CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 24, 28 January 1910, Page 3

CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION.

"A FARCICAL ARRANGEMENT. AUCKLAND BOARD TO TAKB ACTION. The view taken by members of the Otago Education Board .in regard to the approaching Dominion Education Conference in Wellington is shared by Mr. C. J. Parr, chairman of the Auckland Education Board. Members of the Otago Board made no bones about plainly expressing their opinions .on the subject at yesterday's meeting "in Dunedin, and' it" was "declared' that""official* ism had" run mad," and these conferences were "a gigantic piece of hum-, bug." ■ - -"- .' • Mr. Parr, when interviewed'this morning on the subject, said he entirely agreed with the protest made by the Otago Education Board against the' constitution of the educational conference to be held in Wellington next month. The Minister to submit" 'to that Conference some very \ important questions, involving -primary, secondary, and University education. The Conference, however, was to consist of" teachers and inspectors only, and would be presided over by the Inspector-General, Mr. HOgben, whose syllabus is,., in a sense, yet on trial. "I" am. afraid no satisfactory result can be expected from such a gathering," said Mr. Parr. As is usually the - case, Mr. Hogben, •who is an impracticable theorist,- will be backed-by his-Depart-mental inspectors, and will dominate the Conference. Any resolutions carried against.Mr. Hogben's ideas will no douLt be quietly ignored, as has always been the case in the past. The Otago Board is quite right" in the stand it has taken. There should be representatives at these conferences of the parents" and taxpayers. That" is the "general public ' opinion of the Dominion. The inspectors and teachers are no doubt able men, but they necessarily take a narrow and academical view of educational matters.. I venture, to submit that the Conference held" by. the Auckland Board- last year should hava served as a model to the Minister. It consisted of Board members, inspectors, and representative teachers. The result was a* discussion that has done aa immense amount of good for education in this district. It is difficult to understand why the representatives of public opinion were not invited to participate in the Conference to be held in Wellington next month. I suspect it is because Mr. Hogben may be afraid of the plain speaking that he would no doubt hear regarding some of his fads. I am hopeful that the Auckland Board, at its next meeting, will express itself strongly, on this matter. -The whole thing is a farce. Past conferences of teachers and inspectors have done little, or' no good. This fact is generally recognised. They will continue to do little good until they have associated with them men who have a practical knowledge of eductional matters from the taxpayers' and general administration point of view." NAPIER, Thursday. The Hawke's Bay Education Board today passed a resolution to the effect that it was desirable that each Education Board should be represented by one of its members at the coming general, conference on education- convened by the . Government.