COUNTRY SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2678, 26 January 1916, Page 2

COUNTRY SCHOOLS

THI3 WORK OF ORGANISING INSPECTOR. The Hon. J. A. Htman, Minister of Education, asked j'esterday if it was his intention to instruct oho of his inspectors in each district to go out more to certain country schools to take classes and help teachers whose work was weak, said that he was quite alive to the importance of the class of work for which arrangements were some years ago made by the Auckland and Wangamii Boards in the appointment of organising inspectors, whoso main duty it was to spend considerable time in small schools to put the teaching on a better footing. Mr. Priestly, in Auckland, did a considerable amount of work, but from tho fact that in the Inst two or three years at least extra assistance had had •to be employed towards the close of the year to complete the ordinary inspections, it might be presumed that less and less time was being found for work of this kind. Again, m Wanganui, he was informed, even before the late Mr. Braik's death, Mr. Stewart had more or less to be employed in ordinary inspecting work. For the purpose of arriving at the same result of improvement in the efficiency of tho small schools, but in a different way, the Act of 1914 made provision, for the recognition of observation or model schools, and authorised in such cases additional payment to teachers employed in these schools. The matter had! not been lost sight of, but was merely held in abeyance, pending a return of favourable conditions. In a well-ordered scheme probably both methods should take their part. AVhen the inspecting staff of the new districts was settled, the question might be further considered. "Meantime," said Mr. Hanan, "I have asked the Director of Education to inquire how far the special work of organising inspector was actually done in the Auckland and "Waagftnui districts."