THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Evening Star, Issue 7641, 18 June 1888, Page 4

THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

The following are the principal portions of the report of the Committee of Management, which will be considered at the annual session next week :

A detailed syllabus, on the lines proposed by the Otago District Institute, was considered by the Council at their Nelson meeting. This year the Council remit for the consideration of district institutes the following subjects i— A uniform pupilteacher system for the colony, and a scheme for the classification of schools. The consideration of the retrenchment proposals of the Government formed the most important part of the past year's work. A report was drawn up by the Committee setting forth at length the views of the Institute on the whole question. Some 250 copies of the report were printed, and each member of both houses of Parliament was furnished with one. From the ' Hansard' account of the proceedings of the House, it will be seen that the report received considerable publicity, several members quoting it in the course of the debate on education. Should any further reductions in the Education Department be proposed by the Government, the Committee of Management intend taking every possible opportunity of laying the opinions of the Institute before Parliament,

Circulars were sent to all the schools in the province, giving teachers the privilege of subscribing to the Macandrew Memorial Fund. The amount of the subscriptions was L 9 5s Gd. This sum is to be looked upon only as a supplementary one, as very many of the teachers had already subscribed to the fund through their school committees before the circular was issued.

*>Jt will be remembered that in the laßt annual,.report there was a reference to the Greymoiifch case. As the point at issue ivaa not then btatcd clearly, it would perhaps be as well to indicate briefly the leading features .of the case, and show the action the Institute took in the matter. The inspector of the Grey River district, in examining the Greyinouth public school, exceeded aud claimed the light to exceed the requirements of the standards in his pass examination. The Committee of Management drew up a series of resolutions bearing on the matter, and forwarded them to the Minister of Education through the New Zealand Educational Institute. The reply of the Minister was to the effect that the inspector of the Grey River district had, in some respects, exceeded the requirements of the standards.

The uniformity of school text books is now prominently before the public. The School Committees' Conference communicated with the Institute on the matter last October, send the Committee of Management think that the subject should be considered. In connection with this subject, a deputation from the School Committees' Conference Will wait upon the Institute at the annual meeting. The leading Dunedin booksellers will make a display of educational works, and Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs, of Christchurch, intend showing some of their publications. Two notices of motion bearing on the uniformity of school books have been sent by the Oamaru Branch for consideration.'

For some years past the library in connection with the Institute has been allowed

to fall almost into disuse, but during the past year a beginning has been made towards re-establishing it. With this object, the books belonging to the library have been collected from the different districts. In all, about 120 books have been recovered in this wpy. Many of these books are standard works of considerable value, and the Committee are of opinion that after being properly stamped and catalogued, they should, if sufficient encouragement be given, again be put in circulation among the members of the various branches. At the present time, however, the want of a suitable room in which to place the books is much felt. Through the courtesy of the Minister of Education and the Minister of Mines, copies of all the publications of these departments are now sent to the library for the use of the members.

Most of the branches are doing good work.