LOOKING BACKWARDS

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 91, 18 April 1921, Page 7

LOOKING BACKWARDS

WORK OF EDUCATIONAL

institute!

A-lengthy, address on "Our Institute— A Glance Backwards" was delivered to the Wellington branch of the Now Zealand Educational Institute by the new president (Mr. A. C. Blake). Mr. Blake said his objects in reviewing the activities of the Wellington branch of the institute wore (1) to link up the past with the present; (2) to indicate in what directions members had striven to bring about reforms; and (3) to arouse interest in-the youngor members, so that, gathering inspiration from the past records, they might take, ug the . task, and do their share in furthering the interests of education. He spoke of the debt owed to the pioneers of the institute, and ntentioned particularly .^the famous triumvirato—Messrs. MaoMorran, Watson, and Grundy. ■ It might well be said that the history of Mr. MaoMorran was for thirty years the history of the Wellington branoh of the institute, and in proof of this he quoted many extracts from old minutes, which showed that over a long period the motion concluding a discussion almost invjlxiably came from him. Having quoted extensively from the records to show what had been don& in the past, Mr. Blake.said that from such a review it was manifest that a very comprehensive programme had been covered, almost every phase of educational work having boen touched .upon—the subjects taught as laid down by the syllabus, school sites and programmes, picture shows, the wolfare of pupils, school books and requisites, holidays, sick leave and pay, hostels for teachers, visits to other lands, classification and appointment of teachers, union of teachers, junior teachers (their employment and instruction), superannuation, teohnical education, staffing, controlling authorities, Council of Education, election of boards and coinmitteos, amending tho constitution, and so on. Thero was a legion of questions and problems dealt with behind and another legion ahead. In conclusion, he reiterated a proposal made by Mr. MacMorran in 1901—"That the council should lay beforo Now Zealand teaohers, in printed form, the reforms n.nd improvements that, have been, oarried ■ out, at its suggestion, by tho Government."

Mr. Blake was thanked heartily for his address.