WELLINGTON TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 232, 19 February 1876, Page 10

WELLINGTON TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of this Association was held in the Thorndon school on Saturday afternoon, Mr. Mowbray in the chair. In the absence of Mr. Hurley, Mr. Pilkington officiated as secretary. Mr. Mowbray called the attention of the teachers present to to some remarks upon the profession that had appeared in the " Pangloss Correspondence," in the January number of the "Educational Gazette ;" and Mr. Willis said he thought some comparisons between teachers and certain lower animals were not in good taste. Mr. Sinclair thought that editors could not be blamed overmuch for what appeared under the heading " Correspondence," and said that he had as much reason to complain as anybody, but he made some allowance for the paragraph on himself, as it must have been inserted in ignorance, and from a partial knowledge of the facts of the case. Shortly after this amusing discussion, Mr. Newlyn entered the room, and read a report of the Teachers' Conference at Christchurch, and gave an account of the work done by the delegates when there; upon which the cordial thanks of the meeting were tendered to them, and the chairman (Mr. Mowbray),, for so ably representing the Wellington Teachers' Association at Christchurch, on Bth January last. Mr. Sinclair then wished some action to be taken on the resolutions adopted at the conference, and moved that a deputation be appointed to wait upon the Premier, and represent to him the advantages that would be derived by having a colonial certificate for teachers, a uniform series of standards _ for the whole colony, and provision in the cities and large towns of New Zealand whereby boys from the working classes might have a chance of receiving higher instruction than they could in the common schools. After a protracted discussion, a committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Mowbray, Holmes, Willis, Newlyn, and Sinclair, to draw up a set of resolutions for the consideration of the Canterbury, Otago, Auckland, and kindred associations, with a view to sending a deputation to the General Government ; Mr. Sinclair, on agreement with Mr. Mowbray, withdrawing his motion, and with a few verbal alterations adopting Mr. Mowbray's amendment—the forming a committee—which was seconded by Mr. Mowbray, and unanimously carried.

Notices of the following motions were given for next meeting : " That the Board of Education be most respectfully requested to institute six standards of examination, instead of the four now in use." " That instead of giving a pound for each pupil that passes the third standard, the Board of Education be most respectfully requested to found another scholarship at the Wellington College, for the benefit of boys attending the State schools."

"That in order to avoid any suspicion of partiality, the Board of Education be most respectfully requested to elect examiners from gentlemen not officially connected with the Board."

As Mi\ Newlyn was not present when the "Pangloss Correspondence" was discussed, Mr. Willis again called attention to it, and hoped that in future no allusions, either by initials or sarcasm, would be made in the " Gazette," calculated to affect the professional status of any teacher, and create ill feeling among the members of the Association. Mr. Newlyn said it was difficult to control correspondents, and especially when they indulged in humorous writing, but he would be more watchful over contributions of this description, and do his best to make the " Gazette" what it professed to be—a teachers' organ. As there were several complaints by teachers present that they had received no intimation of the meeting, it was resolved that the meetings of the Association be duly advertised in the daily papers, and that reports of the meetings of the Association be forwarded to the New Zealand Times, and, whenever convenient, short notices of the same meetings be sent to the other Wellington papers.