CONFERENCE OF INSPECTORS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8736, 9 February 1907, Page 3

CONFERENCE OF INSPECTORS.

Press Association. Wellington, February 8. The Inspectors' Conference continued this morning. The General Committee recommended ameng other things that medical inspection of school children should bo carried out, that centralisation of schools in country districts is | highly desirable, and that a school gazette should be issued by the Department. The report was considered in committee. It was resolved that first aid should be a compulsory, subject in examination for teachers' certificates. Tho conference of School Inspectors and Training College Principals was resumed to-day. The business was mostly taken in committee. After consideration in committee of the general committee's report it was resolved that the Training College Conference, to bo held next week, be asked to consider favourably giving effect to the proposal to instruct teachers by post for the department's certificates examinations ; that iirst aid bo a compulsory subject in examination for j teachers' certificates ; that the scope of examination in physiology for Class D be extended bo as to include elementary hygiene ; that it is desirable that medical examination of schoolchildren should be carried out, but the confer ence is not prepared to indicate the nature or extent of such examination ; that the School Gazette should be issued by the Department ; that facilities already existing for the formation of school libraries are sufficient to meet requirements; that centralisation of schools in country districts is highly desirable and that in a number of cases it could be successfully carried out if the regulations for conveyance of children were made more elastic and if a more liberal allowance were granted ; that, in general, the classification of a. school shall be determined at the beginning of a year but. if necessary, promotion of individual pupils from class to class may be made at any other time by the head teacher. The conference fi;:ed the standard for competency certificates by the clause that, generally speaking, to satisfy the requirements for a certificate of competency a candidate should obtain not less than 50 per cent of the possible aggregate. Clauses as to "proficiency" certificates were altered to slightly raise the standard. It was resolved that the maximum value of senior scholarships should be raised from £lO 1; Lib. At the Inspectors' Conference tonight a report trom the committee, which considered the pupil teacher system, was received and adopted. This recommended the gradual abolition of the present system, the establishment of a system of education and training of teachers which shall include instruction at secondary or District High Schools, a period of probationjof two years, during which practice in teaching iliall be carried on concurrently with study, a course at a training college, a. period of probation as a responsible teacher.