TEACHERS’ DEMANDS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1930, Page 6

TEACHERS’ DEMANDS

AN IMPOSING LIST

[By Telegraph, Per Press Association.j

WELLINGTON, May 12.

The Technical School Teachers’ Association Conference was opened to-day by the President, Mr W.' Friiser. In his address, lie dealt in the main with matriculation, which he considers has acquired false prestige a,s a leaving certificate, representing a certain standard of education. It was too narrow', he said. ’The time seemed ripe for the institution by the Department of a leaving certificate of similar standard, hut suitable for all' types of schools. He pointed out that only a thousand of ten thousand of the pupils of post-primary schools required university entrance, yet over 5,500 sat last year. There was appalling dissatisfaction of effort, lie said. It was announced by' Mr Bell, Assistant Director of Educaton, that the report of the Commission which had been touring the country taking evidence in regard to education reorganisation was now almost ready.

Mr Bell said the report was in draft, and only required to he revised before being completed. When the scheme was once established the . cost would be much greater than.. at present.. w The Conference, after, -discussion, passed a remit that the, attention' of the Minister he directed to; the delay in reorganising tjic . education system.-

FURTHER DEMANDS,

WELLINGTON, May IS,

The following remits were carried :

That mqcli more, liberal /staffing isessential, .as- the.:-course; !hv the technical schools require a large proportion of practical work.

That there be one full-time assistant teacher for every 25 names on the school roll on March Ist. and that the classes in practical subjects should not exceed twentyi pupils. That the maximum number of pupils in any class in technical colleges and technical high schools’ should not exceed thirty-five.

That all teachers'in ! the department of manual 1 and 7 -technical instruction be classified in' one-" division. i " ' It was decided to ask the Univef;sity to reconsider •‘the regulations for the' Junior University Scholarships to enable h pupil who has done a full Course at a.'technical -school to sit for a scholarship. V It.whs decided that the programme of subjects ! for, higher leaving ,certifi 7 cates should be _broadened to include, subjects'such as drawing and music. It was decided to | ask the Education Department to institute a leaving certificate of a standard equivalent to matriculation and suitable to all types of-schools. ' 1

women teachers. .-1

= WELLINGTON, May 13,, The New Zealand ; Womeq.„Tea{;]ier.s’„ Association' i-ts, annual com., ference; to-iiighL Repiits ..were passed,,urging that women .be nut,on, tjhp same footing : as ;! mpii,^n.,.all..appoiiytuien,ls. Y .. •i The following. ;i <dseer,s-..yve.re .ejected : President, , E*' .Autdrews!(Tay ; a-!-. naki), yipe-presiderits, Miss l</,;,G.OTay.--: Tor (Ajjcr’kia lid); apd M,J,xPai:k-!(WeLr lingtpn); .secretary, |M»;SS K.-B. -Lea>; treasurer, Miss M. I. Hartley; commit*' tee, Misse.f Edmed (Dnrgnville), Edwards (Wellington), Sullivan (Dunedin), V. I. Curtis (Manawatu).

M iss Andrews was nominated as a delegate from the W.T.A. to the Women’s Pan-Pacific Conference tins year. SALARIES AND APPOINTMENTS. WELLINGTON, May 13. Tht annual conference of the New Zealand- Educational Institute Was resumed to-day under the presidency'’of ivir J. G. Poison, ALA'. (Christchurch),'' Remits were carried as follows: ’ '

That-the I nstitute reaffirms the right of appeal against non-appointment. :

That - ‘the Institute reaffirms that the' Executive be called uport to resist any attempt to We'aken the authority of the grading list as the basis of promotion.

MINISTER'S REPLY. " ‘ TO THE INSTITUTE. WELLINGTON, May 13. A vigorous reply was made to-day at the Educational Institute Conference hv' .the Hon H. Atmore, Minister of Education. Taking exception to yesterday’s motion of the Institute calling the Minister's attention to the long delay in reorganising the education system of the Dominion,- he reminded them that he had been waited upon by various, bodies, and it had been suggested that if all of those interested in education were given,the opportunity of coming into touch with the Minister, they would, get a better system, of. reorganisation. The .consequence of this had been the Select- Committee, which had toured 'the. .nonunion, and even if he were enclinetl to do it, he could.not make a .pronouncementat the present time. It, would be a breach of privilege. He took it as a tribute that they expected him to do in sixteen months what his predecessor did not do in sixteen years. He had visited one thousand out of the two thousand schools of the country, and hoped to visit the remainder. Education, bo said, was a national question, and the Committee set up had represented all parties. He paid a tribute to the Committee’s devotion to its task, and said that never had there been the slightest reference, to Party politics, While not at liberty to d.s-