Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JAN. 14, 1893. Education.

Manawatu Herald, 14 January 1893, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JAN. 14, 1893. Education.

The Council of the New Zealand Educational Institute has held a meeting in Wellington, during which many of the. objections to the present manner of conducting the sys tern as detailed by us, seems to have been viewed in the same light by this fairly competent body. For instance it was agreed that inspection and examination of primary and secondary schools should be placed under the control of the Education Department This practically means that the teachers do not trust the Boards or the Inspectors, as ''Inspectors should be placed " was suggested in the report, instead of " inspection " as afterwards, perhaps judiciously, rounded off. It was also desired that the Department should issue a code of Instructions to Inspectors re syllabus, thus making it clear th it the teachers who carry out their duties under different Boards are fully aware of the extraordinary margin between what constitutes a pass in one board and a failure in another. The teachers want a Court of Appeal, from Inspectors and Boards, and it was determined, as an act of courtesy, to first ask the Board's to set one up, failing which an appeal to the Government may be made, as it was pointed out that at present teachers hud absolutely no security of tenure The peculiar differences of cost in carrying out the Act in different Boards was remarked upon and it was decided that while this Institution stronglj' opposes centralism, it urges upnn the Minister the amalgamation and readjustment of Education Districts, with a view to the more equitable and economic administration of the Act. The public and teachers are able to see things which appear not to be seen by members of Education Boards. The real fact is that members, owing to the clumsy system of election by committees, have become fossilized and have handed thempelves to the guidance of their clerks and Inspectors. Another wonderful attempt of the Boards to build up for themselves most convenient resting places for their " sisten, their cousins, and their aunts " has been pointed out for the Institute desires, That the attention of the Minister for Education be called to the practice adopted by several Boards of Education of con« fining appointments to the teachers from other districts, to the entire exclusion of qualified teachers from other districts, and that he be requested to state whether, in his opinion, this is in accordance with the spirit of the Education Act, and the existence of a national system of education. The expressions of these gentlemen are extremely valuable as helping to direct still further public attention to the rocks upon which our " free and compulsory " of Education is being broken to pieces on.