically impossible to fill the vacancies that occurred in existing schools. Miss Chaplin quoted cases in Christchurch similar to thoso mentioned by Mr. Wells in connection with Auckland. Mr. Hamilton also mentioned similnr cases that had come -under his notice and suggested that the Council of Education should affirm ,the principle that increased staffing was'neeessary and Hint tho requisite Order-in-Council should ho made. This would give the boards an opportunity of ascertaining what teachers were available, and .would give an oppor:unity for tho increased staffing of schools to bo tried. . Miss Myers was strongly of opinion that the classes were too large. Mr. Fleming concurred with what had been said by Mr. Hamilton, and suggested that the boards should be given an opportunity for ascertaining whothor the sraning could be increased, even in the present circumstances. The teachers'obtainable might certainly not bo as efficient as desirable, but the proposal would aftord considerable relief. ' Mr. Caughley pointed out that durin» .lie last year the Department had asked for a return of the classes in the Dominion, and it was found that very large classes were by no means so rare as had i & a ,5 0u = ht ' ,)nt ' in many enses the difficulty might have been overcome by reorganisation. _ Dr. Bryson stated that increased staffing must necessarily bo the first step towards medical treatment of children Ultimately'the motion was referred to a committee to report on the question of ways and means.. » Other Resolutions. The following motion by Jlr. ' Wells Wits agreed to:— "That in tho opinion of this council it would bo in the interests of efficiency and economy for tho Education Department to undertake the supply of stationery requisites for uso in the public schools. Mr. Hamilton submitted the following motion:— * "Th'at tho position of Director of Education, or General Superintendent of Mucation, should bo the most responsible nnd most highly paid in the education service; he should be regarded as ie bead of the teaching profession; he bo selected from the most highly qualified education students and thinkers; and in order to attract qualified men the salary should not be less than, say ■UliOO a year." The motion provoked a long discussion, in which the importance ol the eduoation service was stressed by most members of the council The motion was carried, and Mr. Hamilton was congratulated on the excellent speeches he had made in moving the resolution ami other resolutions which wero refereil to committees. The following motion by Mr. Hamilton was also earned:— ' ''That more uso should be made in the schools of somo system of self-govern-ment, with a viow of affording concrele illustrations of tho fundamental facts of social problems in the daily intercourse of the members of the scliool commonwealth, and that to this end a suggested Hchoiuo of (self-government suitable for use in Ihe schools should be prepared and amongst the schools, but that its adoption in tfhole or in part, ami wilh or without modification, should be. optional; , and lhat in cnees where it is adopted teachers should be asked to report a? to result." Other resolutions carried wero as follow :— "That emphasis should be laid on utilising literature as an instrument of morn! culture." /'That the history course should be reviewed with a view of using it so as to attain a more effective realisation of bow the conditions of to-day have evolved" lho council will sit again to-day