SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1916, Page 6

SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

TEACHERS' CONFERENCE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, May 17. The secondary school teachers' conference opened to-day. The retiring president, Mr. J. D. Tibhs, of Auckland, in the course of his address, said that it was to be regretted that the new Act gave little encouragomen to children to enter secondary schools at an earlier age. Originally the age limit for a free place under a certificate of proficiency was fourteen, and for some obscure reason it was raised to fifteen. It would have been reasonable to expect that, in view of the great importance of pushing children on to the secondary stages, the age limit would, after a few years' trial, have been lowered instead of raised. He had long held the opinion, based on experience in large schools, that all children in towns should be made to.win their free secondary education on the examination of the department, with an abolition of the paralysing fetish of making the privilege of free high education depend on 'the child's facility in tackling arithmetical puzzles. He thought that without putting a strain on young children they might take many of them at thirteen years of age. Mr. Tibhs also urged a more equitable representation of teachers on the Council of Education. Hon. J. A. Haiian, Minister for Education, stated that secondary schools were tending to become an organic part instead of a section of our educational system. The State was now almost wholly responsible for the upkeep of secondary schools, which he was glad to sin were a closer reflection of the democratic ideals of the country than they nsedyto he. They were entering more, fully and widely into the life of the I community and were thus destined to play a great part in moulding that life. To this end we must make one great lesson for all our school lessons, namely, to do effectively and worthily what was •worthy of being done and strip off useless trimmings. When a study ceased to serve, the purpose for which it was naturally intended it ceased to have any claim as a mere abstraction. Mr. W. J. Morel], headmaster of the Otago Boys' School, was elected nresident. Remits were considered and some discussion occurred on a motion that more attention should be given in the upper standards of primary schools to English grammar and arithmetic. Dr. Anderson, director of education, said there was enough in the syllabus to give scholars a proper grasp of English, but the trouble was that in the past work had been partly governed by the wishes of inspectors." The discussion was adjourned. A motion was carried that ,100 marks be assigned to history in the junior pulbli: service entrance examination, instead of 200 as heretofore. The following motions were referred to a special committee: That a partial pass in matriculation be granted to candidates passing in four or five subjects it failing in one compulsory subject onlv (Miss Jobson); that a pass in one branch of mathematics, including arithmetic, be deemed sufficient for'a pass in matriculation (Miss Jobson): that this conference suggests to the New Zealand University Senate the desirability of revising the schedule of marks in the entrance scholarship examination .villi a view to placing the more important r.ubjects on a footing of equality, and to that end it suggests that in any new schedule of marks English. Latin, science and mathematics be alfotted an equal number of marks (Mr. Pearco). A remit from the University .Senate dealt with Latin as a compulsory subject for matriculation and Arts and B.A. degrees.' After a lengthy discussion,, the conference decided that English and another language, not necessarily Latin, should be compulsory.