EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 316, 16 February 1910, Page 5

EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE.

WORK OF TRAINING TEACHEIUi.

By Telegraph. —Press Association. Wellington, Tuesday,

Representatives of the Department of Education. Education Boards, and principals of training colleges met in cotlfwenee yesterday to discuss the control aim organisation of the work of training teachers., '.the Inspector-Gen-eral 01 Schools (Mr. G. Hogben) presided, and Mr. Fleming' was appointed secretary.

The conference discussed the regula--1 tions of the Department in regard to I control and organisation of training colleges. On the subject of committees of advice, Mr. Goyen (Otago) I questioned their usefulness. I Tile experience of Auckland, said Mr. Milne, was that the committee had been I very useful. Mr. G. Carson, representative of ''other boards" on tl-Je committee of advice of WellrngtonTraining College, said the basis of representation was unsatisfactory. He acted on behalf of a dozen boards, which meant a mere nominal representation. The regulation was finally, amended to give increased representation to "outside boards/' but this was not to exceed two representatives. It was decided that the committee should bo required to meet at least twice in the year. Clause 3 deals' with a training college having a normal school attached to it. One clause stipulates that there must not be more than 450 children in average attendance at this. It was decided that the maximum should be raised to 510.

Mr. Milne brought up the matter of pupil teachers failing to take advantage of the training colleges. He moved in the direction of making at- ' tendance at these compulsory. Mr. Hogben suggested a good means of ensuring that all teachers would have to take a course in a training college would be to stipulate that no certificate be given unless the candidate has been through a training college. The motion was withdrawn, the prevailing opinion being that the idea of compulsory attendance was desirable, but that the objective could be arrived at by some other means.

A motion by Mr. Gray that the Department be asked to provide a special certificate for infant school teachers was adopted. A SCIENCE COURSE. Professor White (Dunedin) moved that the training colleges shall make provision in their curricula for a course of science extending over a period of two years, giving not less on an average than three hours, a week to instruction in science and training in scientific method. The motion w r as carried by 9 votes to 6.

Professor White, having, as he said, "had the principle of his motion affirmed, then moved, in further reference to the question: "The selected branches of science shall be of such a nature as will train and prepare the students for giving a suitable course of elementary science and nature study in the standard classes of the primary schools; with this object in view the course of instruction shall be arranged in two groups'—group A: elementary chemistry, elementary physics, elementary measurements, and heat, botany, zoology, and geology; the programme of instruction in each of these subjects shall be of such a description as may be taught in a course, say, of thirty hour lessons. Group B: Agricultural chemistry, agricultural botany, general agriculture, elementary physiology, and hygiene; the course of instruction in each of these not to exceed, say, forty hour lessons." After a very lengthy discussion the motion was carried.

It was decided, on the motion of Mr. Gray (Wellington) to give a student the option of having his allowances payable over two or three years, according to the length oi the course he desires to take.

Dr. Anderson moved, that the completion of a two years' course of satisfactory training in a training college shall be taken as satisfying the requirements for a "C" certificate.

After discussion it was agreed that a sub-committee consisting of Professor White, Dr. Anderson, and Mr. Gray should investigate the question and draft a resolution for consideration by the inspectors' conference to-day.