E.—l2.

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[r. c. rtjdman.

24. Does that not seem to bear out the contention that these vocational classes should be left until after the secondary-school period is ended ? —I think so. — 25. Mr. Poland.] I understood you to say you believed that the teaching of elementary economics in the schools would ultimately lead to employers giving greater consideration to the claims of workers, and so on, -and thus prevent strikes ? —I did not quite say that. What I thought was that possibly -the general mass of the workers might have more solid ideas in regard to wages and strikes if they had had something to do with these subjects in their school days. 26. You do not think employers should have a little more knowledge of elementary economics ?— I think everybody should, because you do not know who is going to be an employer twenty years hence. You see a meeting of labourers, and the only man at it who seems to have any ideas is the strike leader, and he says " strike," and they strike. If they knew something of economics, no doubt they would argue the matter out. 27. There are three district high schools within a short radius of the Thames, and you recognize that that shows a keen desire on the part of the inhabitants of that district for the best possible education for their children ?—Yes. 28. And you also think that in order that parents should have that best possible education for their children there should be no hindrance put in the way of attending the Thames High School as is now the case, by compelling them to pay railway fares ?—That is so. 29. If a parent thinks his boy, after obtaining a proficiency certificate, is going to get a better education at the Thames High School than he will get at either of these three other places, you think he should have every facility given to the child to attend that school ? —Yes. I think the Thames High School was meant to benefit as large a district as possible. 30. Mr. Thomson.] Will you state what subjects could be eliminated from the primary-school syllabus, which you think is overloaded ?—lt is some years since I have been in touch with a primaryschool syllabus, and I would not like to express an opinion. I said, in speaking of economics, they probably could not be taught, as I understood the primary-school syllabus was already overloaded. 31. Mr. Davidson.] What is the average attendance at your school ?—lOO. 32. And you have four teachers ?—Yes. 33. You are satisfied with the financial arrangements ?—Quite satisfied. 34. You disagree with the gentleman who thought that the minimum capitation for free pupils is insufficient ?—Yes, I think we are not very strongly endowed, but we seem to pay our way very well. Whenever I ask for apparatus my Board are able to give it to me, and they give our staff rises, and that sort of thing. 35. You referred to the Technical School at the Thames, and said there was considerable overlapping between that school and yours: are there day classes at the Technical School? —They try to have day classes. Ido not say there is actual overlapping, but there might easily be overlapping if the Techincal School was supported. 36. There are no day classes ? —There are some day classes. There is a commercial course there— they take it because of the shorthand and typewriting; but of course they have to take other subjects, such as arithmetic, geography, and so on, in order to qualify for the manual and technical grant for the complete course. 37. There are really day classes in connection with the Thames Technical School ?—Yes. 38. And in these classes they teach subjects that might be taught in your school ?—Yes. 39. And eighteen miles from the Thames there is a district high school with two ladies on the staff. Can you tell me the average attendance in the high school department in that district high school ? —I cannot say, but I think fifty. 40. You remarked that in the secondary schools there is no general syllabus : would you have a general syllabus for the secondary schools of New Zealand in which certain subjects must be taken up" by all pupils and certain subjects could be optional ?—No ; because I think too much depends on the staffing. I think the examinations confine us to certain subjects as main lines. 41. And if you have plenty of staff to take side courses you can do so ?—ln a small school like mine you cannot have too many side courses. 42. Are you aware that in the roost recently drafted course of study in some American secondary schools there are three definite courses —namely, a classical or English course, a commercial course, and a vocational course —and that in each of these three courses certain subjects are common and compulsory and certain subjects are optional ? Do you think it would be a w 7 ise thing to have a general course laid dow 7 n for the secondary schools of New Zealand on these lines ? —I think it would if there was plenty of elasticity in it. 43. Would you be in favour of the control of the primary, secondary, and technical education being under one body in each educational district ? —No. 44. What is your reason for objecting to that ? —I have worked under three Boards of Governors —Napier, Wellington, and Thames—and I find it is always their aim to do the best with their money. If they get a man that they consider useful in their school they help him by raising his salary, and so on ; and it seems to me that each of these little institutions, self-governing and self-financing, has worked very well. 45. Do you not think they would work equally well if within the Education Boards there were special committees to control these schools ? —I am afraid that a certain amount of that red tape my predecessor spoke of might be apt to creep in. Ido not think it is called for. 46. You do not think our education system should be co-ordinated ? —I think that it could be co-ordinated by a decree of the Central Department,