EDUCATION CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1921, Page 5

EDUCATION CONFERENCE.

HIGHER SCHOOL AGE.. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Jan. 4. At the meeting of the Education Conference to-day the executive’s motion attached to the report presented yesterday was discussed.. Mr. C. R. Mun•ro, acting-president, said that the institute appreciated the stand taken by the Minister in upjiqlding the statue of his department. The first portion of the motion was carried unanimously. Regarding the second, part, dealing with the raising of the school age, etc., the chairman submitted that what could be done in England could be done in New Zealand, with the greater average prosperity of the Dominion. Mr. A. J. K. Hall (Auckland) urged that continuation classes should be carried on in daylight hours, and he moved the addition of words to that effect Mr. F. L. Coombs (Masterton) said that the schools, as constituted, were not big enough to keep all the pupils ;that wouIT be offering if the school age ijwere raised. He thought, therefore, that a epntinuation school would be the better way. The clause, as submitted, was carried with one dissentient. The remaining clauses in the motion were adopted unanimously. The secretary read the scheme set forth by the executive. There were 19 districts in the present Wellington Education Board ’area. An amendment to defer consideration of the question was carried. The rest of the motion was re-affirmed as a whole. MATRICULATION FOR TEACHERS. A report of a committee of the New Zealand Educational Institute on teachers’ certificates was considered to-day by the institute. The committee recommended: ‘ That, in view of the great importance of the teaching profession, the work demanded of the schools and the consequent need for sound scholar- ( ship among the teachers of the Dominion, we strongly recommend that in future no candidate be admitted to the teaching profession until he has passed the matriculation examination.” An amendment making matriculation optional was losf on a division and the recommendation was adopted.

SYSTEM OF TRAINING. RURAL SCHOOL WORK. Wellington, Last Night. The Educational Conference agreed that certificated teachers at present in service of proved ability and with years of experience be granted C certificates on the recommendation of inspectors of schools. On the question of training teachers it was recommended to make obligatory a two years’ course at a training college, and also that a teacher showing marked ability in professional and other studies be allowed to substitute for the first year’s probationerehip a free year at a university. It was agreed that a sufficient number of rural schools be set apart to provide for the training of probationers in rural school work.