EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE.

Motueka Star, Volume IV, Issue 192, 23 June 1903, Page 3

EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE.

A district conference of School Committees and teachers was held in the High School last Saturday afternoon, commencing at two o'clock, and lasting some two and a half hours.

There were present representing the Committees, Messrs Moffktt and Jordan, Motueka ; Tarrant, Lower Moutere ; A. Drummond and J. Rowling, Riwaka ; and T. McNab, Rocky River. Mr Beuke. of the Neudorf Committee, sent an apology for his absence. The Teachers present were. Messrs Harris, M.A., and Wilkes, M.A., Motueka ; Easton, Lower Moutere ; Eves, Brooklyn ; Andrews, Riwaka ; Misses Johnson, Neudorf ; Tarrant, Central Moutere ; Brereton, Orinoco ; Jessop, Rocky River. Mr Arnold, of Upper Moutere sent an apology for his absence. Mr W. J. Moffatt, who was voted to the chair, stated the object of the meeting, which was to consider the proposed new scholarship regulations, and the question of fixing the time for the annual school examinations.

The proposed regulations were then read, and a long discussion ensued concerning the following conditions of competition for the four scholarships :—■ (a) May be of either sex ; (b) must be between the ages of eleven and fourteen on the 31st December of the year in which they sit for s examination ; (c) must have attended a public school under the Board for noteless than twelve months before the 31st December of the year in which they sit for examination ; (d) must be such that their home and school attended are at least five miles away from an existing district high school, or college, and over two miles from a railway line, which carries a daily service that would allow of daily attendance at a district high school or college ; (e) must have passed the sixth standard as defined by regulations.

It was ultimately decided, on the motion of Mr Drummond, seconded by Mr Andrews, That in the opinion of this conference section D should be amended by striking out the words, "and school attended are," thus making the clause read, " must be such that their home it at least five miles away," etc.

Clause 3, providing that " twelve or more bursaries of £2 10s eae.-, payable in two annual grants of £1 5s each shall also be offered annually to all othercompetitors between the age of eleven and fourteen years, as above, throughout the Nelson Education District," was approved.

Clause 9 providing that "the subjects of examination shall be included in the work of the sixth standard" was amended on the motion of Mr Easton to read, "the of the sixth standard, strictly interpreted." On the motion of Mr Harris, it was unanimously resolved that with the exception of the amendments suggested the conference approves of the new regulations.

A long discussion as to whether the examihations should be held in the month of August rather than at the end of the year resulted® in the matterbeing left to the local branch of the Educational Institute to decide upon, the committeemen expressing the opinion tbat it was one for teachers only to decide.

A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the business.