EDUCATION BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 2818, 29 February 1872, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

A special meeting of the Board was held in the Superintendent’s office to-day. There were present—His Honor the Superintendent, Messrs Reid and Bradshaw. The Secretary intimated that copies of the proposed regulations had been sent to the Provincial Solicitor and the Speaker of the Provincial Council for their perusal, and that Mr Bathgate had suggested a few alterations. His Honor : I have read over the proposed regulations, and think them generally to be exactly what we want. There may, however, be some little difference of opinion as to details. It was agreed to consider the regulations seriatim. Regulation No. 1 was adopted. It reads as follows :—No election of a teacher shall be deemed valid until such teacher shal have produced to the Board a certificate of fitness or competency granted by the Board. No. 2. Certificates of competency will be divided into four classes, and will be granted upon examination by the Inspector of Schools, or other examiners appointed by the Board. But all teachers holding certificates of qualification from the Committee of Privy Council on Education in Great Bri tain, the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland, the examiners under the Parochial Schools Act in Scotland, or an authorised Education Board of a British Colony or of a Province in New Zealand, shall, without examination, be entitled to a certificate from the Board corresponding as nearly as possible to the certificate so held by them respectively, provided that such teachers produce also the certificates of good character and sound health required under article 4. Mr Bathgate suggested the addition of a clause providing that the person applying should not have discontinued teaching for more than two years to entitle him to receive a certificate.

All the members of the Board appeared to be of opinion that it was inadvisable to place any such limit as suggested upon the applicants. The resolution was adopted as drafted. No. 3. A certificate of the first class will be granted to teachers of the second class only in consideration of good service under the Board for not less than seven years. A certificate of the second class will entitle a teacher to hold the office of head master or schoolmistress in a main school, 'or second master or schoolmistress in a grammar school. A certificate of the third class will entitle a teacher to hold the office of master or mistress in a side school, or of assistant in a main school. Certificates of the fourth (or probationers’) class will be granted to persons under thirty-five years of age who have not previously been trained or employed as school teachers, but who may successfully pass the examinetiou prescribed by the Board for certificates of the second or third class, and who may appear to possess qualifications likely to render them efficient school teachers. The holder of a probationer’s certificate will be entitled to fill provisionally the office of a side school teacher or of assistant in a main school. The holder of a first-class certificate must be at least twenty-six years of age; of a second-class certificate at least twenty-one years of age ; and of a third or fourth class certificate at least eighteen years of age. All the members of the Board thought the clause relating to the length of service necessary to entitle a teacher to a certificates rather long. The Secretary explained it was a honorary thing, and was not essential for holding the position of a schoolmaster. It amounted to a recognition by the Board, of long and faithful services. It would not apply to masters of grammar schools, because they were appointed by the Board. It was

resolved to alter the term to five years, and the ages of persons entitled to be clatfsbd, from 35 to 30 years, and 26 to 24 years respectively. No. 4. Examinations will be held periodically at Dunedin, and such other central places as may from time to time be appointed by the Board (due no'ice of which will be given) when all candidates who present themselves for examination and who produce certiticates of moral character fr.au a clergyman registered under the Marriage Act, or from a justice of the peace, and of sound heal hj from a duly qualified medical practioner, will be entitled to be examined in the literary subjects required in art. 15. Candidates who have resided in the colony for less than a year, must produce also a certificate of moral character from a clergyman or justice of the peace of the place where they had last been resident. Candidates must bear their own travelling expenses. Exception was taken to the provision requiring a medical certificate, Messrs Rrid and Bradshaw thinking that persons micht be weT able to teach tliough unable to pass a strict medical examination. The Secretary held that a teacher required to have strong and generally good health ; and while admitting that a man who had lost a limb might well teach, hoped that it would appear that the Board would not admit those physically disqualified. It was the general opinion that the officers of the Board could judge as to an applicant’s general health ; hut if any doubt arose on the point in any case, the candidate should submit to an examination by the Medical Ba d The words “ from a duly qualified medical practitioner” were accordingly struck out, so that the clause r ad, “ and are of sound health will be entitled,” etc. 5. Every candidate for a certificate, after successfully passing the examination under art 4, and producing satisfactory evidence of having been successfully engaged in the work of school teaching for a period of two years at the least, will be entitled to a Provincial certificate in the second or third class ac ording to merit; but, before receiving a permanent certificate of competency, the candidate must as a teacher be continuously engaged in a school under the Board, and obtain two favorable reports from the Inspector, with an interval of one year between them; and if the inspection to which the first of these reports relates be not preceded by service in the same school of three months (at the least) then a third report at an interval of one year after the second report shall be required. If the second or third report be favorable, a permanent certificate will be granted,—Agreed to. 6. Candidates for a certificate who successfully pass the examination, but who are unable to produce satisfactory evidence of having been successfully engaged in school teaching for two years (at the least), will be entitled to a certificate of the fourth class only ; but every such candidate, who as a teacher or assistant teacher, shall be continuously engaged in a school under the Board for three years at the least, shall obtain three favorable reports from the inspector, with an interval of one year between any two such reports, will be entitled to receive a permanent certificate of the second or third class, according to merit in respect of scholarship, and success in teaching.— Agreed to. 7. Holders of third class certificates will be raised to the second class only by x*eexaminatiou, and the inspectors favorable report as to fidelity and success in teaching Agreed to. 8. The examination for certificates will be open to uncertificated teachers at present employed in schools under the Board as well as to persons not yet so employed. But until March I, 1874, third class certificates may be granted without examination in respect of scholarship to uncertificated teachers now in charge of Board schools, who satisfy the following conditions I. They must at date of application be above 35 years of age, have been teachers at least three years, and present certificates of good character from their committees. 2. The inspector must report that they are efficient teachers, and that the children under instruction in their schools have passed at least three creditable examinations in reading, writing, and arithmetic.—Agreed to. 9. teachers not to hold office under the Board after March 1, 1874. Agreed to, as were the following : 10. Pupil teachers who have completed their engagements with credit may, upon special recommendation by the Inspector, and upon consideration of their last examination, receive a provisional third class corticate.

11. The Board may at any time recall, suspend, or reduce a certificate (whether provisional or permanent) held by any teacher, if convinced, after full enquiry, that such teacher’s conduct and attention to duty have been unsatisfactory, or that the school under his or her care has become inefficient in organisation, discipline, and instruction. No. 12. The subjects of examination for certificates are divided into two classes : the lirst embracing the mere elementary branches with which it is necessary that every teacher should be well acquainted—viz., reading and writing, English grammar and composition, arithmetic, geography, British history, and acquaintance with the school books in ordinary use, are of this class, to which must be added, as being equally requisite, acquaintance with the principles of school management, and, if possible, military drill, the rudiments of vocal music, and linnear drawing. Schoolmistresses should be acquainted with needlework and the principles of household management. No. 13. Optional subjects in which candidates for certificates iqay be examined The English language and literature with composition, ancient and modem history, logic, mental science, political economy, physical geography and popular astronomy, chemistry, geology and mineralogy, botany, zoology and physiology, elementary mathematics (algebra, Euclid, and plain trigonometry), elementary natural philosophy, Latin, Greek, French, and other 1 modern languages, music, drawing, and such other subjects as may from time to time be added by the Board. On Air Bathgate’s suggestion stenography was added to the list, but his suggestions in favor of conchology, land surveying and plotting were declined. No 14. Every candidate passing a satisfactory examination in the essential subjects prescribed for class two, and in at least four of tbo optional subjects, whereof the English language and literature, Latin, or elementary mathematics must bo one, will be entitled to receive a certificate of competency with first or second class honors. An examination for honors will be held at Dunedin in the ipouth of January in each year. Intending candidates must send their nagief} to the Secretary of the Board before the Ist day of November preceding the examination,

with a list of the subjects in which they Mfish to be, examined. No candidate will be e'atit ed tori certificate with honors who has not also gained a second class certificate of competency by examination at the same time or on some previ >us occasion. No. 15. The following is the programme of examination for certificates of competency : - (1.) For a certificate of the third or fourth class—Reading and repetition from memory: To read clearly and liuenty, and with proper expression both prose and verse, and to repeat from memory at least twenty lines of poetry. Writing and Composition : To write a specimen of the penmanship used in setting copies of text hand and small hand ; to write to dictation neatly and with correct spelling and punctuation from an ordinary book or newspaper ; and to wrile from memory neatly, grammatically, and with correct spelling and punctuation the substance of a short narrative read aloud by the examiner. Arithmetic : The first four rules, pnctice, bills of parcels, simple and compound proportion, mental arithmetic, interest, vulgarand decimal fractions. Fcmdes to mental arithmetic only, inclusive. Grammar : To parse and analyse a sentence and to have a fair knowledge of Douglass’s larger English grammar, the practical Englnh grammar of the S.S.B A., or a corresponding text b>ok. Geography: The elements tf math mati al and physical, and the principal features shown on the maps of the world, Europe, Australasia, and New Zealand. Ability to draw m .ps from memory will tell very favorably. Briti.-h History : Elementary facts and general outline to the accession of the Tudors. The reign of Queen Victoria. Voc 1 Music and Liunear Drawing : Proficiency in either or both of these branches will ceteris paribus tell very favorably, but failure in them will not nec-ssary prevent a teacher from gaining a certificate. Female teacher : To be able to teach needlework, and to give object lessons to junior clashes on such subjects as common domestic processes, common plants, animals, and minerals, their appearances and uses. Art of teaching: Before the permanent certificate is granted, the Inspector must have certified that the teacher is able to give a satisfactory lesson to a class in reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, and geography, and to keep a school in order, attention, and activity. (Here foil nved the branches a knowledge of which is required to gain a second-class certificate ) Candidates must pass in at least two of these subjo.ts.

Air Thomson was appointed singing mas* te ■to the Girls High School, at an annual salary of twenty-one guineas. The Secretary was authorised to order some new maps, and procure from England a set of elementary school books now in use in Britain, with a view to making a selection of suitable class books for the schools of the Province.