E.—l2.

106

[h. a. c. milnes.

51. I am talking about your students: would it not be possible to have "one-teacher" schools which are in charge of specially good teachers who would be recommended by the Inspectors as teachers under whom you could place for a certain portion of the year any of your students to get trained in the work of sole-teacher schools?— That exists already; that is part of the .Normal School.. 52. I am not talking about the Normal School now. For instance, there are parts of this district where the teachers cannot possibly come to the Normal School, and would it not be possible to devise some scheme by which under the government of the Normal School such schools could be utilized for training sole-teacher schools?—Do 3 7 0u not think that implies training as well as teachers ? How long do you propose they should be there ? I cannot see how you can train a teacher under at least two years. You might give a sort of veneer, but that is all. We can barely give a finish in two years. 53. Do you not know that there are hundreds of teachers in New Zealand who go into soleteacher schools without a single hour's preliminary training?—l do, and I think it lamentable. 54. Do you not think a system such as I suggest would improve that sort of thing to some extent?—lt would be better, but I do not recommend it, I think it would be better to have a properly trained teacher. If we cannot get a properly trained teacher, I admit your scheme is better than nothing. 55. In regard to importing teachers from Home, what would you do in this case —I might say it is our case : Suppose you import three teachers from Home, and two marry within twelve months? —I should not import them unless I had them, under a bond. I did not go fully into the details, but I naturally imply a bond would be necessary, as in our own case. 56. Is there any process of law by which you could recover under a bond from a married woman ? —No. 57. So the bond would have no value except a moral value?— Moral, of course. If a person knew that, they would not wish to break the bond. 58. You think it advisable, then, if anything is done in the way of importing teachers, that a bond should be entered into by them to put in a certain period of service? —I think so, decidedly. 59. Mr. Hogben.] In regard to new regulations for teachers, were not many of the things in the new regulations discussed at the last Training College Conference in 1910? —There was no mention made of eighty hours in practical science. They were discussed in a general way, just as we discussed the question that normal-school teachers in the lower grade should have higher salaries. That was carried twice by two Conferences, but nothing has yet been done. 60. That is a matter of money?— Yes. 61. It is true that the staff has been increased since the Training College Conference? —Yes, but, unfortunately, in the wrong way, to a certain extent. The assistants getting sufficient salary have got an increase, and the ones at the lower end have not been increased. This is only another instance of the fact that if we were taken into the Department's confidence probably we would prevent this sort of thing. 62. Do you think the regulations make it impossible for backblock teachers if the Boards had money enough to form special classes and to bring these teachers to the centres?—lt would be quite possible then. 63. You think that would be necessary?— Absolutely. 64.. The Chairman.] There are thirteen hundred schools in the Dominion at which there are more or less untrained and uncertificated teachers. You have told the Commission that you cannot give them the full measure of instruction. The new syllabus for teachers makes certain demands upon them, and you say it is impossible for them to fulfil these demands under existing conditions. How is this state of things to be remedied? —Only, so far as I can see, by increasing the number of training colleges. I do not think there is sufficient to supply the need. There are only four, which are turning out, on an average, two hundred teachers a year, and I do not think two hundred are sufficient to supply the schools. 65. In regard to the plan you pursue in the Auckland Training College of giving your probationers and pupil-teachers a chance of seeing what is being done outside, are you aware that in some parts of the Dominion the training colleges have had attached what are called associated schools?—l do not believe in these at all. 1 have had experience of them in England. The trouble in associated schools is that the assistants are not picked assistants. We do not take associated schools. We will take a school—say, the Devonport School —then pick out the best teacher there, and take him only as our model. We leave the rest alone. 66. Mr. Wells.] What is being done in the Auckland Training College in regard to the training of teachers to teach agriculture in our schools? Are you making any effort to do that? —Yes, we are compelled by our regulations to teach agriculture to all students in the training colleges. 67. Is any practical work done? —Yes, there is a garden attached to the Normal School. 68. What is the area of it? —It is not a very large one, but it has been found quite satisfactory. We hold you can learn as much from the growing of one bean as by the growing of an acre of beans. If the space is small but properly utilized, you can get all the practice and training you want. 69. In your opinion, the instruction now being given at the school is quite satisfactory? Yes, I would say so without any hesitation at all. 70. Mr. Davidson.] Is it not a fact that many of these sole-teacher schools are now in charge of trained teachers? —Yes, undoubtedly.