EDUCATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1857, 11 September 1906, Page 3

EDUCATION.

PRESS ASSOCIATION Wellington, last night. A deputation of seven Otago and Can* terbury members waited on the Minister for Education, Mr Sidey explained that they approaohed the Ministor to put before him certain recommendations of the Sohool Committees’ Association of Dane-i din and Churistchurob, though the various members of the deputation were not in entire agreement over theae recommendations. The chief questions raised were classification of teaohors and the abolition o

he age limit in regard to free aeoondary education. In regard to the oomplaint that regulations connected with the latter were not widely known, the Minister said that when the regulations were issued in October they had been posted to every Board in the colony. Though epecifio attention had perhaps not been drawn to the point in question by these, the door was opened pretty widely to free secondary education, and if it opned wider one might as well say that anyone at any time of life m'ght try for a free place. Free education would no doubt be a benefit to those who oould not fully qualify for it under the present regulations. As to improvement lo the classification of toaobsrs beyond what last yeat’s Act had done, he said that it was impossible to harmonise this with another request made by the deputation, namely, increased power for education oommittees in the appointment of teachers. He pointed out that there was an interval of two or three years ia which an Education Board might transfer a teacher from a sohool where the attendance had decreased to one corresponding with his salary, the latter not beiog reducrd in the meantime. The Minister announood that a Bill would be submitted to the House, in wbioh this qurstionof teachers’ classification would be dealt with; also that of including professors and lecturers in the provisions of the Superannuation Act.