IMPERIAL EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 5

IMPERIAL EDUCATION.

EXCHANGES OF TEACHERS. •U-PROFESSOR BROWS OPINIONS.; ■■•'ikt' .TELEGIIAI*!! —SPECIAL .CORBESPOKDEKT:); Auckland, February 20. : Professor F. D. Brown,, of the Auckland University College, returned,to Auckland by the Manuka on Sunday evening, after ia sojourn of twelve months in the Old World. Tho .Professor first wont to' Genoa,' where very • cold weather was experienced)!, and later ,he proceeded' to' Nice,'staying in the Riviera for two months. During his. stay in Nice'lie .witnessed the great festival of the year,t tho carnival. While in England Profesor; Brown attended .the Imperial. Educational Conference.

;-"A 'great, deal of the'business there," lie said,' ."referred to ■ iprimary education.- : A matter which seemed to me to bo of great importance was the .exchange. of schoolmas-ters'.between-different parts of the Empire, and .this met with a very full discussion, during which it was, pointed out that though thorc were great practical difficulties in .the. way, i.if, a , successful schemo. for,: exchange could be evolved it would bo one, of tho best ppssiolo; means of consolidating the Empire. So far as I anv concerned, I think it woujd bo an admirable plan. The-difficulties, lio in tho expense involved in, transporting .teach-ers-from' one quarter of tho globe to another, and also in'the difference in tho seasons in England and these : Southern- countries./ A teacher leaving England at tho .end of the session there, and, coming to Now Zealand would break':iri,upon tho middle of the session hero and vice versa. , I .

; "If, for example, a master in the Grammar School here were to exchange ■ for a year or two years with an English master, the advantages'to be gathered are very obvious, and ,it was eventually agreed that steps should be taken to ■ forward such exchanges whenever possible. It must be plain to everybody that if the masters in schools here were to go Home for a year or two, and. take up similar work there, their places being taken', meanwhile by English 'masters, a great de-'il would bo done to broaden education in the respective schools. ' ' . . i . "The question of the transfer of University students from one University to anothc* was also discussed, 'but the views expressed by those representing the largo Universities wore .so diverso that nothing practical was attained." ' ' /