EVIDENCE BY MAIL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 10, 11 July 1912, Page 4

EVIDENCE BY MAIL

CONTRIBUTIONS ON VARIOUS v POINTS : BY ABSENTEE WITNESSES. &EAD BEFORE EDUCATION COMMISSION. . i r , Part of the evidence before the Royal Commission on Education consists of contributions forwarded by „ teachers and others unable to attend the «ittiagS of the Commission. Yesterday ' the Commission bad several items of , this kind, which were read by the chairman (Mr. Mark Cohen}.' Mr. Charles A. Eves, of Tikokino, Waipawa, in a letter, referred to several subject^T He "held that the present provincial system was decidedly detrimental \to true education/ :»s it prevailed a' teacher removing t6 another district, where he might be benefited by other methods and new surroundings. . A period of three to five years was long enough in most schools for a teacher to do some good work, whereas to leave him in the same position for a much longer time deprived him of ambition, and caused a spirit of discontent and unrest. ' The writer than- related his own ©x-< perience. For more' than nine years he taught in the Neteon district, and left it nearly eevfen years ago because there was little or no chance of promotion there, the best positions being 'invari-' ably £iven to outsiders. Mr. Eves quoted three instances* in which eligible Neleon teachers were overlooked in appointments to the larger schools, such as Biwaka, Motueka., and Stoke. The Nelson Board, wrote Mr. Eves, had since^turned a complete sctoersault, and confined its appointments to local residents. Mr. Eve© dealt, also, with the difficulty of transfer, or exchange, of teachers, 'with the oeelessness. of rej lieving teachers, with the incapacity ox school committees, and the wretchedness of many teachers' residences. Mr. M. Malone, Wik secretary Grey district branch of the Educational In* strtirte, wrote urging better pay foi» teachers, who, at the present rate of pay, were tempted to seek other employment. Mr. A. S. M. Poison, headmaster Boys' High School, Napier, wrote on several aepecte of secondary education. He thought more 'senior scholarships might be offered, to induce the brighter pupik to proceed further with their education. He regretted the disappearance of grammar in the primary syllabus. He considered vocational studies in the best interests of tie pupik, provided early Bpecialisation were avoided. It was impracticable to introduce the teaching of agriculture ' into, a town school. -■ Home work -was- .»< factor in education which should not be eliminated. Better provision should be made for the training of teachers. The salaries offered were in -many cases too small, suitable men being constrained either to seek other callings or to sugplement their incomes' by private tuition, Mr. F. 'C. J. Coburn, art master, Nelson Technical School, discussed at length the technical teaching of art. The Eev. J. W. Dove, headmaster of Wanganui Collegiate School, gave interesting notes on the independent school, such as Wanganui and Christ's College Grammar School, the only schools ' in the Dominion which were practically free from Departmental' control. Such independent schools, Mr. Dove contended, were a necessary and elevating part of our national system of education. Schools independent of Departmental control could not do as they liked. They, were contaroUed by, the public examinations, both of the Education Department and of the University. Thlbi there was the control of pubnc opinion, more important still. The public, wanted good, honest work,' and in the end got it. Independent schools, weTe one of the natural /organs of '«m ciety, working for educational', purposes; they were elevajing because al* ways in close contact " with the great English Public Schools. Independent schools deserved sympathetic' support from all who really cared for the cause of education in the Dominion. * , Dr. Innes, Principal of the Marl; borough High School, said it was ,de^ suable there should be spine system of naming our public schools. The term "college" should be reserved for the University colleges; the secondary schools should be called "collegiate high schools," while district- .nigh schools should retaia their names.