NOTES ON EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 89, 8 January 1908, Page 5

NOTES ON EDUCATION

(By, Socrates.)

■ THE TEACHERS' CONFERENCE. . The . twonty-fifth annual . conference of dologates from-the various district branches of tho' New Zealand Educational Institutes was'-held -at Auckland this, year.: Tho Conference" opened on Thursday January' 2 4 and lasted-four days. NOTES FROM THE OPENING: SPEECHES. ' ' The.'Mayor; of ' Auckland, ;Mr. A. M. •Myers;-in his'addross -of'- wclcomo:to ,thp . delegates, assembled,: said' that !of tho.maiiy extra-political.organisations in;.tbe..Dominion of Now ; Zealand-rminor ' congresses whose fun'ptioh-jt, was, to deliljerato upon 'matters ooiibe'rning. ,tho ,'welfaro. 'of their members— tKero couldcbb.few,''...if ' any, ealealated'to exorcise a more vital; influericp'on' - ' the' lrelfare of 'tho community than" such a gathering' of 'tekefctos as it his to welcbmo tb' 'Auckland., V-Thb recommendations'; of-such a'vgathering rcouldrhardly -fail .to .carry, c'onBider'ablo" weight with, the' authonties. Apart, 'moreover, from any legislative achievements, whether'in' connection with the. syllabus ,or other- matters; tho' proceedings,of.'a.body represonting .the had in their ehargo i.the .; great • majority. : . of tlio children ' throughout tlio Dbmihioii; ; must' leavo - their . inark;ori:our^ ; educational system:arid;national iMf 6. - For great as was ■ the syllabus, there greater, jand that.'was the'personality the teabher., -The piiblicr school teacher was.'riot' a .mere machine for iih'parting instruction; his personality 'must powerfully affect .lho .charactei;s.;of thoso who apbnt .so - much' • of' ,thp J most. impressionable period of li(c under his '.charge.': Thorp- ;was no, body,;of men' arid 1 women; who 'had it. in their power, tV exercise- "so' -far-reaching' an irifluence ori our.'national, habits .of;;thought, oun'national, ideals.V pur. national,; character, arid,. therefore,' on our national ■ destiny, Vas the. State scHoot■ tp'achers. J • /;v Mr,- li.; j;;B'agnaii; :Chairman of tlib',Auckland Education -Board;; said that inHhe. past there had; been / ioo much- desire ■to /look «t thmgs ,iri ;a ; ,p?Tbchial: sense. The system was a national one, '.arid-,; there, should be for exchange -of ideas and • exp«rienco: i amongst thbsorinterested in. tion. ... Any movemeht; in ••that.. direction ahould- bo eneouragei}... .With'this matter a : schernb of promotion.! was; closely associated- -This 'was'a : very; big questitm: The Auckland Board 'was endeavouring 'to establish':' a ,system;;of' choosing'or promotirig in accordance. .with .'some "liroa'd'' lines,'" and in th'o'wpHting of this'tbo members'had brought their'-miiids to bear iii 'affair arid-impartial way;. aritbtricd'.'tb''d(#:what was' right and fair. . Anyone who-cquld ovolre a thorourfily Bati'sfactory schemb'.wp^ - 'th'anks;pf the '. Mr: R.' D. 'Inspectbr of - School? under the " Auckland' :Educatlon\Bo'arxl, J referred, to ja:"rpiiiit ;from 'tlip.;oj;aEo.. Institute, "that all; school''prombtioris shall, ijo • riiado. : in January." ;';Six .years"agb h'o was;' I tho first |to .'bring - thej-miitter forward.' • There was;' a tendency on-, thevpart/bf • somo;pciople : to ;beliSyb ' th'iit !;the '.:irikpectpr«; were ; opposed -to this;'-, TheyCwere",.nothing I of'.tKp kin'd., At thq 'vdting on this 'p6iht':was ; '37'fbr l arid", lo ■'J'.agairist:.. -There . 'sebmcd- easy'sol'ution;if only .itrijjp ;wkin;.\ip.-.bjAßQ:;ins)3tW ;anl%»'=thq (}p^er(im'ctntv'-<. ?t?4s j' ft 4 ! nec^»a'^y. that,' when 'tnb.i.irispectbr''Wade' . ;Kis';''anrihal. ; ? visit; 'he shbuld dVariiino' tlio sehool>aV the;end bf.':the sdhqql .year? .v::'Whj;.'could ;ji'ot'r!a.\recprd,'!bo'; irha'deir'om .month-to|-month:and-frpS' quarter . to!quarter,. arid'/'the inspector could Topk' in at' any" time, "ari'd' deciclo- if-'therworlr: was ' sufficierit: ;it 'WBS; : :"not : necessary, ••'that/ the ■annual examination ; should;:tako ;place.:. at .ariy-/special^time..\'.. It „ : ..woUld', niearirt tha't' teacher's 'would ' know' their . schools,' 'might r '''f>e 'examih'od at - ftp;,'time,' -and the : workj' accbrdingly;'would bo kbptiat!,a'good'. arid ithere, would;bo; np. ; « ru^h;■ at.-, the' end, of! . tlj 9; year- „ 'h: [<'■ "'■> ] D.UAIi,C(iNfROL;^-; : f ; ', • ; Tho'jl'resident, ' in^thercburse/'.of Vh|s : inau- ' 'address had • somethirig to', Say jrbgafd,-; 'ing.f tlie: evils;; of-'- the;; (lual. control,which•;divid'ed; : .thb .admiriistrativo.."sutliority : of/.'schbplsVbetweon', th'o'/Edueatibji Board, .bp the. orii side, • and - the .local .school committee; I in: tho o,thcr.:..Thp duarmanage'inent was rb-' spbnsiblb'fbr-all-'the.difficulty that. tbeyiwdre' now. 'experiencing in..obtaining a sensible, a. proper s.chcriib.of promotion and appointment, •such as existed In'-every other-branch'of "thV public scryicb, and he. did; riot believo for a niojnent' that , the'difal /riiahagcmeht'.'was at aH'necessary, i" The Act' of 1877 iritroduced it', and every-Act sinco' then- had perpetuated; it; b/ut ho ceftain'that if 6no ; of .the.two forms ,of lojoal. control werb'abolished,' not only, would' the 'best' interests.'of■ education' nbt s sufferj but. they; would.- bo conserved? and protected.' "He did -not'hesitate to; say, that ■if;a' premium . had: beeri"offered for inefficiency in thq eiectibri/qf membersitp.ppsitiqris' ujiori any .local- libdy. no woi'se.'methoil boiild haVe beeii disyiscd".than, tha't in yogtie in this Do-' miriiori; and'hii' woridbr/' was that the peri- ; riot -lpng; Wo; this' swung; from _;sb. urid'e'mcKiratic/avriietlipd .to., some.,other;, .which would. place,'thi\sq.. most-4 m portarit local '.bodies under. <popu'la'r; 'cqntf.bl. . not' .fell them'hbV'tho,'electipn'. of / "(^ikatjoir.'bbard. riibmbors 'was' c'arri'ccl butj -but' lio -iriight' say thii in <thol borough of lAVangariui,',which .contained 'mofo than," 1000 votb'r's, 1 ; on 'its • electoral rollj-; there.;.werp/, only, ;ninov .who. possessed thq ;frarichisp, B.oa'rd:'." '/Jt was ,tru6' that'eacli 'brio had three; votes, .but this / Only ' further/ butrag'p .-to ■ the democratic .Committeemen :Vwere ejected^for/ro'rio' .the. end of, that time "came. up for. , for rejMtipii.^'. Ihe; Bqard ifigm.bers f whbm' they elected'. 1 htild .''office /for 'tfirob'-years;' -Wherp rir/as; tho'coristitucricy who put- thbni in 'when. they came un for rc-olcction? : They might bq' still ! : in.;thq'district',;'.ynd,' tjiey,-;,might,'bq,' but tin, .-many: cases.'. wcro.v; .not, /.still'- on 'tho oorijmittps./'. Thero',was.,a : ;constant'and lgrgq. variation in.the;pcrsbririe[ of' the'Mriimittce's',' and.rtho,- that. no.. :^ Board; and' 1 'ijo Bpard >'mcmW^.'c3pl«l''/ /liko. effcctivc'nea's-bs^ball|tdr{p''accouijt ? "tei^ej.'for; ejperiditurp of,:puyic'money- br.fo'r apy other aqt., ;: ; It l seoriieil,-,' .qijitq 1 ';; inimaferial 1 which authoi;ity;.wpu]i'] ; j)b abolished I ,'" : sbe*ihg that 'tho qnp:^^which"surj'iyeil.iwas'tb'.be sb" vitSlly.-'al-ter.qd in-cotjstitjitiori 'Vti.-vt i'.it I .' would' .be'a totally: diubrbiit.thing' from 'what. 1 -it was.'"lf thq';.schoor.^j£mitteb.;;t{pre.- ; .'reliaibed/ tlio 'shbiii(l.^.'hbimproved' arid made bri.'thb/ ofl^ei-;.' tvcVo to 'bb''th'q ff lo^l'"Mucatibrial'a .of-.th'o futurp-; tlf&'n'; :firstj vthq/,^-''districts ..under 'their oon'trol'./'Woftld*; .fte^.'miWially. curtai,lc'd. 'top:.. large-'for- 'efficient;' local-con-trol ;. sqcbmlly tho method K bf /electi-pri riiust (ib popularised, sojtliat effective coji'trQl cpuld b'e.,'exetctsedj'ovef "cvpry--action," .arid-'m'al-ftdmiriisfTntion; cbuld-'bo' brought : to' the'.'bar of.'.'(lßnscracy.' V-.-.; ■ ; •- '