SCHOOL MUSIC INSPECTORS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30043, 30 January 1963, Page 13

SCHOOL MUSIC INSPECTORS

Appointment “Long Overdue”

The appointment of qualified music inspectors in the post-primary service is long overdue, according to delegates to the annual conference of the New Zealand School Music Association, yesterday. It was important that teachers should have a constructive critical assessment of their teaching, said a North Canterbury delegate. A Hawke’s Bay delegate agreed and said that schools in his area had been inspected by a man who was a specialist in woodwork and who admitted to knowing little about music.

The conference agreed to press for the appointment of two qualified music inspectors, perhaps one for each island.

The association will seek to have music established as a full examination subject in post-primary schools, starting from form 3 and culminating in School Certificate or University Entrance. While some centres gave a full course, in others—Christchurch was one —three years’ work had to be done in one year, delegates said.

The association also urged the department to include music as a specialist subject in primary and intermediate schools, equal in every way with other specialist subjects. Officers elected were:— patron, Dr. Vernon Griffiths; president, Mr I. Le C. Harvey; vice-presidents, Mr I. Menzies (junior), Mr K. Newson (senior), Professor J. A. Ritchie, Messrs E. Jenner, W. H. Walden-Mills, and H. Temple - White (honorary); secretary, Mr W. Manins; treasurer, Mr G. Lilly; council, Miss P. Collins, Messrs C. L. Martin, D. Menzies, G. Wilson (primarv representatives), Miss O. Wemham, Messrs R. Lilly, G. Martin, J. Papesch (post-primary representatives).