SCHOOL SINGING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8340, 29 January 1913, Page 3

SCHOOL SINGING

GENERAL IMPROVEMENT

Mr Robert Parker, singing instructor to the Wellington Education Board, in presenting his annual report the board yesterday, stated that in this district great and general improvement is being made in the school singing, a subject the importance of which has long been recognised in Great Britain and other countries, but which has hitnexto received but tardy and scant attention m rsew Zealand. . ~ _ . “I cannot help wishing, Mr Parker wrote, “that your board, which has already don© so niuoli, would find itseii able to extend the work by enabling me (or whoever may hold th© omee ol instructor) to visit periodically as many schools as possible, in order to advise and help those who, often with inadequate pei'sonai equipment, are teaching the subject. 1 am quite convinced that the teaching itself should be done in every case by the school staff, and not by so-called ‘experts' from outside, but 1 am equally convinced that some supervision fef the right kind) necessary, and would be welcomed by the loacliers thomsedves. Of tins I have frequent proof in the letters which 1 receive fivm various places, asking for help and advice; and in the frequent testimony of former students who are now doing excellent work in many places throughout the Dominion.’’ The cliairman (Mr R. Lee) said that singing in the schools was a more important subject than members hitherto might have believed. They bad been very fortunate in this distinct with respect to the insti-uction given to their teachers. Although Mr Parker had held classes in "Wellington and Masterton, it would he a very great help to the teaching of singing in the schools if an expert musician could visit their schools from time to time to see what was actually required. Amongst the board’s four Inspectors they did not happen to have a musical expert. Mr Parker was reappointed in the meantime, and his letter was referred to the msjvte' >rs for report. ,