MILITARY COMMISSIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1918, Page 5

MILITARY COMMISSIONS.

CHANCES REDUCED. By Telegraph,—Press Association. Wellington, Sept. 13. Owing to the need for every available fighting man a| the front, the practice of sending non-commissioned officers from the front to New Zealand for promotion hero was diwoutinued some time ago. the- position row is somewhat changed, and it is intendad that tho practice of sending men hack shall scon ha resunvd. This means, that there will ba fewer commissions for Territorial officers entering camp and practically no possibilitv of a reversion to the old ordur of things ty which men entering camp as recruits and passing through the NC.O. class had a chance for a commission. EDUCATION REFORMS. ADDRESS BY MR. E. U. JUST. At the Good Templar Hall last gight, under the auspices of the New Zealand Educational Institute, Mr. E. U. Just, organising secretary 0 f the institute,gave a comprehensive address on the reforms considered necessary by that organisation in the Sew Zealand system of education. There was a small attendance. In introducing the speaker, Mr R. H. Eoekel, who presided, said there were signs of unrest in the whole educational world. That was hopeful of better things. The pioneers in every educational reform in the Dominion had been the New Zealand Educational Institute, which had been in existence for over 36 years. Though at present jmany of the original members had either left the service or were djjad, there were still some veterans left, and Mr- Just was one of them*. He had been associated with every movement for the advance of education. He was a member of the executive of tho institute for a great number of years, arid also occupied the office of treasurer. Since his retirement from active work, he had taken up the position of organiser for/the New, Zealand Educational and was therefore competent to specialise on educational matters. Be represented all grades of the teaching profession- At the tiros of his retirement he was headmaster of the Lyttelton School, one of the largest of the Canterbury schools. All ho said, therefore, would he spokefll with authority. Mr. Just, who was warmly received, spoke at considerable length. He saia there was no occasion to apologise for dealing with the question of educational reform. It was a matter of vital importance and demanded serious consideration. Any criticisms which he might make should not be taken to apply to anyone whp had taken an active part in the administration of the system in the past. Such criticisms were intendod to reveal the weaknesses of the system and to show the necessity for reform. He then referred to criticism made against the institute for launching t'he present .campaign. It had been said that the institute was an organisation of teachers who were out to better themselves. That was untrue. The teachers were combined for mutual defence and the support of, ideals. Their other..;plank was tbe advancement of the interests which each group of teachers represented, which was really the cause of cduca-. tion; and that was still more tho cause of thq people than of the teachers. Tho institute had been the means of having placed on the Statute Book many of the .reforms, which had been effected- This Imd involved the expenditure of large sums of money, but the institute had never asked the public for financial assistance. At the last conference of ,teaehors they had resolved to make a levy on'themselves for the present campaign, and the sum involved would probably amount to £1«K). They had sufficient interest in the" future of the rising generation to put their hands in their own pockets, rather than ask the public Tor the necessary money. Regarding the objection that the time was inopportune for tho present campaign, he pointed out that all over the world great questions weTe in the melt* m«-pot and reconstruction would follow the war in order to meet the new problems which must arise- Education would have to be completely remodelled to satisfy growing requirements and now conditions. England had found time, in tho midst of all her war work, to consider tho problem, and the reforms contemplated in that country would involve an expenditure of something like r £ll,ooo,OOCl. If England, therefore, had time to consider such a matter, this country should also he able to do so. The object of the campaign was to arouse public interest, so that the national system might bo put on a more satisfactory footing. 7V pvstem at present was national niiiv ii< two direteions—syllabus andfin.«h» la all »■*•« o

provincial system. The lack of a ss|l| per national system had brought alwt&Jll want of co-ordination, overlapping,iPftttSlf consequent economic waste and logs'' efficiency. There had been mf;uts on the national system by priy)(sil|jll organisations, and this pointed to necofsity of making 1 the present nflAicm*Of| system complete in every respect. ' liJPl| original Education Act had provided . : fqp» a national hoard to control the 'out that had been superseded bywlPs provincial boards. There, were jSpiS nine education boards in the Donrfnioffifi The present administrative mjukiaerwlll had .been in existence for 40 years Mffllls was qnito out of date, Boards andampfti mittees had now practically no/e of tirfjl powers which they originally poneanGK-jI Many of the hoards had opposed tdohtf&u which had been placed on the StatnM-'a Book, throngh the institute, -which Sotm# ed that the present conditions must t$ j M unsatisfactory School committees mMM supposed, to have local control, but #MPI| really had no power at all. Continuing, Mr Just said H»e fesHtate&l promised to unify the control of ttftjjl different school governing bodies hv v&M pointing a National Board of tion, composed of experts, which twnf&fi take the place of the present tewflffii Such a board would hare fae neo of jfi|l| taiowlefcro of the best educatraudWifM3 the world. For the purpose of lettfpl control, it was proposed to do swot TrffiPi school committees and to some local governing authority. &£&&■ smaller boards would nave more ixbaSMm ed, powers than the present commltteefe-ll The constitution of the ematt would have to be determined to-''&a*">Mf people. ' The institute had' two (1) The election of an independent (XJ on some franchise; and (2) flue ment of fhe controlling authority by tivHa local bodies in each district. TOgM! also further Buggered that the a»Mjl compulsory edueatiton should be tended from W years to M years. IllPli England the period was being to 13 years, while Germany creased it to 21 years. ' , Tp3 Dealing with vocational traina*. VSatfM speaker stated that the sidered this should not commence 4Sf jill child reached 16 years of age. In tMpSI connection, he said the common opinksisll seemed to be that the education irEEm aid not matter. That was a We %.M take because the girls of t»ty wSehl be the future moulders of the uome-Sfe/11 and ,t was essential they j#&3 ceive the very best ednaetion possibM-sll In the matter .of rural education 'Af&B speaker sai d the proposed reform iStM one of consolidation of schools! •' A m* H tact would be taken, and the sofcoobli&lS the outer area would be'closed arf-'Ji pupils sent to the consolidation- scho©3 ; •'lf where all the rural work would be on&Jg ried out. Such a system had been ateiltiffl ed in other countries with much and there was no' disposition on ttwrc!! part of people in those districts to back to the old system of having a ber of small schools. . -T^Ha Then there was also the tion system, which was a modiflcatiaif -II of the consolidation idea, and in a number of schools would be about a central or Nornjal a&ool, TOgl which senior scholars would-be sent, <Mysa juniors remaining at the small These, the speaker said, were' stWuto*!|| reforms which would have to be by amendment of the EducafJsn Ae£ *f-"fl Dealing with the pay given in dkiffiM branches of the Public Service, in taa£nH parison with that of the Education 3)(Hi£§l partment, Mr. Just said that as the li Service was dependent upon educatianf,«S for the supply of efficient officers it «■& jl inconsistent to pay teachers at a rate than that paid in otiier ments. , -^Qjl He then dealt with the present syßieOJiSt of training pupil teachers, which, he acterised as white slavery. He said' 1 v'M should not have to teach and to to become teachers at the same tftmj&'§-"|! He dealt with the necessity for sinsitajfrsnl classes, better heating arrangements, tension of the system of medical tion, larger'playgrounds, compulsory tinu&tion classes, and eduoaticiialdasße»Wj| for adults. ,C.i*\3s Concluding, he said that educatiMi' iMvp New Zealand was drifting into the state as had existed in England in when an eminent authority had said, the fault with the national system that it was neither a Bystem -nor t tional. He said conditions could be the same after the war. would be a greater domaadfor naffiiojyTjgfl efficiency, and that could only be seini^Mi' by better education, and therefore ''it Y-M was necssary that the present should be broadened. ' ' XM Several questions on some the address were asked by the audience, which Mr. Just J|| One relating to Hie provision of' money necessary for if'idH any area being regarded as imported'qfig Mr. Just stated that under the of local control suggested, there TO ,|s|SjjH be such a weight of public opinion SB" vfflH hind a request for money for the 1 fySji tional purposes considered that no government (which, of cou&a W&i always held the purse strings) wovdp WB be able to flout. . '. 3 At the conclusion a very hearty, voti of thanks was accorded Mr. Just, on $| uM motion of Messrs G. H. Dolby and §.s■ Smith. '