EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3, 3 January 1903, Page 6

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL MEETING.

(By Telegraph.—Pre3s Association.)

NAPIER, Friday.

The annual meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute was commenced here to-day, the delegates being received by Mr C. H. Edwards in the absence of the Mayor. The president of the Institute, Mr Q. W. Murray, of Auckland, delivered a very able presidential address. Fortyseven delegates were present from all parts of the colony. The following is an abstract of the business done:—

The remits dealing with the fixing of a minimum salary for each position was withdrawn in favour of remit No. 14, which is as follows:—"It is desirable 'that . schools shall (be classified, and that teachers,' salaries depend on the classification of the schools to which they' are appointed, and not on the average attendance/

It was agreed that the secretary should bring under the notice of the Health Department the difficulties which teachers have experienced in dealing- with infectious diseases, and respectfully request that means be taken to deal with the difficulties.

The following motions were taken together and carried after lengthy discussion:—(l) "That inspectors should be placed under the control of the Education Department." (2) "That the inspectorate be centralised."

Considerable discussion took place over the proposed regulations of the Education Department for the examination and classification of teachers, and eventually it was decided, ''That this Institute approve of the proposed divisions of teachers' certificates, into three classes, with three grades in each class." An amendment was also carried, "That the following clause be added to the regulations:—'But -(that . the literary attainment recognised for the lower, or C grade, be of a stage much higher than that specified for the junior Civil Service examination, or for the matriculation examination of the Hew Zealand University;' " and a further amendment, "That the endorsements on a certificate of grade B should be records only of such successes as are obtained by passing," was also carried.

It was resolved to ask the Education Department to interpret the word "he" in the regulation in order to see whether it was intended to exclude lady teachers.

NAPTER, this day. The Educational Institute adopted the following resolution: "That a teacher must be eighteen years of age before he or she can sit at a teachers , certificate examination, and 21 before a full certificate can be granted; that the department be asked to provide that in calculation of the average attendance of a school all half-days on which the attendance is less than two-thirds of the roll number for the time beiag shall be thrown out of the calculation; that primary school teachers be given power to elect one representative who is not a teacher as a member of the Education Board of their district."