EDUCATION REFORM.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1918, Page 7

EDUCATION REFORM.

—— -«a»i PIOfRIbM\L. \I\IS 01 H iCUJIu fcUPOIULD IA IIIL IOVkD The nt(d foi impioonienl mil tv tensions in the education system of tin Dominion i on lineti h\ the fuw /il land J (hit ition il In tituti w i tton '\ eiuloibi 1 t' tin me c t iu_, ot tl e ini mil i i din lnoii I ti id tn V till i sil i l)i cussion no i oil o r i cnuilu hit i recoicd fioni tin In titult i h»{, tint iei jus ion In iliun be „iu.n to tbt need for such improvements. the thin in in iMi I "Vlislcin) ton sidered that there were many important, matters in the communication to which 1 he board should e.ive consideration. The (educational Institute was taking a for ward mo i in the tliro-tioii ot inipiovnii, the olueitional s stem of the IX minion and if the br n' ttuld coipciat with ■fli" In tituti in tin dilution it \ is ill n diiU to do o 1n t mil 1 iito nise that some improvement in the education t-\ tem wis nttt ij illhonji they must also recognise that great reforms have also been carried out tlurin!' the past two years. Much more, however, was required Among the aims of the Institute wire 1 ,ivt t dt in for sm liti tlis ( 'With tli lie quiti agreed, for he was astoundeil when 1 i found the large classes that sonic of the teachers had to manage. The average number of pupils per teacher throughout the Dominion as as follow-, i i di 0 and 1, 10; grade 2, 23.2; grade 3a, 38.7 grade 4 and over,. .Hs.il. He had paid close attention to one school in the di: trict and found that the numbers in each class wcro out of all reason. In I'l ihti woe 7> pupil inlaid In tto pupil tt übei Vi >1 one pupil teichpi i' 3, 78, one teacher—or one teacher and three pupil teachers to over 200 children. In Standards 1 and 2 there wore. I2S pupils taught bv one teacher and iv o jnpil ti tel ei '•tindai ' * (18 one lei hpi Hindud ' li om Inchi r stindlrd i 10 two ti iihu Stindird <i. fis, one teaclior and one probationer. It was out of all reason to ask teacher; to til e such tl isses Phe inrare pu teacher at that school was tT2.2. or lfi above the ain i"t thiouthout tin Di billion In Inshnl tin api i"e V s •'l3 t in (be Stato ofVilnd II tik] thnu bout the Vmted _)' It was there oie mn ii tth it tlit, tt achu had ground for comnlaintThen (bere was tbc question of medi cal inspection of children, While tin Department had done a certain amount of good work in Ibis direction tlnrin the past few years, it seemed to him tint th lopjt Ipitw ip o tlu v lionld haw staittd Hit tdthcr ireords n \ wpikimss , md dtfptts that miv do noticed, and refers these records to the medical inspector on his visits to the school. If he verifies them a notice is sent to the paitntf YWnlt then nuc some vi ho tool lotice ol (In Iheuiirt many who did not. and many who could not unfortumteh fo fin-moil it asm ;md Ik th in bt flip Dtp-urmtiil lionld so to Ibe full loigtb of tbe A 4 ml ( lb it th uiilditii till im, 1 tbt mi dull affention it npp iv fiet limit i tin pu ent stsioui iliilditn tnth ceituti di fctts hid been npnt d foi some veai and till bad (1, 0 e il t j LC ts

Then there was (.he question of subnormal children, who were a hindranco to tlie elans and the teachers. There was no doubt that a good deal of good iiad been done by physical culture in conjunction with medical inspction. Another .matter was that of inreasing the size of playgrounds. Rome of these -Were very small. The Central School, for instance, did not have one-tenth of the 'playground, that it should have. Then tliere was the Tataraimaka, School, where the school, the residence, and the horse paddockwere all on one acre of land, though lie must admit that when approahed the Department granted the money for another acre. Then (here was the quest ion of in, creasing the number of inspectors. They could recognise tin's when they remembered the conditions under which the inspectors worked in Hie early stages of the new district. Though this had been increased to double the size the Department did not increase, the number of inspectors until' they were forced to make a temporary appointment, because the two inspectors were unable to carry out the .work and the health of the senior inspector broke down on account of the. amount of work that he had to contend with, if they could have carried on by hook or by crook- they would not have had an additional inspector inTaruiiaki now. Free dental treatment for school chilVen was another mutter that required 'ipport, The Minister fo Education n cognised this, for he stated that the matter had been brought prominently under his notice, and reports ree'eived from members of the medical and dental professions showed an appalling condition of the state of the teeth of many pupils, which must not be allowed to continue, and he. hoped that Hie time was not far distant when it would be possible for the Department to establish dental clinics in various parts of the Dominion, so as to make provision for the free treatment of school children. Something more than mere inspection was required. The health of children being largely dependent on ■;ood teeth, treatment of dental cares •mist be undertaken. In concluding, the chairman said the board, should certainly use its utmost e.Torts to try and improve the educational facilities in Sew Zealand. TTo then moved: "That while the board recognises the reforms that have been effected in recent years, and notwithstanding the dillieulties presented by war conditions, and in view of the importance of cduceiional reform and prowess, the education boards be asked to o-onerate with the Taranaki Education Board in urgent representations heiii:r made to the Prime Minister, the Ministor of Finance, and the Minister of Education, urging the necessity of making provision without delay for the ment and extension 'of the education system of the. Dominion." Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.V., seconded the motion, which he considered was not going to do the good expected until joint action was taken by all the education boards. Parliament, he felt sure, would vote all the money required for the education of the children, if proposals were brought down by the Minister. Regarding subnormal children, the flovenraicnt. he understood, had proposer! to put up a building to deal' with these children, but for some reason this building was unable to accommodate all the children, some rf whom had, to his I knowledge, grown up without any steps

being taken for their improvement. j "M' 1 "i on iirl tin limi hid ai I mol whni Uu lionld m\ foi lbl to ' 'lie <ii in mei I lint im nun i e li lllhl 1» 111 id to tl I 1 i'ill,J Ih<\ UU 1 n 1 < ||| l| i,( f (W I II «n tlltlll I I I I Inn ,1 , " < im| ii , li, [ , ,| Ml Ii i I I \ Hi i I) il i „ i M || 1 "11 \ initi In Hi i i nil i Him nc\. liciul ut Un t,l 111 up U ( '< 1 I lC,lplll loin t I sOlllt. U 1 Im 11 01IU ull 1 1 m( ,l "<" bun I I In ( ( ~im, in u in ml >f tin uh iil i Hhiid ) i lln 1 "'f' in i ml ( i i \c n iw m in 111 111 IlllllllK , of 1 |(ni m,| i ] (1 mi'ilii i f in i nli nj li nli n_ llk \ 1 oild <nil( \\m to i-tii nt In (i be t lii-iiii to th |i,f ion -iiul so Mifiild p \ fiuhoi In hl\ Hi i v, H it I u (ill on ti\ j»(i po iluns nail ilili in Hi teiehii pi of Hon t i niii )t In illi ml dioii tic tl iinminf Ho on idem] tint Ijon 1 mi on nu. li Id 1)1 inn m tlu pit fir p i mil tin i'ioi 1 to h ncOul <n ii nil anas Jlu\ lionld hm lood film inrt if tin o (nun nt fn tin Mln n In, tul lid not fn <j Mill <K ii lid In ii no li ,1 linild Im I i i ((i, I (If flop li 1 lioiol in (Ik 111 iitii uh] In in ill i<>. tl I mil' ith (i diildun oath i lit) ill win wi i it in up pnotu ilh no lolid mil tliou li tile ]iolici lud been infomicl no iction w is I lon TT stiongh dtpmcttcd the diopcpiiin polifv adoptol In flu Ido (if ion Ptpnlir-ent It m idt one lnmel lo baip 100 to tin ]). put i nit id (iiiii) mdmi m in \ lutil li i_v. lifjiiul uirl nndt on ilmo ( u ut i in li Gmt wl ii imu tg woe mule on very urgent iiialti i J Mi S ( mi h ml tin* if om tithe |of Hit uitioMn noi hem., loollicl tin on hont the Dominion nt the Dr pirf incut mis pi I led thin i i (\i dmtU need foi omi d tit liioim ihon,Ji Ik quit inn in i 1 lint duiin lh pit c e Mil ton i loiro'i im inn mi nl li id 11 n (tl (ti I Ihe I (In oit ton tl Intitule wis toll ii on tin n_,ht lint in l i n tin liloim mil Hi \ ' o ild be in nirtil hi ill inter ctM m cdnt xtinn Moliril mspeitioii i t Imost I iii ii' mill r Hem 1 im I) tilt l\pillllll 111 111 111110 11 floill buildin s Hi pointed nt ihr tond (ion hit t i (id i it liii' lr roid v'mi two (h i \ tit, lil en in In 1 111 uiu iliuhw stl l](] llioo] ImildiTi mil nn mt i lilt f i lit pnrpo t Tin 1)() n nn nt thou li pi i id with build u_ dam liom ill )i it of th" I T milium \ oiild ih oi hlth ii m_, ['h in di it of im Is bit 1 lit | lined tb il tus ( 1111)1 1 i npporlid li 1! tin 'ion 11 of t'n 11, n i ion mil j Die' el up 1) th in il' ( pnblu I minion, would, compel the Department: II id

Hit chnumn fivoied mooted al a ( lit i ]n I I>ti nh i pirtiru larly lo probationers and pupil teach i Ihiim iit pill mi iv 7 nil b\ th D pirti i< il I) 11 iiino w spu ent in" no Ii n 1 iiiim he i ith 1 ] ofis mn i tin r ollotin nme \ onld hf \ In I'lld 11 .nl nd li ioi ip plied to Hit Tiiintli Id it imoii Foaid I n po ition i pupi' it letici i and piobahouei m T*l7 iht nnmbiis wen M nl I ml m I'l"- fh.\ \ tie I'l md " md 1 <r tlu fin uHi ol to til ( tbe apnointment when offered. TJnliss Ihtit wis some iUu tim tlu ti uhin tinft ion would oon 11 com oik of f m i'( aloni lii o i il i of tbt mil 11 iKin oli ud ti bo lit snowol lat ] lobnt nun I hi pud ' (I pe uimim foi flu fu I ttn md r > foi tin i iii 1 it u ]un I I Klit i wcic i ud < > lor tin h 1 \ n 1 . toi die eioij "u-11 and im 1 lit thud iat I)) Mr. Wilkinson: What do telegraph messengers get ? Continuing, Mr. Masters said that at th" same time oilier departments were offering boys ;C7S to join the service. The salaries were our, of all proportion and were absolulcly wroii'r. Unless some improvement was made the teaching profession would soon consist of females and uncertificated teachers. Mr. Wilkinson said he was quite convinced that Mr. Hanan as Minister of 1-Mucation would, do what he could to institute reforms, but. he ii.id to get the mtitiev from the Minister of Finance. The resolution was parried. On the motion of Messrs Trimble and Smith it was resolved to forward a copy of the resolution to U\a New Zealand Educational institute, to the Premier. Minister of Finance, and Minister of Education.