TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 139, 18 July 1914, Page 11

TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL MEETING.

SCHOOLBOYS and morals.

The annual meeting of the North Canterbury District Institute of the New Zealand Educational Institute was held this morning, the president (Mr F. D. Waller, 8.A.) presiding.

The annual report stated that the membership had increased from 246 to 285. It was still, however, a matter for regret, that many teachers, who un- * doubtedly reaped substantial benefits j from the work of the institute, did not show their appreciation by becoming i active members. The position of the in- J stitute could not be regarded as satis- j factory until every certificated teacher in the district was enrolled as a mem-, ber. On the issue of the revised sylla- j bus the executive called a general meet- j ing of teachers in order that all might j have an opportunity of hearing the | views of the inspectors. Points of in- j terest were dealt with by four inspec-1 tors. The balance-sheet showed the j financial position of the institute to be j sound. The committee wished again to ! emphasise the fact that the privileges of membership applied only to bona fide members.' The outlook for teachers was distinctly more promising than it had been for many years. It was fully expected that during the coming year the teachers would obtain just recognition of their services, a recognition for which they had long striven. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the chairman drew attention to the fact that the funds of the institute had gone back during the year by £l2 11/6, due directly to a ! greater levy to the New Zealand Institute. The membership was still unsatisfactory, and notices had been sent to all those who had just left the training college and were starting teaching. There were three questions at .the present time that were of the utmost importance to teachers. The first was the Education Bill, the second, Bible reading in schools, and the third the new syllabus. They would have an opportunity next Saturday of discussing the Education Bill thoroughly. The teachers had been assisted in their claims for higher salaries by members on both sides of the House and by the newspapers. He combatted a statement that had been made in a local newspaper that nobody with the capacity to do something better would remain in the teaching profession. He was quite sure 50 per cent, of the boys j who became pupil teachers, and more than 50 per cent, of the girls were well above the average in ability. There was one aspect of the Bible-reading-in-schools question that he j wished to call attention to. The state-j ment had been made by a member of a deputation which waited on the Prime Minister that there was no moral teaching in the schools. "Anybody who makes that statement," said Mr Waller, "has either no intimate knowledge of the boys who leave our schools, or they do not understand them. I am in a position to know whether there is moral teaching or not. I do not mean to say that if you talk to the boys they will talk to you in a moral strain. But they .will write in a moral strain,] and if you give a boy a composition to write —it does not matter what it is—he will bring in something about morals. So frequently do bovs write in this way that anybody reading the compositions mu^fc''come to the conclusion that the moral training in the syllabus must be truthfully taught and must have a great effect upon those boys who receive the training. The effect of the moral traiTiing which these boys undergo is very evident in their character. As far as my experience goes 1 have always found that the boys are —a very great majority of them —quite truthful. There is never any difficulty in getting to the bottom of anything that goes wrong. The majority of them arc disposed to tell the truth and take the consequences. The manners of the boys are good, and the small number of times I have heard them use bad language is amazing.'' Mr J. Caughley, in referring .to the suggestion that teachers remained in the teaching profession only because they could not do better outside, asked how many successful business men could go into the schools and make a success of tlfe work which the teachers had to do. OFFICERS ELECTED. The election of officers resulted: President, Mr .7. .J. Evans; vice-presidents, Miss Mabel Smith and Mr F. I). Waller; treasurer, Mr Jas. B. Borthwitk; hon. secretary, Mr A. C. Maxwell; committee, Messrs F. T. Evans, F. Allen, ,). W. McGregor, J. C. Purchas, Miss (-'pence, Miss Chaplin, Mr T. S. Foster, Miss Barker, Mr Mr D. Sinclair, Miss Morrison. Messrs Seay, .lust, Ambrose, Miss A. J. Menzies, Mr Caughley, Miss King, Mr Colee, and Mr Joyce. Auditor, Mr J. Vops. The executive was recommended to appoint an assistant to the secretary. The matter of the physical training camps was discussed briefly, but no aei tion was taken.

It w r as decided that a special meeting be v held next Saturday at 2 p.m. to consider the Education Bill.

Attention was drawn to a statement that liad been made in the report of the North Canterbury School Committi.es' Association that teachers were in favour ol : the abolition of school committees. A motion repudiating this suggestion was carried unanimously.