SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 270, 20 August 1925, Page 15

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

PRINCIPALS IN CONFERENCE DISCUSSING ANNUAL REMITS The New Zealand Secondary Schools Principals’ Association commenced its annual deliberations at Wellington College yesterday, Mr. J. Murray (Palmerston North) presiding. Ths election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows: —President, Mr. W A. Armour; hon. secretary, Mr. G. E. Strachan (Rangiora), Messrs. T. R. Crosswell (Wellington College), Thomas (Timaru), members of the principal executive on the association, and Messrs. T. R. Cresswell, G. E. Strachan, and Miss M. V. Gibson (Christchurch) members of the council of the Secondary Schools’ Association. Mr. F. Milner (Waitaki) moved the following, which was carried with little or no discussion: ’’That in the opinion of this assogiation the time has now arrived when compulsory education should be extended to the age of 15. In moving "That this association expresses its conviction that it is imperative in the best interests of educational administration that the director be sent before the close of the year on a tour of Europe and North America in order to gain first-hand experience of the working of the best modern educational system, Mr. Milner said: The Railway Department had sent seven men round the world whose expenses they were paying in order that they might find out all there was to know about railways and so develop those in New Zealand accordingly. On the other hand the whole of the educational machinery was allowed to stagnate simply because the Minister did not s-nd .the director abroad to acquire information, and first-hand experience. .In his opinion the Director of Education would furnish a very valuable report if. sent on the suggested tour, because of his local experience. Mr. Strachan (Rangiora) declared that the ills of the educational system would not be cured by sending the Director of Education to America. He thought the Department was quite capable ot setting up a sound system with the information that was available at present from America and England. Untill the Education Department tells us definitely,’’ he said 'That we are not capable of putting in a good system there is no reason why we should asK that the Director of Education be sent away to seek the knowledge abroad. Has the Department encouraged the genius of teachers in New Zealand r he asked. "If the Director of Education took a tour round New Zealand visiting all the schools ideas would accrue that would be of far more value than the experience to be gained abroad where conditions were by no means the same. There was another matter to be thought.of, and that was Mr. Taits report. They had not yet seen that and were therefore unaware of what his recommendations were. There was, in his opinion, little doubt that the ability and genius of teachers was not being exploited. He opposed the noMr. W. A. Armour considered that no man who was Director of Education should occupy that position for any length of time without being given an opportunity of seeing the educational systems of other countries. Mr. Milner (Waitaki) pointed out that the Victorian Government had sent Mr. Tait Home twice to study the educational systems of England. The South Australian and South African Governments had also done the same with their directors. The most progressive district in England, the West Riding of Yorkshire, had received a most valuable report on American educational systems.. The motion was carried. Lower Leaving Certificates. Mr. W. A. Armour moved: "That the name lower leaving certificate be changed to some such name as the secondary leaving certificate, or simply secondary school certificate, and that the Education Department be asked to take steps to educate the public generally to consider this certificate as an accepted standard of a good course of secondary education.’’ Employers, stated Mr. Armour, would not accept the lower leaving certificate; they did not know what it meant. Mr. Cresswell (Wellington College): In the whole of my experience I have never issued one of these certificates. The- motiqn was carried. A good deal of discussion centred round the following remit moved by Miss E. M. Johnston (Invercargill): "That a properly equipped training college for secondary school teachers should be established at once.” After discussion the following amendment was carried: "That more adequate training for secondary school teachers should "be established at once.” Teachers’ Salaries. Dr. Marsden, Assistant-Director of Education, attended the meeting during the afternoon and was consulted upon various matters. Salaries of secondary school teachers were, he said, as good as they could be for the moment. Any increase in expenditure where education was concerned was being closely watched. The reports of Mr. Tait and the University Commission would mean that many important recommendations would ba made and the Department would not be slow to take advantage of the advice given. Any alterations in the educational system would be undertaken after consultation with tho principals of the schools. In his opinion the country was standing as much money for education as it corid and the people would not stand very~inuch more Without wanting to know what they were getting for their money. There would have to be a check put on soon. Tho meeting decided to send as a deputation to the Railway Board the president (Mr. W. A. Armour), Miss M. V. Gibson (Christchurch), and Mr. J. E. Strachan (Rangiora) in reference to school season-tickets for the school term. Dr. Marsden intimated that the Education Department would co-operate in this deputation. The meeting then went into committee. ASSISTANTS’ ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of thr Secondary Assistants’ Association was held yesterday. Mr. 11. B. Tomlinson, M.A. (president) occupied the chair. Messrs. E. J. Parr (senior inspector), and Kitson (secondary inspector) were present. Tho following delegates were in attendance: Misses K. L. Simkin (Palmerston North), K. V. Edgerley, C. F. Hull, B. Battersby (Auckland), F. D. Bingham (Dannevirke), N. E. Coad, E. M. Hind (Wellington), D. M. Stewart (Christchurch), E. M. Newton (Marlborough), C. H. Rockol (Wanganui), Messrs. H. E. GilbertSmith (Whnngarei), F. M. Renner, W. Alexander, H. B. Tomlinson, A. S. Farquhar (Wellington). C. M. Littlejohn Waitaki), W. M. Stewart (Christchurch), E. A. Watkin (Nelson), W. T. Foster (Auckland), W. Purdie (Marlborough), F. J. W. Hodges (Palmerston North), and N. E. Johnson (New Plymouth). Tho. executive’s report stated that a considerable improvement was still required in tho salaries of women teachers. Among other matters affecting the association, there was the extremely unsatisfactory condition of the university examinations— particularly matriculation. Last year’s results afforded convincing evidence that tho matriculation examination was in. danger of breaking down. Matriculation dominated to quite an un-called-for extent, almost the whole ot the secondary s'-hool curriculum. The balance-sheet showed receipts (including rttnount brought forward 6835 45.), £lB6 ss. fid., expenditure (including balance to credit .£’4s 17s. 5d.). JHRG ss. fid. The assets totalled .£lOl 7s. 9d. in cash. 'The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Mr. F. M. Renner, ALA., was elected secretary and treasurer. Tho following officers were also elected: President, Mr. J. A. Colquhoun (Palmerston North); vice-president,

Miss K. V. Edgerley (Auckland); executive, North Island, Messrs, A, R. Gatland (Auckland) and A. G. Johnson (New South Island, Messrs A. M. Sicwart (Christchurch) and C. M. Littlejohn (Waitaki); Wellington, Miss Hind and Mr. A. S. Farquhar. Representatives of the council, Miss Hine and Messrs. J. A. Colquhoun and B. S. Chisholm The president, in his address, stated that every teacher must feel that eve?, after five years at a secondary school boys and girls wore ill-equipped for the battle of life. The life a man led menially and spiritually were tremendously more important both to himself and the world than his worldly prosperity. There was everywhere a sort of mental unease and dissatisfaction with the scheme of things. He was afraid it .was largely self-fiattiery to denounce the younger generation as degenarate. The fact was that the mind of this generation had immensely more complex problems to solvo, a much heavier weight of civilisation to bear than had the mind of a few generations ago. Inventors had so revolutionised man's environment, habits of conduct, and purposes of life, and so hastened the progress of change that it became increasingly difficult for man’s common run of thinking to keen pace with the radical alterations in his actual practices and conditions of living. It had made the business man the dominant figure of the age. He considered the task of carrying on and advancing civilisation had to be borne by the more intellectually fit, the boys and girls of secondary schools and the young men and women of tho universities. It was therefore apparent that tho object of education was to enlarge and cultivate of the pupils’ capacity for honest thinking, and to equip him with the knowledge necessary to right thinking. The president dealt to some extent with the necessity for correlating the different subjects of the syllabus, especially on the language side, and strongly critisedlast year’s matriculation paper, claiming that it would dishearten any teacher. Tho president moved and Miss Coad seconded: "That the Department be requested so to amend the various syllabi as to permit of the greatest possible correlation between the different subjects of the school curriculum.” The motion was carried.

The president moved and Mr. Renner seconded: "That the present type of paper set in English for the matriculation examination he done away with and a tyne substituted that will encourage a wider outlook and a more literary treatment of tho. subject in tho classroom.” The motion was carried with one dissentient.

The following motions, among others, were carried also :— "That, in view of the admitted importance of the work of the teaching profession, and the necessity of inducing the right, typo of men and women to adopt and retain teaching as their life-work, this association respectfully regrets the Department’s inability to accept the view that increases can more profitably be assigned to the higher positions than to the lower ones.” "That in view of th-. fact that teachers sometimes are. and at other times are not, regarded by the Department as Civil Servants, this association make it a strong point of policy to maintain our right to a. professional status, and tn protest against being classified as Civil Servants." A number of remits to to-day’s secondary schools’ combined conference were approved. Miss D. M. Stewart (Christchurch Girls’ High School) read a paper on “The Art of Sneech Training.” She said that New Zealand was Fnguisttcally in a very hopeful position. Tho percentage of educated people here was relatively high; the Country rapidly assimilated new ideas and mMhj'ls: the. central control of education ht-ib, though not always an ideal condition, had its value, especially when, as in the present instance, teachers were in accord as to the ends to be attained. With such advantages, if speech-training wore thorough, scientific, and tactful, thorn might to ho a very high standard of spoken English in New Zealand, and a very high reputation abroad.