THE SCHOOL WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1271, 28 October 1911, Page 10

THE SCHOOL WORLD.

A WEEKLY REVIEW. NOTES FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY. Teachers and others in!cre?tod in the administration of education are invited to contribute notes lor publication ill "The School. World." Those sdiniild lie iMldrc'scd to the Editor, "The School World," Tin; Dominion. V.'ellliißton. and po-led to reach this ofliee not laler tlum Wednesday in each week. Correspondents desirim; enlightenment, upon any question in connection with the school work, or the general administration of the eduration system, are. invited to submit these points to tho Kditor for elucidation and reply. Where anonymity is desired, it will bo strictly observed.

DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS, BIENNIAL GOVERNMENT INSPECTIONS. A circular memorandum on the subject of inspections of secondary departments of district hijih schools has been issued from tho Education Department to the several Education Boards. There is no desire, it is stated, to supersedo tho duties of regular inspection as conducted under the board's authority in such schools. Tor the purposo of estimating the value to the community of the secondary instruction given in schools of tho kind it is considered that tho Minister should have, as nearly as possiblo at first hand, a body of information as lo tho courses of instruction pursued and their general effectiveness. It also appears to be necessary, in connection with the tree-place system that, through an officer of tho Department who is regularly engaged in the inspection of secondary schools, any opportunities that time permits, should be taken of forming comparative judgments of qualifications that are practically unchangeable. Some overlapping in tho work of inspection might be unavoidable. Tho Department proposes to reduce this overlapping to as small a compass as possible by arranging for the inspection of secondary departments only once every two years, taking, roughly speaking, the schools of tho North Island in one year and those of the South Island in tho year following.

TEACHERS AND POLITICS. A CANDIDATE FOE RAGLAN. The right of a schoolmaster to take an active part in politics was the topic of an interesting discussion at the last meeting of the Auckland Education Board. The headmaster of the Pukekohc High School is a candidate for the Raskin electorate. A report had been received from the inspector statins that ho could not sec how the school duties could ho carried on without sullcriiig while the master was conducting an election campaign. He considered that if the master intended to continue tho campaign ho should be relieved of his school duties at once. Several members took the part of the master, and said they could see no more harm in the electoral campaign than in growing cabbages, provided that it was pursued out of school hours. Tho board had no right to interfere so long as its work was being done properly. iNeglect of tho school work, of course, put a dilferent complexion on the matter. It was mentioned that the master in question had already announced that he intended to resign. The chairman of the board said that in other Government Departments men who wished to stand for Parliament had either to resign or apply for leave of absence. Ono member said he did not see how anyono could work an clcctorato like Raglan without intruding upon school hours. It was moved that the teacher should be written to in terms of the inspector's letter and asked what his intentions were; but an amendment defering the matter for a fortnight was carried.

EDUCATIONIST ABROAD. JIB. WTLLTAJI DAVIDSON'S IJII'HJSSSIONS. Mr. William Davidson, headmaster of the Mominglon Public School (Dunedin), and a late prominent member at' the Kxecutuc Committee of tho Nov,- Zealand J.ducahonal Institute, has returned to Dunedin after enjoying a well-earned eight months' furlough. During that tiine he has travelled through many lands, and profited considerably by coming into contact and comparing notes with some of the ablest educationists in the 01(1 Country and in Europe. Mr. Davidson's many friends in Dunedin— and. for tho matter of that, throughout the Dominion—will be glad to hear that his health has greatly improved by change of scene and rest. During tho course of an interesting interview, Mr. David?on was asked how primary education in New Zealand compared with that of tho countries ho had visited. His reply was: "Very favourably indeed. The fairest and 'most satisfactory comparison, however, is to place our system alongside those in operation in the Australian Commonwealth. Looked at from this point of view, I should say: 1. All classes of people in New Zealand tal;e a keener anil more intelligent inlorest in their public schools and regard them with greater favour than is tho care in any state in the Commonwealth. 2. The minimum qualification demanded for entrance to the teaching profession is higher with us than in any of the Australian states.

3. Our teaching staff, especially in schools from 3G to 80 in average attend-

ancc, and as regards male assistants in large schools, is much moro liberal than that allowed in Australia. •I. Our salaries are equal to those paid in any of tho States. 5. Better provision is made in New Zealand for the training and education of teachers than in any Australian State.

(i. We have a more satisfactory superannuation scheme than that provided in anv part of Australia. Our chief defects arc:

1. The unequal areas ef education districts and tho reluctance of boards in the larger districts to appoint teachers from outside their own areas. This has prevented many of our most capable and deserving men' and women from getting the promotion they have earned. 2. inadequate equipment so far as all kinds of teaching appliances are concerned.

The remedy is: — 1. (a) To divide tho Dominion into four education districts, the boundaries of which should bo co-terminous with the four university and training college districts; or (b) to reduce the areas of tho present largo districts and increase their number. I prefer the former. 2. The adoption of this reform would enable the Minister for Education to formulate a satisfactory system of appointment and nromotion of teachers. 3. To introduce a uniform scale of salaries for inspectors. ■1. To adopt a system of subsidising amounts of money," raised locally, for the purposo of properly equipping nur schools. A local education rate would not, I am afraid, bo tolerated.

FROM THE FOUR CORNERS. YAMOUS NEWS ITEMS. The Wellington brand" ° f t!l ° Teachers' Institute Ims nominated the following as members of the executive, of the New Zealand Educational Institute:—Mr. Gibbs of Nelson, president; Mr. Parkinson of Wellington, secretary; Mr. Just, of Canterbury, treasurer; and Mr. Erskinc (Wellington), non-official member'for the North Island. The North Canterbury Education Board, at its nest meeting, will discuss the ouestions of: (1) Asking the Minister f»r Education to provide a sum of money to enable the board to render fin-neial assistance for instruction in swimming, and (2) asking the Department to supply schools direct with bu-ile coal. At. tho next meeting of the Wellington branch of Ihe Teachers' Institute, on November 3, Br. J. M. Mason will doliver a lecture on "Somo Points in the Teaching of Physiology and Anatomy." Dr. 'Mason is an" interesting speaker, and a large attendance of. members is anticipated. The Managing Committee, of the Auckland Teachers' Institute has approved of a proposed scheme of payment of salaries submitted by tho board. Under this scheme, which is similnr to that in use. in Wooganuj, tcae-hera" cakriou jril] bt

pnid into a locul branch of the Hunk of New Zealand, and teachers will draw out cacti month's fnlary in one cheque. Whore no branch of (his bank can bo used, cholines "free of exchange" will be tonviirded by (ho board. l'mm (ho Wairarajia branch of (ho WYlliii.nlon Teachers' Institute, comes llio lolluwiiiK remits for (lie tinual conference at Timarii in January nejt:—"That when teachers are compulsorily transferred I lie Judication Hoard per expenses id' removal; Dial country residences bo provided with sufficient land to graze one

Owing lo the great difficulty in securing relieving teachers, the North Or.nlerliury Education Board has decided that any' lonelier desirous of obtaining leave of absence in order to attend the forthcoming university examinations must arrange matters with (he School Committee, anil that it -would now be impracticable to grant any extended leave for the purposo of preparing for tke examination. "Ono matter which engaged my attention," said Inspector Wyllie, reporting to the Southland Education Board recently on the work of the pupils in the woodwork classes at tho Technical School, "was the inability of lads from the upper classes of somo of our schools to use an ordinary foot-rule with easo or even approximate accuracy. It is clear that a good many teachers take it for granted that when their pupils have learned tho necessary tables they are fully equipped for practical measuring work. They would nave been sadly undeceived had they been present at the demonstration I attended, and seen the futile attempts of their pupils to perform tho very simple feat of measurement required of them." of tho inspector's recommendation. A memorandum was recently received by the North Canterbury Education Board from its chief inspector . recommending the board to ascertain how many of the uncertificated tcachurs in isolated districts desired lo proceed to a certificate, and pointing out that advantage might be taken of correspondence classes if it should not be found possiblo to render tho required assistance through the medium of the local training college._ Tho board has sir.co requested tho chief inspector and the principal of the training college to report as lo the practicability of commencing correspondence classes through the training college if sufficient inducement should offer. Tho Otago Education Board had recently before it certain recommendations in connection with tho Training College, the principal recommending a second model school of grade- 111, under a solo teacher, with 35-40 in average attendance; salary, .C2lO to .£2lO. The inspectors recommended tho establishing ot o school of grade IV, under two teachers, with 79-89 in a.vorage attendance, the salaries being; .£2lO to £H«, and -£120 to J: 135. Tho board's chief inspector, Mr. Richardson, stated that in his opinion a school of grade IV under two teachers was the typo of school which the board had recently "found most difficulty with so far as suitable nula applicants with experience in tlais gml» was concerned, and if they had an »pp»rtiinily of receiving practice f*r a month in such school a.s the Training Collejc tho board would be less diffident about sending forward for such schools the names of applicants with practictlly no experience. The board decided in farour A suggestion has recently been made by the Education Department that fire drill* shall l» introduced in tke schools. The suggestion was reported upon by tho chief inspector of the Auckland Education Board at its last meeting. He stated that fire drill was not so urgently needed in this centre as in others where thero are svhools of Lwo storys. Nevertheless he considered the suggestion a good one, and recommended that it should bo carried out, and that the superintendents of the fire brigades should be asked to confer with the head teachers with tho object of arranging for periodical drills in tho larger schools. Tho chairman of tho board said that arrangements would havo lo bo made with the brigades for tho uso of plant and for instruction. The. recommendations of the inspector were adopted. A revised course of study is to be issued by tho Victorian Education Department in a icw weeks' time. In addition to tho course for the ordinary elementary schools the scheme will provido courses for tho new higher elementary and evening continuation schools. As tho ]3ducation Act now requires that all children 6hall attend school between tho ages of six nud fourteen years, the authorities can count on eight years' school life. It has therefore been decided to have in each school eight grades, or classes, corresponding to the years of school life. The Department has also determined that instead of each school making its promotions after tho inspector's examination, all tho schools shall make their promotions in January each year, so that tho work of tho children will go on concurrently all over tho State. The examinations for promotion will not bo taken by the inspectors, but by the head masters, and records will bo kept for tho inspectors. The duties of tho inspectors, as at present, will embrace, inspection of the methods of the schools and such examinations of individual children and classes as they may think fit, Fju'cct will bo given to the recommendations of the oommittoo on manual training, and teachers will he given freedom of choice from several approved courses of manual work, without overburdening the curriculum. The largo expenditure which tho pursuit of this study involves will servo to keep the curriculum within bounds. Greater prominence is to bo given to agriculture, the courses in which will comprise indooT experimental work, relating to the chemistry of plants and the composition of soils, and outdoor husbandry.