EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1190, 9 February 1880, Page 2

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

The Waitaki branch of the Educational Institute of Otago held its monthly meeting in the High School on Saturday, Mr. M'Lymont, President of the branch, in the chair. There was a small attendance. The minutes of previous meeting were read and approved. The Secretary read a draft annual report, for transmission to the General Committee of Management, which, after a few amendments, was adopted as.follows , " The Waitaki. branch ■ of the Educational. Institute of. Otago was constituted for the year at its meeting in the month of March. The following office-bearers were then elected :—President, Mr. M'Lymont, Kakanui; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. R. Peattie, Oamaru ; Librarian, Mr. W. Fidler ; representative to the General Committee of Management, Mr. Alex. Stewart, Union-street School, Dunedin. Mr. Peattie was requested to read a paper at the Easter Conference, 1880. The membership, so far as regards teachers, has been fluctuating, on account of the many changes that have taken place in the district during the year, i The non-professional members entered during the year have been fourteen. There is nothing to report with respect to the library. Although there has been nearly an entire absence of prepared papers, the meetings, of the Branch have not been without good results. At the April meeting the ' Teaching of Science ' was discussed, and resolutions passed similar to thosei afterwards arrived at by the Committee of the Institute (vide Report, 1879, p. 73.) In May, the annual report of the Education Board was considered. The meeting expressed gratification with Mr. Petrie's reports, and acquiesced in his proposed reforms. It was also resolved to call attention to the fact that the district had no drawing master, while the Dunedin district was well supplied. A drawing master now visits the District High School fortnightly. It is hoped that his services, may now be extended. At the October meeting a compendium of History for Standard "ill. was read by Mr. Peattie, and met with approbation. At the same meeting it was resolved to remit to the General Committee of Management as a subject for consideration at the Annual conference, or before if . necessary, the propriety of itrying to secure for the University and ; for the Educational Institute representatives td Parliament in the event of a new Electoral Bill being brought before the House of Representatives. At several meetings knotty grammatical points were discussed. Some meetings lapsed through stress of weather." Mr. Rice then read a paper entitled "Proposed National Prize and Scholarship Fund on the Penny Relief System." We regret that it is too lengthy for publication by us.