CONFERENCE OF SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 909, 24 May 1877, Page 2

CONFERENCE OF SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

A conference of the East Christchurch, West Christchurch, and Colombo road School Committees was held last evening at the Gloucester street schoolroom. The following members were present:—East Christchurch—Messrs Stevens, Rose, Thomson, Kirk, and Mitchell. West Christchurch— Professor Bickerton, Messrs Booth, Nairn, Bell, and Bowie. Colombo road—Rev. Mr Cox, and Messrs Allison, Whitelaw, Hall, Andrewq Bennall, and Jones. On the motion of Mr Naim, Mr E. C. J. Stevens w r as voted to the chair. The Chairman expressed his acknowledgments at having been selected to fill that position. The meeting had been called to hold a conference of those who had been elected in their official capacity of committees in the East, West, and South Christchurch. The resolutions which had been prepared would be submitted to the conference for discussion. He understood that the Rev. Mr Gumming, head master of the Lincoln road school, and Mr Loughrey, head master of the main school, attended that evening by invitation, not with a view of voting, but of assisting members with their advice wdiich their experience so well qualified them to give. He would now' call on Professor Bickerton to move the first resolution. Professor Bickerton moved the following resolution: —“ That it is desirable to establish secondary schools in suitable centres, as thereby the education of the more advanced classes in the elementary schools w'ould be more efficiently conducted and more economically carried on.” He said it was very noticeable to the visiting committees (of which he had been a member for many months) that a considerable amount of time was lost by the great difference in the acquirements of the various boys, and the time of head master w'as almost wholly taken up by these boys, when, in the opinion of the committee, he should have been at liberty to attend to the general superin - tendance and working of the whole school. As professor of chemistry of the Canterbury College he had experienced the unpreparedness of students attending his class, and he and jliis fellow professors w r ere necessarily bound through this drawback to devote themselves to secondary work, and a consequent waste of time both in the highest and low'est departments. Arnold’s account of the schools in Prussia and Germany generally, and Adams’ account of the free system in America, showed what great economy of money and w'ork resulted through the division of schools in those countries. [Professor Bickerton read accounts of the divisions and sub-divisions of schools given in the works alluded to.] From those extracts they woidd see that practical experience show'cd how well the work had been done by the course indicated. Were a secondary school established here it w'ould result in very great benefit to numbers of the advanced scholars who were now attending the various district schools, more especially to the Provincial scholars. He would not detain the meeting, but w'ould move the resolution read by him, merely adding that their representations must have considerable weight, as they were the only elected representatives in the cause of education in the metropolis. Mr G. Booth seconded (the resolution pro forma, to allow' of its being discussed. Mr Allison, in his remarks, said his committee had come prepared to discuss this and another resolution, which had been previously submitted to them. Ho did not agree with the idea that it would result satisfactorily if the higher boys were removed from the district schools, as it would tend to lessen the emulation amongst the other scholars. He felt that no boy should leave any school until he had passed the sixth standard, In his own experience he had seen that boys who had gained scholarships were utterly lost when they went up to Christ’s College, Ho would move as an amendment, “ That it is desirable to establish a secondary schpol in Christ» church as an intermediate between elementary schools and Canterbury College; and that such secondary schools be confined to those children who have passed an examination equal to the sixth standard.” Mr Whitelaw seconded the amendment, and said when the resolutions were submitted to the Cojpmbq road Committee they understood they were solely tp apply to Canterbury. Now tjicy were very much surprised tq find that it was intended they shpifid apply tq the whole of New Zealand. It seemed to him very much like a breach of faith on the part of the promoters of the conference to alter the original intention of the resolutions. If it was intended to make them general he would suggest that the meeting should be ad-

journed for a montli and a circular sent to all the yarious committees in the meantime, who could then consider the questions and come prepared to discuss the new phase the resolutions had assumed. Professor Bickerton rose to explain that the letter sent to the committees had been misunderstood, as it said the conference would be held for the discussion of the question of elementary schools, and other important matters might be brought forward. The West Christchurch committee had met subsequently, and passed a definite resolution, a copy of which had been sent to the committees, but for want of time was perhaps not sufficiently explained. Mr Thomson said lie considered the amendment entered only a little more into detail than the resolution. He saw no reason why the conference should not express an opinion on matters educational affecting the whole of New Zealand, as if the movement were found to be of benefit to the cause of education, no doubt committees in other parts of the colony would emulate the action taken by the conference. They would have to make a beginning on the question of secondary schools, and if one were formed, as the amendment seemed to desire —and should a second school be found necessary, they would not, he was sure, wish that it should not be established. Ho would support the resolution. Mr G-. Booth spoke strongly in favor of the establishment of a secondary school, which he thought would do much for the education of our children, and also result in beneficial prospective legislation in this direction. He felt they ought to come to some determination that evening. Mr Hall spoke in favor of the necessity of a secondary school. From his own observation he had found that Christ’s College did not answer the requirements of a secondary school, and was at a loss to know why it was called a college. Rev. Mr Cox considered that the resolution and amendment were very similar, and would suggest the withdrawal of the latter. The rev. gentleman then referred to a remark that had been made about Christ’s College, and said it had been the only secondary school here for some time, and had been attended by scholars of various denominations.

Mr Hall rose to remark that when referring to Christ’s College, ho meant that they had no more right to call it a college than the Catholics had to call their school at the other end of the town a college. He merely considered that it was [the Church of England school, and nothing more. Rev. Mr Cox—Yes; and also a grammar school.

The resolution was supported by Mr Nairn, who said that eventually a property tax would have to be imposed if it were the intention of making education free and compulsory. Mr Mitchell, though standing alone, would oppose the establishment of a secondary school. By contimring their present district schools they prevented any sectarian differences arising, and in his opinion, for the present at least, were progressing very satisfactorily in the cause of education. Mr Loirghrey desired to say a few words with reference to elementary schools, as he had had some experience with these schools. It was his opinion that if they had all the appliances in the elementary schools they could prepare the boys and girls sufficiently to go up to tire Canterbury College. But as they had not the necessary appliances, he felt that a secondary school was necessary.

The Rev. Mr Gumming in his remarks spoke of the difficulty he as a teacher had experienced in getting his scholars to fit in with the curriculum of Christ’s College, which had been the only secondary school here. After speaking in favor of some articles which had appeared in the Press, Mr Camming went on to say that in Dunedin action was being taken on the suggestions contained in those articles, as there they were trying to have their reserves for elementary schools changed for secondary schools. Professor Bickerton, in reply, said that by grading the scholars and teaching them in four years all they could learn in six, they gave those two years to the service of the colony. Economy of time was economy of money. They must increase the size of their schools, and why not build schools where all scholars eligible cordd be taught together. He would suggest that the secondary school should be placed rrnder the Board of Education or under a committee formed from the various school committees. The gentlemen of the Colombo road committee were perfectly right in saying that the resolutions brought down that night were extended from those determined on at first, and which had been sent in the at the time. He would like to see similar action as to the reserves taken in Canterbury, which Mr Camming had mentioned was being taken in Otago. The amendment was then put by the chairman, with the following result : —Ayes, 7; Noes, 9. The amendment was therefore declared to be lost.

Messrs Allison and Wlutelaw spoke of the wish of their committee to have the meeting adjourned, or only those resolutions put which had been submitted to them. If this were done, and they had an opportunity of considering the whole of the resolutions, they might come prepared to support them. Their desire for the adjournment was that they considered the resolutions of such importance that they should not be passed without being fully discussed and considered by the committee first.

Mr Allison moved, as a further amendment—“ That the resolution be not put.” In reply to a member, the Chairman explained that if this amendment were carried it would have the effect of leaving the whole question open for further discussion at another time.

On being put, the amendment was lost by three, The resolution was then put and carried.

Mr Thomson moved the second resolution —“That pupils desiring to enter such secondary schools should be required before admission to pass an entrance examination.” Mr Bell seconded the resolution, Mr Hall moved, as an amendment —“ That after the word ! pass 1 the words ‘ the sixth Standard, or ’ be inserted.” Mr Allison seconded the amendment. The amendment was then put and carried. Rey. Mr Cox moved the third resolution—- “ That the standard of examination in district schools, and for teachers’ pertificates, should he uniform throughput the colony.” ' Mr Kirk seconded the resolution, which was

agrepd to. . ’ ' Mr Ha}} moyed that the consideration ot (1)0 other resolutions be deferred until the matters. relating to them are before Parliament,” ... Mr Booth spoke against the adjournment. The motion was not seconded, and fell to the ground. Mr Thomson moved “ That the meeting be adjourned for a fortnight.”

Mr Mitchell seconded the motion. He would like to know whether any business other than the resolutions on the paper could be discussed at the next meeting, as he shouldlike that the question of a uniform system of opening and closing the schools should be discussed and determined upon. The Chairman said that, at such a meeting, if in the chair he would ask whether members desired to have other business discussed. _ It would then, of course, rest with the meeting. Mr Allison would like that the Lyttelton, Kaiapoi, and other committees should be invited to attend at the next conference, and that the meeting should be adjourned for three weeks.

Mr Allison’s suggestion as to the date of next meeting was agreed to by Mr Thomson, and the resolution was carried. A vote of thanks to the chairman brought the meeting to a close.