E.—l<3.

Wednesday, 10th February, 1904. The Conference met at 9.30 a.m. It was resolved, " That those Inspectors who are not members of the Joint Conference be a committee (Mr. Fitzgerald, convener) to consider the remaining orders on the order paper—viz., those under the headings of ' Manual and Technical Instruction,' and ' Miscellaneous. , " The Conference adjourned at 9.35 a.m.

JOINT CONFERENCE OF SCHOOL INSPECTOES AND TEACHERS.

Tuesday, 9th Febbuaey, 1904. The Joint Conference met at 9.20 a.m. Present Mr. G. Hogben, Inspector-General ; Dr. Anderson ; Messrs. T. R. Fleming, D. Petrie, P. Goyen, W. E. Spencer, G. A. Harkness, J. G. Gow, A. J. Morton, W. Gray, H. Hill, and G. D. Braik, representing Inspectors' Conference: and Miss M. Lorimer, Messrs. J. Jeffery (Anderson's Bay, Dunedin), T. Hughes (Canterbury), L. Watson (Canterbury), G. MacMorran (Wellington), W. Foster (Wellington), A. Erskine (Wellington), J. A. Johnson (South Canterbury), J. K. Law (Wanganui), J. Aitken (Wanganui), and G. W. Murray (Auckland), representing teachers. On the motion of Mr. Jeffery, seconded by Mr. Gow, Mr. Hogben, Inspector-General, was appointed Chairman. Mr. F. H. Bakewell was appointed Secretary. On the motion of Mr. Jeffery, seconded by Dr. Anderson, the Joint Conference adjourned until the Inspectors' Conference finished its deliberations on the syllabus. The Joint Conference adjourned at 9.40 a.m. The Joint Conference met at 2 p.m. It was agreed to adjourn at 5.30 p.m. It was agreed, on the motion of Mr. Petrie, "That the proposer of a motion be allowed ten minutes, and that all subsequent speakers be allowed five minutes." It was agreed, on the motion of Mr. Fleming, seconded by Mr. Gray, " That the Press be not excluded." The New Syllabus. It was resolved, "That the first business to be taken should be the consideration of the resolutions on the new syllabus passed by the New Zealand Educational Institute at Nelson on the 7th January, 1904." The Joint Conference resolved itself into committee, and decided to consider the resolutions seriatim. " 1. That this Institute approves of the general lines of the new syllabus, seeing that it is in conformity with the ideas of modern educationists." Agreed to. " 2. That the Institute is of opinion that the syllabus will prove burdensome to teachers, or otherwise, according to its interpretation by Inspectors and according to the methods of examination, and it respectfully recommends that a very definite code of instructions be drawn up for the guidance of Inspectors and examiners." Mr. Hughes moved, as an amendment, " That a very definite code of instructions similar to those issued by the English Education Department be drawn up for the guidance of Inspectors and teachers. The Joint Conference divided on the question, " That the words of the amendment be substituted for those of resolution 2." Ayes, 14—Miss Lorimer, Messrs. Spencer, Harkness, Gray, Jeffery, Hughes, Watson, MacMorran, Foster, Brskine, Johnson, Law, Aitken, and Murray; Noes, 8 — Dr. Anderson, Messrs. Fleming, Petrie, Goyen, Gow, Morton, Hill, and Braik : majority for, 6. Amendment agreed to and resolution negatived. Mr. Fleming moved, and Mr. Gray seconded, " That the words ' very definite ' be omitted." Agreed to. On the question, " That the resolution as amended be agreed to," Mr. Gray moved, and Mr. Jeffery seconded, " That the words ' similar to those issued by the English Education Department' be deleted." Agreed to, and resolution as amended agreed to —viz., " That a code of instructions be drawn up for the guidance of Inspectors and teachers." " 3. That certain instructions in regard to method should be omitted, teachers being given freedom in this respect subject only to the guidance and advice of the Inspectors ; for example, the method of teaching, spelling, composition, subtraction and proportion in arithmetic, &c." Resolution withdrawn. " 4. That the smaller country schools be permitted to take fewer additional subjects than those specified in the syllabus, and that the teachers of these schools be allowed greater freedom of choice in the selection of these subjects." Agreed to. " 5. That Standard VII. of the new syllabus regulations should not be made compulsory, but that advanced instruction to ex-Standard-VI. pupils be provided for on the principle embodied in the following : That regulations be introduced in the new secondary-education scheme whereby any qualified teacher may be paid the extra capitation grant if he give secondary education to pupils out of reach of secondary schools."

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