EDUCAT ONAL INSTITUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 100, 5 January 1912, Page 5

EDUCAT ONAL INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Timani. Last Night. At the /Educational Institute conference the morning was spent in discussing in committee the executive's report on the past year. The report stated the membership to be 2(333, an increase of 170. The trust fund has not been drawn upon, and is now £1330. Much work lias been done in regard to the promotion scheme, but no material progress could be claimed. Teachers were asked to request householders' meetings to pass a resolution in favor of a Dominion scheme, but not onesixth did so. Superannuation affairs had mad?' no progress. An amendment had been made in the law giving a teacher right of appeal against an unjust transfer. Appreciation is recorded of the careful attention to detail and the: breadth of view of Mr. 'Fowlds as Minister for Education. The expenditure on legal cases had been heavy, details of which will be given in the balance-sheet next day. The benevolent fund now amounted to £297. It was resolved that a dispute from Wanganui, regarding house allowance, be taken to court if necessary. A remit that pensions for teachers' widows should be increased was finally, with other superannuation questions, referred to a committee to report within six months. It was stated that the superannuation fund was now £IBO,OOO and the income £54,000, of which £7OOO was from the State. It was resolved that teachers who had omitted to join in time, should be given an opportunity of doing so, and that the attention c' he Minister, be drawn to the inadequacy of the staff of schools with from 401 to 600 pupils. Miss Simpson (Auckland) made a powerful appeal for equal pay for equal work for women teachers. In the afternoon addresses were givn by Mr. J. Brown, agricultural instructor, on the subject of his specialty; bv Mr. W. Davidson, on observations on schools and school methods, with other lands j and a paper 'by Professor Miss Boys Smith (Otago University), on domestic science in schools.