IMPORTANT WORKS

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 9, 11 March 1938, Page 3

IMPORTANT WORKS

NEW ZEALAND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE 1 . '■ ' ■' " " ■. 7/ ■ ’ THEI OPOTIKI BRANCH (Contributed 1 ). Until 1938 upouKi was only a subbranch or the .Auckland: Branch ot the New Zealand Educational Institute. Mr. Goidsbury of Omaio was mainly instrumental in the. formation of the Sub-Branch. However, as time went on the members became desirous ot having their own separate branch in which they could manage their own affairs, send their own delegates to the. annual conference at Wellington and come in closer contact, with educational trends and its problems. It >vas decided unanimously at one Meeting that Opotiki form a separate Branch. New secretary, Mr. P. A. Eaton, was instructed to make the necessary arrangements. When these were completed the branch was registered' as an incorporated society. Nineteen thirty-eight- therefore is a milestone in the progress of the institute in tlii s area. The branch at present has members in fourteen schools which are .spread over the Opotiki area from A\ aingarara. to Whangaparaoa and includes both Public and Native Schools, The secretary attended a branch secretaries’* . conference in Palmerston Xfirth in January and gleaned a fund of valuable information on'tlie administration of a branch aihV institute matters in general. X The* branch’s aims for 193 S are essentially the aims oi the N.8.E..L. namely: 1. Smaller classes. 2. Improved equipment. 3. Raising the school leaving age to 15 years. • 4. Nursery schools and classes. 5. Unified control of education and a unified l teaching service. 6. The payment of the teacher and not the, position. ANNUAL MEETING -*, The annual-meeting of the Branch was held in the District High School recently. Mr. dc Alontalk was elected President and Air. Goidsbury 4 ice.l’resident. Air. -Eaton -was re-elected as Secretary. The new management committee comprises Air. Shceran. Air Hilford, Air Davies and Miss salt-. Air Henry was elected auditor for lt'Jd. An appreciation of the secretary’s services was placed on record. An important phase of the Branch's work was then discussed. 3 he following remits were passed and 1 will he sent to Wellington for consideration at the annual Conference. 1. “That tlie Department he urged to pay removal expenses of married teachers up to tlie limit of. £2O provided that, such teachers have been at least three years in their positions. A teacher would use up his 20 quota marks in thre years. A fes? years’ stay in on© school would result m the teacher having to mark time. Two years would he too short as it would encourage more changes in the staff which would be detrimental to the children’s education. .The idea was to give assistance to married teachers who have to foot the hill for removal of furniture ■ and effects besides paying 1 fares of wives and families. In other branches of the Public Service such as the Post Office removal expenses are paid, but compulsory transfer operates here. However, Native School teachers’ expenses are paid and there- is no compulsory transfer in the Native Service. 2. “That the wives of Native School teachers he permitted to join the Institute at the rate of 15/- per annum, this subscription to Include copies of “National Education” This is a hardship clause. The Branch feels that the Institute may lose some valuable members if husband and wife have to pay the same subscription. 3. “That the teaching of swimming he made a compulsory subject on the curriculum”. Too many people were drowned during the summer vacation. The Branch was of the opinion that the teacher should take an active part in preventing such large death-rods in the future. The child should he taught to - swim at, school as soon as he becomes- six years of age. ' If the subject becomes compulsory the co-operation of swlmniing clubs and public bodies can he obtained. Circulars of correct methods of teaching, ’details of various strokes, label

drill and life saving can be sent put and put into practice. Itiniary officers can be -Appointed for the summer months and sent out to various schools to instruct tlie children and demonstrate Methods to the teachers;

Soule schools, of course, have no facilities for swimming but the pprsuch schools- cannot be very high. Arrangements can be made to have the children transported to. soma suitable swimming place. 'Now.that the Department has realised! that the health- of the child comes,-first and have allowed a freer use of the time-table in February, the time is ripe for tlie ’ inclusion of such subject as swimming on tlie curriculum,. ' - ' \ ■. v -

Swimming isi a- useful and valuable exercise. Children will never learn to swim unless they are encouraged to go into the water. During school hours is the time to teach it because most parents have implicit- faith in the teachers’ supervision. 4. “That a- scheme of group' grading he formulated by tlie Executive, later. submitted to, the branches for consideration by the teachers, and at a later date a postal ballot be taken to test the feelings of teachers throughout the Dominion ou this matter”.

The visiting Educationalists some time ago disagreed with the way school teachers were graded. Another method called group grading has been advocated hut teachers are more or less in the dark concerning the working of this and its advantages and disadvantages over the present system. Though the present system i's by no means perfect it would he foolish to substitute another system without the consent of the majority of teachers in the Dominion, an opinion which the Institute would certainly ask for before ~~ it advocated a change. The Opotiki Branch would he glad

to receive the opinions and. criticism! on/educational matters from the citizens of Opotiki. Remember “As is tlie School, so is the nation”—the Institute Alotto.