EDUCATION BOARD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1776, 19 June 1896, Page 3

EDUCATION BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Education Board, held in Dunedi'i, was attended by Sir M. Cohen (chairman), the lion. J. MacQregor, Messrs D. Borrie, T. Mackenzie, M.H.R., H. Clark, J. M. Gallaway, A. M'Kerrow, J. J. Ramsay, and J. F. M. Fraser. RESIGNATIONS. The following resignations were accepted : A. M. Nicol, head-teacher, Waikoikoi; John A. Scott, do, Fairfax; John Whyte, do, Meiton ; Helen Malcolm, do, Hillend ; Mary D. Carson, do, Nenthorn; Jessie R. Nelson, mistress, Waianakarua; Alex. Crawford, third assistant, Oamaru Middle. APPOINTMENTS. The following appointments were confirmed : -John Whyte, head-teacher, Highcliff, vice Hodge, promoted; D. Matheson, do, Incholme, vice Hardy, promoted ; Mary D. Carson, do, 1 ivingtone, vice Murray, transferred ; Helen Malcolm, first assistant--, Flag Swamp, vice Ross, promoted; Jessie R. Kelson, Palmerston, vice M'Naught, promoted. NORMAL SCHOOL COMMITTEE. The Normal School and School of Art Committee reported that in their opinion the application of the High School Board for the services of the assistant drawing-master might be granted, and that the suggestions made by Mr Somerville as to lavatory arrangements at the School of Art be carried out. Consideration of Mr Mar-hall's application had been deferred. On the motion of the Hon. J. MacGregor the report was adopted. ACCOUNTS amounting to £8,094 lis lid were passed for payment. ELECTION OF SCHOOL COMMITTEES. Mr Mackenzie moved the motion of which he had given notice—"That a copy of rules for conducting meetings be forwarded to the Otago school committees for their guidance." The intention of the motion was that they should draft a few simple forms to give the psople some guidance in the election of school committees. It would assist very much in the elections, and would save a deal of trouble. He had a draft of rules which he would submit to the Board, if necessary.

Mr Ramsay seconded the motion pro forma. Mr Gal* AWAY opposed the motion. Any rules of the kind emanating from the Board would lead to quite as much confusion as the present rules. He thought the members of committees conducted their business quite as intelligently as did the members ot the Board, and if they wanted any further enlightening they should be invited to attend one of the Board's meetings. They should take no action in the matter until the committees approached them upon it. After a discussion the motion was lost. ITINERANT TEACHERS.

Mr Mackenzie moved "That itinerant teachers be appointed in forest districts in order to extend the advantages of education to isolated bush settlers." The intention of the motion was to enable families too remote at present to get advantages from existing schools to get some aid, as was done in New South Wales.

Mr Fraser seconded the motion, which, he thought, came with special fitness from Mr Mackenzie, in whose district (Catlins) there was ecope for such work by some of their young and active teachers.

It was decided to refer the motion to a committee consisting of Messrs Clark, Ramsay, Fraser, and the to consult with the inspectors and report to the Board. THE GRANT TO AIDED SCHOOLS. Mr Mackenzie moved—"That the grant to aided schools be increased from £3 153 to £5." The Board, which was a wealthy Board, should not be behind other boards in the colony. If carried the operation of the motion might be confined to districts in which schools were situate from eight to ten miles of one another. It was very necessary that the Board should enable men with families to remain on stations. At present, immediately a family grew up a man had to leave good employment and go to some township to get precarious work. As far as runholders were concerned, it mattered not to them whether there were schools or not; in fact, they preferred single men. The Board's object, however, was to settle men with families on the back properties. The speaker was pleading really for the poorer c'asses, and not for the runholders, as some of the members seemed to think.

Mr Gallaway seconded the motion pro forma. After a discussion the motion was referred to a committee consisting of Messrs Clark, Ramsay, Fraser, and the mover, to report to the Board. EMPLOYMENT OK RELIEVING TEACHERS. Mr Ramsay moved that there be laid on the table each month a return giving the names of the teachers temporarily employed by the chairman. He said that there wa3 a feeling outsi :.e, though ho did not think it was well grounded, that no principle whatever governed these appointments. He dented that he had tabled his motion out of any desire to reflect on the impaitiality of the chairman, but he thought the Board were entitled to the information now asked. Mr Gallaway was of the same opinion, and did not think that the chairman himself would regard the motion as having any personal direction. Mr Clark could not see any necassity for the return. It had been the general custom for the chairman for the time being to make all temporary appointments, and he was not aware, and did not believe that any existed, of the breath of complaint on that score. Unquestionably the motion cast a reflection on the chairman's impartiality. The Hon. Mr MaoGreGOR said that until his chairmanship this matter had been in the hands of the secretary. When the change was made he announced to the Board what appointments lie made from month to month, but that practice had fallen into disuse. The Chairman said that the Board could decide the matter quite irrespective of himself; whatever the Board's decision was would be carried out by him. He had only exercised the privilege on two occasions so far, but he had made a list of the app'icants and made selections from it according to the capabilities of the applicants and their fitness for the vacancy. Unless directed to the contrary, he would continue to follow that course. On a division there voted for the motion Mefsrs MacGregor, Ratmay, Gallaway, and Mackenzie ; against Messrs Clark, iiorrie, Fraser, and M'Kerrow.—Tho Chairman said that his duty was to leave things as they were, therefore he voted with the noes. Mr Ramsay intimated that he would ask at that table for the information each month. DUNBACK. A letter was received from Mr Ritchie, chairman of the meeting of householders at Dunback, giving his opinion as to the legality of the election, and saying that he left the Board to decide whether one of the gentlemen elected (Mr Battersbj) was a householder or not. He was glad to see so many young men coming forward, and he took the opportunity of retiring after thirty years of the work. After a discussion it was agreed That the Committee be informed that, in tho opinion of the Board, Mr Battersby has not been legally elected, and that unless he retire the Board will declare the election void." SCHOLARSHIP EXAMINATION'S. The inspectors reported on this matter as follows: - We have the honor to submit for the consideration of the Board amended scholarship regulations aud amended schedules of subjects. The emendations in the regulations are all verbal. The following notes indicate the nature of the changes proposed in the schedules of subjects. In the junior schedule history is extended to 1837, arithmetic is made identical with the public school course, and map-drawing is extended to the countries of Europe. In other respects the schedule is practically the same as that in present use. Senior scholarship schedule: 1. English.—The most important cbatige is the omission of prescribed English literature. We recommend this change because we are sure WHrt the present iirrangemant leads to memorising what is not understood. We have added figures of speech and word-building, two very important branches of English. , , 2. Grammar.-Wo added the arrangement ot clauses, the interchange of equivalent constructions, and punctuation-all of great practical miP °:[ ta ( n !eography.-We have thrown out general and political geography and substituted physical aud commercial geography, and placed the subject among the optional subjects. Physical geography constitutes a fine introduction to the study o science, and cpnnnarcial is of s r « a v p |JWW importance,

4. History.-We recommend the period from 1185 to 1837 for that from 106(5 to the present time. ". 5. Dictation, Arithmetic, Mathematics, Latin, and French are the same as in the present schedule, except that Latin and mathematics are made compulsory subjects. Mathematics, like Latin, is an important university subject, and what can be said in support of placing Latin amongst the compulsory subjects applies with equal force to the placing of mathematics in that category. We may mention that duriDg the last six years most of the competitors for senior scholarships have taken mathematics. The actual percentage is 98.G of the competitors. 6. The Marks.—We have reduced by 50 the marks assigned for French. The marks for the other subjects remain as at present. Grammar, as defined in the amended schedule, is well worth 100 marks, and for the sake of our own schools the marks for dictation should, we think, remain as at present.

Mr A. Wilson, rector of the Boys' High School, attended, and explained that he had had a conference with the inspectors and was satisfied with the arrangements they had made, as detailed in their report, but he would have liked if there had been a higher appraisement of marks for both Latin and English, and that instead of giving matks for wiiting the general neatness of the candidates' written work had been assessed by the examiners. After a discussion, it was agreed to adopt the report of the inspectors, but writing was deleted and an allowance of twenty-five marks was made for general neatness of written work. THE SEVENTH STANDARD. The Hon. Mr MacGregor, on behalf of the Committee appointed to consider the syllabus proposed for the above class, presented the subjoined report : That in our opinion a syllabus should be prescribed for Class X. That the syllabus suggested by the inspectors, with amendments agree! upon, be adopted. That head-masters be required to adopt that syllabus, exGept in cases in which s me other syllabus is submitted for approval, and is approved by the inspectors, it being understood that in tho case of schools having one teacher only the inspectors shall be satisfied with less work than that prescribed in the syllabus. That headmasters shall be held responsible generally for the work of this class, it being left to the teachers to apportion the work to the best advantage, and that the head-master be relieved of the work now presc ibed. That the head-master and an assistant be allowed to arrange an exchange of subjects, each being held responsible for the work undeitaken by him. That the above be embodied in regulat'ens.

The following memo, by the inspectors was attached to the report:—

The city and suburban head-masters, in conference with a committee of the Board (April 24 and 25, 1S91), expressed the opinion that it would be advantageous to have the work for Class X. denned by the Board. The syllabus suggested in our last report is in accordance with that opinion. In some schools pupils are preparing for matriculation, Civil Service, or scholarship examination. It is not intended that the syDabua of any of these should be set aside, as they give sufficient definition to the work and cover much more than the suggested syllabus. By the suggestion that "the head-master should be responsible for the work of this class," it is not intended that they should become mere class-teachers. Two hours a day of direct teaching would be quite suflicient if the discipline of the class is good, and the teaching made directive. The report was adopted. pupil-teachers' examinations. The inspectors submitted modified regula tions dealing with the above, and their scheme was adopted. The principal alterations appear to be that an entrance examination i 3 provided, that in future the examinations will be held in the winter, instead of December, as now. Provision is made for the selection of the best literary material available for reading, etc. ; for the examination of these candidates who fail to gain 30 per cent, of marks in one subject only. A new regulation provides against pupil-teachers overworking themselves by preparing at the same time for their own and the teachers' examination. Reading is added to each year's work. For the third and fourth year Hachette's First French Reader is substituted for Chardenal's Second Reader; Latin and French are made alternative; history is distributed over four instead of two years; there is a redistribution of geography. A few slight but necessary changes are made in grammar and arithmetic ; teaching is added to, and some important alterations are made in sewing and drawing. Provision is also made for giving facilities for the grouping of classes in subjects in which grouping is not determined by the teaching. GENEBAL. The Kaikorai School Committee wrote asking that a desk be fitted up in the infant department.—lt was decided to instruct the architect to fix up the desk as a specimen, and to ascertain how it would work. The St. Clair School Committee wrote asking that gas be laid on to the schoolmaster's house, and that a bath be provided.—Mr FItASER moved and Mr Gallaway seconded—"That the request be granted."—After a discussion, the request was declined on the casting vote of the chairman.