TRAINING'COLLEGE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 988, 1 December 1910, Page 3

TRAINING'COLLEGE.

"BREAKING-UP" FOR THE HOLI. DAYS.

PROFESSIONAL IBEALS.

The Teachers' Training Collego at Thorndon was honoured with a visit by his Excellency the Govorndl- (Lord Islington) yesterday afternoon, on the occasion of the students' annual "brcaking-np" ceremony. His Excellency, who was accompanied by Captain Hamilton, A.H.C.. was received by Mr. William Gray, principal of the college, and Mr. J. C. Webb, headmaster of the Normal School, and, after inspecting the cadet guard of honour, was conducted on a tour of inspection through the various class rooms. There were also present: The Hon. D. Buddo (Acting-Minister for Education), Professor H. B. Kirk, chairman of tho Professorial' Board, Mr. Robert Leo (chairman), and Mr. J. Kebbell (member), of the Wellington Education Board, and Messrs. T. R. Fleming (chief inspector), and G. L. Stewart (secretary), of the board. On completing tho tour of the college buildings, his Excellency addressed the school children, who were massed in the playground. The vice-regal party then proceeded to the Assembly Hall, "where the students were addressed by his Excellency and other speakers. Mr. Lee remarked that he had had tho pleasure of meeting every Governor who nad sojourned in the Dominion, from the days of the late Sir George Grey. It was a very great pleasure to tliose present to have" his Excellency with them on this occasion, and he felt quite sure that they would receive from him some w'holesonie advice. (Applause.)

Mr. Gray on Education Aims. Mr. Gray, principal of the college, said .that ho had gathered from previous conversations with his Excellency, that their Governor was well versed in the subject of education, that he knew his subject from top to bottom. Continuing, the speaker reviewed tho conditions under which the bulk of the Training College was carried on. Its training.capacity at present was limited by the extent of its accommodation, but when, as was hoped, this difficulty was removed, and more adequate buildings provided, ho saw no reason why the various education boards of the middle university district should not be represented by from 150 to 170 students. A Serious Problem. A very serious problem was that of the boarding-out of the students. Private efforts by friends of the college had resulted in the provision of two girls' hostels, but the men student's were. as yet unprovided for, and were getting tired of being knocked about from pillar to post. (Laughter.) Of tho 100 students attending the college only 20 were residents of Wellington; the other 80 came from without the city, and tho boarding-out of these students, as ho had already stated, had to he faced. There was a . real need for a residential collego for men students. Mr. Gray then touched upon tho relation of the college to the university, and in this connection desired to remove the idea that their students were obliged to take tho degree course. That was not so. Although 50ino of the students did, others attended the university with the sole object of higher instruction in: the subjects of their own particular choice, escaping from the burden of an insane examination system and attaining that personal culture which university life was peculiarly fitted to afford in tho personal commingling of the students and tho 'influence of the professors. The speaker made a strong plea for that special training which was best calculated to strengthen the teacher's individuality, and which discounted those ideals which encouraged the belief that tho not? book was greater than the teacher. Tho old idea that anybody could be a teacher was dying hard,-.but surely, and with the development of secondary training, the nrofession would be still further buttressed against such fallacies. (Anplause.) :His Excellency then presented the medals awarded for proficiency in science, physical culture, music, and fives, as follow:- ■

Science: Miss E. Hunt »nd Mr. F. Gaze. Physical culture: Mr. J. Russell and Miss V. Neilson. M.A. Music: Miss C. Hill. Fives: Mr. C. Phillips and Miss I. Kcrslake. '. ■ •The Governor then dclivfrcd an interesting address to the students, and a ost.iii? address (reported elsewhere) to the students, and a'short address was also delivered by the Hon. D. Buddo. Evening Social. An enjoyable farewell social was given last evening bv the first-year students at the Teachers' Training College to tho second-vear students. Tho latter, having completed their term at the college will embark upon the serious business of teaching after the mid-summer holidays are over.