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1904. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION COMMITTEE: REPORT ON TRAINING COLLEGES.

Report brought up, together with Minutes of Evidence and Appendix, the 25th October, 1904, and ordered to be printed.

ORDER OP REFERENCE. Extract from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Pbidat, the 22nd day of Jdly, 1904. Ordered, " That a Committee be appointed to consider all matters relating to education and public instruction generally, public-school training of teachers, higher education, technical education and manual instruction, and such other matters affeoting education as may be referred to it; to have power to call for persons and papers; five to be a quorum : the Committee to consist of Mr. J. Allen, Mr. Baume, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Buddo, Mr. Ell, Mr. Pisher, Mr. Powlds, Mr. A. L. D. Fraser, Mr. Graham, Mr. Hall, Mr. Hanan, Mr. Hardy, Mr. Hogg, Mr. Lethbridge, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Major, Mr. Massey, Mr. T. Mackenzie, Mr. McNab, Sir W. R. Russell, Mr. Sidey, Hon. Sir W. J. Steward, Mr. J. C. Thomson, Mr. Wood, and the mover.—(Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon.)

EEPOET.

The Education Committee have the honour to submit the following report:— A. Control. We are unable to agree with the recommendation of the Inspector-General in memorandum of the 23rd June, 1904, to the Minister of Education, in which he suggests that control of the Training Colleges should be with the Education Department. The sub-committee, after again carefully considering the question, adhere to the report of last year—viz., that control should rest with the local Education Boards, aided by a committee of advice, as recommended in paragraph (/) of the report (see E.-le, 1904). B. Details as to Management, Etc. The sub-committee are of opinion that a pupil-teacher course prior to entrance to a Training College is not satisfactory ; that our future teachers should be encouraged to continue at secondary or district high schools, to matriculate at the University, and pass through the Training College before being employed in teaching. This reform must, however, of necessity be gradual, and we therefore recommend that the proposals of the Inspector-General be adopted, with amendments as shown. 1. Entrance to Training College. It is proposed that the following shall be the conditions—students to be admitted under clause 1 or under clause 2 :— Clause I. — (a.) That the candidate shall have completed the pupil-teacher course in some education district of the colony. (b.) That he shall have passed the Matriculation Examination of the University of New Zealand. (c.) That he shall give satisfactory evidence as to health, character, and ability to teach. (d.) That he shall make a declaration of his intention to become a teacher in a public or secondary school in the colony. (c.) That the parent or guardian shall enter into a bond to return the amount paid in allowances in case the student fail to complete two years of teaching. [N.B. — (b) may be modified for one or two years with the approval, previously obtained, of the Minister of Education.] Clause 2. —That he shall have kept terms for at least one year at the University College, or have gained credit at the Junior Scholarship Examination of the University, and satisfy conditions (c), (d), and (c) of clause 1, and such conditions as to probation in teaching as the Principal of the Training College, with the consent of the Minister, may require. That the following allowances shall be paid to students at the Training College:— For the first year — To those under clause 1: £30, together with University College fees, with an additiona £30 when the student has to live away from home. To those under clause 2: A bursary of £10, together with University College fees, with sixteen scholarships : £30 additional when the student has to live away from home. I—l. 14a.