LONG SERVICE TO EDUCATION

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21449, 15 April 1935, Page 12

LONG SERVICE TO EDUCATION

| CAREER OF MR W. A. ! BANKS ' | ! SIXTY YEARS COMPLETED | TO-DAY Sixty years of change and development in education in Canterbury have been seen by Mr W. A. Banks, of Rangiora, to-day being | the sixtieth anniversary of the bej ginning of his career, as a pupil I teacher at the Rangiora school. Mr i Banks said in an interview on SatI urclav that methods of teaching had altered almost completely since the early cia>s when many of the teachers were men trained in England who still had the • e habit of teaching with a strap always in their pocket or a 1 cane lying on the table, ivlr Banks d was one of the first students to enter g tile Christchurch Training College, •e in the year of its opening, and at. i- the of 20 he was in cnarge ot y the Carleton school at Bennetts s Junction, where there were at that time 200 children. He was elected e to the Canterbury Education Board f in 1910 and he has been a member 3 ever since, being the only present y member who served on the board - before the amalgamation of disn tricts in 1916. . i Mr Banks is with * practically every department of edu- j f caHon in the province. He nas been 1 for mh-.h; years a member of the Canterbury Coiieue Council, tor I>< vcors oil the Rangiora High School .. Board, and for seven years on the y Board of Governors of the Cantcrl burv Agricultural College. He retired from teaching in iOOO and until e U)L(i farmed Jart.i" in diilerent parts , ; ;of Canterbury, becoming almost as ~ 'veil known as n farmer and as a judge at agricultural and pastoral shows as for his interest in educati.on. F.v trie last 19 years no ha~ been living in retirement m Rangi- >

" or a. Teaching Career ! ] Mr Banks left the training college in 18130 on his appointment as head- ] master of the nowly-opcned Ayies- > bury school. Here he remained only r six months, but in that short tunc . she brought the r<.-li number up from • - 18 to 47, taking charge vt live r classes and two in fan U' classes. : * There were no corrclaints in those 1 •J days, he said on Saturday, aoout , teachers having t-iu nany classes < * | " pad to fc>o done j ; .■and nobody thought about !ho c«">n- j j ? ichtiors T- .'o vea;'s tVuiov.-ed at the ! j *ll 'l. In 1532 Mr Eanksi. :! uister of the Lincoln ! ; ! school, which was then more than |« ii three times its present size, having;: i ! v i t-sjl r umber of 1211 at o::c slag'-, ' I during the bi years oi Mr Banks':' ' keudm:;stershu\ j In IMo Mr Bank.; h,.d ; teaching armuinlment, t«* the Belfast |* •; school, which, hke the Lincoln ' •; sclfo!. was then larger than it :•» : > : row. Mo hud always na.i an idea : i that ho would go back to the land. I * | havir.u beer, brought uo on a farm. I ■land from !:H;0 to I Sid r.o farmed r ■ ; land Loburn. 'vbukaro Mount : yßengcr, Knrwco ~r.d The Peaks. He • h has judged at over 100 shows. to , f .; use hi"- own phrase, •'eve:-"/ mortal ' ; I thing except bruuchtbiorses." <_

' i •; Early Days Recalled ] Or.'-} th>» chic: difficulties at th-.;, i training i" its drst few ';years. .=j:d Mr Banks. vrj-.i the cla.-h • | between tixc methods oi the j i trained teacher.; and those :.dc'|catcd by the principal. Mr C. C. • ! H-nvurri. Mr Howard's attitude v,-a.;; j t:\ii education vv'j.j a "dra tving out. janci not a "dnv;ii ; ; in." The h'jtv-i . iof the practising department. Mr ! J. Curncv. was of the same opinion, t ! bus unfortunately his assistants used; ! the older methods, so that m the, i training college one method was itau.iht and another almost opposite dir. the practising docarin:ont Tids . was the beelnr-unc of change in d'.e i educations' methods in Canterbury . safi Mr Bands. | It 'wis oden danced for trainees. :to obtain aonointments, TVI r Banks! .said, as there '.vas very strong cum-: I petition f'n'n m English teachers, .some id them <ei^de;■ mem win; had ; conic to the colony 'o rina work. No • places •.'/ere found lor the .■students.' art! r.uey simp-v had 'o wait for a | successful application. The appotnt- ' rieri; of teacher-? was entire;'-- in i tite hands of the school committees , which aduertiscd vacancies and rner: ; ! reporter. :heir selection to r.he board! 1 for sanction. Theuah this led to a ; eood deal o;' canvassing by the I toae'rors. it was in sortie respects ! quite as p;ood as the present crraddne s-wtern because it xavc the comirruv.ee some idea of the personality of ;iv* teacher it v.-as appointing.