SCHOOL CLASSIFICATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3774, 17 September 1907, Page 3

SCHOOL CLASSIFICATION.

At last night’s School Committee meeting, Mr S. Baker moved and Mr F. W. Frankland seconded, That, the Secretary be instructed to write to the Minister of Education and explain that in the opinion of this Committee the present system of classifying the children and promoting them from one standard to another is, in our opinion, extremely unsatisfactory, viz., with regard to unequal stringency among the various schools due to the different interpretations placed by individual teachers upon the requirements of the Act. That he be further instructed to state that in its opiniouf a return to the former system o classifying and promoting by the Inspector himself would be a decided improvement, especially if the inspection could be centralised by the appointment of a chief and sub-inspectors responsible to the Department in Wellington, thus securing uniformity of standard from one end of the colon}’ to the other. Further, that a copy of this letter be forwarded to Mr John Stevens, M.H.R. for this district, and that his hearty support of the same be elicited. The mover and seconder, in supporting the resolution, stated that some alteration of the present system was required. The schools were not run in the interests of the teachers, but of the scholars. A more uniform system of classification was required. Mr Hennessy was of opinion that the resolution was the very thing required. The Chairman thought it was flying at high game. He suggested that the resolution should be forwarded to the Education Board. Mr Frankland did not agree to the suggestion. The Committee desired to appeal to headquarters.

The motion, on being put, was carried unanimously.