EDUCATION.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18122, 11 July 1924, Page 10

EDUCATION.

THE DOMINION'S SYSTEM. arrangements for confer ENCE. The preliminaries relating to tli> conference on the Dominion's education system were arranged between the executive of the Canterbury Dts trict Council of the W.E.A., and representatives of the Canterbury section of the New Zealand Educational institute at a meeting which was held 01. Wednesday evening. The sugges'io that the "conference should be hcU; emanated from the W .E.A The i» cussion of details began last week and was concluded at the meeting held this week: it will . ho . nece^J y ' t uJ course, for each body to ratify decisions arrived at by their representatives before they can be given effect to. ,» tt * i i In the absence of Mr H. D. Acland (chairman of the W.E.A. Council), wh > sent an apology, Mr W. Newman, vicepresident, was in the chair at n ednesdav night's meeting. Messrs D. M. Shirlaw and Penlington represented tlie Educational Institute, and the members of the executive of the District Council of the W.E.A. present, in addition to the chairman, were Messrs W. Davidson, F. Carritt, A. H. Shrubshall, W. J. McCullough, and G. Manning (secretary). The objects of the conference, and the reasons that led the W.E.A. District Council to organise it, were briefly outlined by the secretary. The functions of the W.E.A., Mr Manning said, were two-fold —the establishment of tutorial classes, and the creation amongst the public generally of interest in the education system of the Dominion. It was considered that the Dominion's education system was not understood by large numbers of parents and others; "and that those, like the members of the Institute, who were engaged in working the svstem, were in a position to possess first-hand knowledge of its effects, and of its efficiency. or otherwise. The W.E.A. had attracted men and women who were eager to study and understand the problems of everyday life, and it was believed that they would welcome an opportunity to become interested in the system under which their children wore b-eincr educated : the W.E.A. also de. sired to bring the public genera'lv into direct touch with the aspirations r.f the teachers relative to the Dominion's education system. In this last-men-tioned respect it was stated that teachers' organisations in America were doing valuable work in connexion with t'ie education of the workers, and >'n con nexion with endeavours to remedy social evils oased on their knowledge of the parents of the children under their charge, and also of the children themselves.

After discussing the proposal, it was decided (subject to ratification bv W.E.A. District Council and the Educational Institute) that a conference, extending- over five fortnightly meetings, he held in the W.E.A. rooms. If is "probable that the first meeting the series will be held on August 2nd, and that Mr H. D. Acland will preside. The dates of the meetings, and the P"H™ts for discussion at each, are as follows ■ August 2nd—"The Purposes of Education." August 16th—"The Administration of Primary Schools." August 30th—"Post-primary, or .Vocational, and Secondary Edu"atio:i." September 13th —"Schools and their Equipment." September 23rd—"Subjects Taught in Primary Schools."'

The jneetings (with the exceptior of the final one which will be held on a Tuesday evening) will be held on Saturday evenings.

A tentative list of speakers was drawn up and the gentlemen selected are to be communicated with to ascertain if they are willing to speak on the subjects allotted to them. The procedure at each meeting wi'l be that two speakers will be given Fialf-an-hour each to deal with the subject, and one hour will be devoted to general discussion of the subject by those present.

All the meetings will be open to the public, and it is hoped that members of School Committees and others interested, will take full advantage of the opportunities offered by these meetings to discuss the Dominion's education system. .