COUNCIL OF EDUCATION IN OPEN CONFERENCE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10617, 16 June 1920, Page 7

COUNCIL OF EDUCATION

IN OPEN CONFERENCE

AIANY AIATTERS CONSIDERED AX YESTERDAY’S AIEETING.

The Council of Education opened its • _i. fT\-k Pn rliftlll’Gtllttirv session at tuo -t yesterday, tho Director-General. Di. V\. i Tiiirlon, p.cWu.B- Tb.r. &sr£r-“bu‘4 is. &£• 1- ■»- and J. H. Howell. RECOAIAIBNDATIONS OP COUNCIL. Professor Macmillan Brown ' th Sfrß. Kirk regretted very concrete had come ot these pro posala made nearly four rears n„o.-Mho opportunity should be taken sing oh the Government the mecoseicy to- action. In England men of means were devoting a large portion of S“™ltl. to the. encouragement ot tho development of science and art. Now Zealand initself ™ a/and wonto-tul v blessed by nature m its .resources, out research was absolutely jn the question was whether they had ™ pne Dominion the conveniences, the appara tim and means, and fho teachers to out the work. Be behoved that our own men should bo trained fim ; There were many gifted men m New Zealand, and we should tiy to bnn„. them to advmo as to the means of developing industry and to-wnc- es ' beliovtxl men of science could start other industries to -be planted on our fertile soils. Alen and w-omen of vision would reduce the future into Hie means of our possibilities at presont. Ho urged that representatives tne counoil should personally wait on tie Aim. - ter and urge the matter upon him. . They should not allow the matter to be pigeonholed and the dust to accumulate bn t^l[ r Tf H° I 'c. Banks directed attention to a clause which read: "That tbe attention of tho Government bo called to tha necessity of establishing a course for ihe training of hydro-electric engineers. He said that if the report had not been pigeon-holed they might have been much further forward to-day with the develop menfe of hydro-clectricity. Private companies wore having to do th© work which the Government should havo done years a£ ?t was resolved to ask the New Zealand Institute to co-operate with Uio council in its endeavours to bring *. h© matter before Cabinet.. - . , The report was then considered, the items'being taken seriatim, and the following resolutions were adopted in. amended form: - PRIMARY- SCHOOLS.

1. That in approving books tor school libraries special care bo taken that tno books provided include works suitable for children A use dealing in an interesting way with facts ot nature and or lue in. various countries, and that, wherever possible, arrangements be made for the ibteft-hango between schools of suitable book parcels. ’ , ~ 2. That the present supply of geographical illustrations to schools should bo supplemented whore practicable by tho use of tho lantern. It is suggested that every large school and every group of small school? should have a good lanlern at its disposal, and that a special official of the Education Department or tho Education Board should select elides of an instructional character, a large proportion of them scientific and industrial, and arrange for the interchange, of these between schools at convenient, intervals, together with the supply of suitable letterpress in explanation - f the illustrations. Lantern exhibitions o? a similar character might also well be given, with the co-operation of the parents, at regular intervals in connection w-ith the school tor the benefit of patents and guardians, ex-pupils of the school, and other friends of the children with great advantage both educationally and socially. In the opinion of the committee Ifc la desirable that none of the essential features of the "School journal" should be sacrificed on the grounds of economy. 3. Effective stops should be taken in every school to encourage emulation among schools in various school activities of a practical character—(i.) In the practical course of school gardening and the utilisation of school plots, (ii-) in the plantation of native trees and bushes; (Hi.) in tho collection and scientific arrangement of tho rocks and' minerals in the neighbourhood of (ho school; (iv.) in the collection and arrangement of herbaria of local plants; (v.) in-tho application of and practical exercises towards the development of .inventiveness among school children; (vi.) in the promotion of tidiness and tasteful arrangement In the teboolhouse and grounds.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND PROMOTION OF SCHOOL CLUBS

1. That teachers in secondary schools should receive a training in a normal college. 2. That, whilst in the lower forms of secondary schools there should be given a course in the general elementary idea of science, in upper forms there should be an increasing amount of work in ono or two special sciences.

3. In all tho scientific courses in secondary schools tho attention of the pupils should be drawn to the practical application of each science, such ns entomology, botany, and animal physiology as related to agriculture.

i. In all tho courses the attention of the pupils should bo directed to books and work that will stimulate the scientific imagination. 5. In upper forms problems that Now Zealand has to face scientifically should be placed before tho pupils in a simple and interesting form, with illustrations froin the past history of science showing how similar difficult problems should bo solved •

6. Xliat in all boys’ secondary schools the science should include sufficient knowledge of chemistry to enable pupils to understand tho elementary processes of agriculture, and in like manner, in girls’ secondary schools, sufficient chemisfrv to enable nupils to deal intelligently, with home science. 7. That all the pupils in technical schools and classes who show promise ot faoultiosi and tastes specially suited for research or practical application of science to industry should bo granted free education in technical departments of university colleges. 3. That school clubs for oliscrvation and experiment should be encouraged in tho secondary schools of tho country. 9. That in’ order to secure as far ns possible the best application of the various abilities of pupils, some form of vocational guidance should be given.

10. That dip libraries of secondary schools and university colleges should (tot, and supply conics of suitable scientific periodic literature in foreign languages for use of pupils and students. 11. That, in every secondary school, district high school, and technical high school - there should he adertnato laboratory accommodation, and this laboratory ncccnnmndp ( lioTt should be available, espccinllv in country districts, for continuation classes. MTOTBTCRS OP TTTDTT SCHOOT, BOARDS. "Tlint, as far ns prnclienble, on ell hoards of secondary schools there should

bo one or two representatives of science, one of industry, and one of commerce, to bo elected by the former pupils of tho school, and that in the case of ; girls' school 9 there should he not fewer than two lady members, to be elected by the former pupils of the school." The council adjourned until 10 a.m. today. .