EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OTAGO.

Evening Star, Issue 7651, 29 June 1888, Page 4

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OTAGO.

The following concludes our report of the Institute's proceedings : PAPERS. Mr Campbell (of the Milton Branch) read a paper on ' Heat,' and Mr R. Pkattie, M.A., one on 'Pupil-teacher System,' in which he said that the first thing to be determined is the duration of apprenticeship. To uphold the dignity of the service, and to thoroughly equip those who pass through the term of apprenticeship, I submit that five years is necessary. The pupil-teacher should not finish his term at an earlier age than nineteen; and, as during his minority an agreement can only be entered into for him, when lie arrives at majority all agreements naturally end. To finish the apprenticeship, therefore, within the proper time, candidates must be between fourteen and sixteen years of age. Any candidate presenting himself at fourteen or fifteen years of age should serve the whole term of five years. But in many instances it might be for the benefit of education and of a school to have the services of a more advanced pupil. I would be willing, therefore, to advocate the admission of candidates of sixteen and seventeen years of age, but not over seventeen, for reasons above stated. These, however, should be subject to pass examinations such as are passed by apprentices at the end of the first and second years respectively. Upon successfully passing these, and producing testimonials and certificates such as are required of candidates, they should be admitted to the status and pay of the second and third years respectively. After determining the number and kind of certificates required by candidates, it is needed to resolve that annual reports of the apprentice's conduct, attention to studies, and performance of duties should I*> made out by his apprentice-master. When the minimum time of tuition has been fixed—that of the Otago Board is ample—it is next necessary to determine the number and amount of the subjects of instruction, As the E certificate or matriculation should fee the goal aimed at, I have much pleasure in proposing the following for your adoption. [Here followed a lot of proposals as to the system of instruction.] ELECTION OF DELEGATES. The following were elected as delegates: —Messrs Rennie, Gray, Selby, G. H. Smith, Chilton, James Raid. Mr Rebtnie proposed that this Institute recommend the Council to £k thirty members as the number that entitles to one delegate, provided that each branch be represented by at least one. That, for the future, steamer and railway fares of delegates ba paid. That a special fund for the payment of delegates be established, such fund to be njade up as follows : —ls per member from the general fund, and an additional subscription of 2s 6d per member, and the net (proceeds of the annual conversazione, REPORTS. The following reports were adopted : The Text-books Committee were of the opinion that it is highly desirable to have a uniform series of text-books in reading, English grammar, arithmetic, geography, and history. They recommended the following text-books:

English Grammar.—Mason's First Nations. Geography.—Petrie'B First Geography and Geography ol New Zealand. History.—Blaetewood's Short Stories from English History for Standard III.; and Gardiner's Outlines ot English History foristandards IV., V., and VI. Arithmetic.—Nelson B Geries, I. to XI., Goyon's Complete Arithmetic, Goyen's giercises in Compound Rules.

RoadiDg.—Either Nelson's Royal fetai' gerio or Chambers's Graduated Series.

The Committee on resolutions of Council on Pupil-teacher System, 1887-88, reported ; That the number of pupil-teachers in any school should not exceed the number of certificated teachers employed therein ; that pupil-teachers, before being indentured, should undergo a three months' probation, to the satisfaction of the head-mastev and inspector, and that if approved these three months should be considered part of their period of apprenticeship; that the period of apprenticeship sh.-ild be not less than four years, but that after the completion of the pupil-teacher course it is desirable that the pupil - teacher should upend two years at a training college; that ■candidates should not be less than fourteen years of age at the end of the period of probation, and should have passed Standard VI. or an equivalent examination; that the syllabus for examination at the end of the fourth year of apprenticeship should be as follows : Reading.—To read with distinctness, fluency, and expression, English : To show a good knowledge ol the matter and language of two pieces of classical English, suqfc an Milton's ' Hymn on the Nativity' and •Lycldas.' . ... JVritlng and Dlct*i»on.—To write in good style, with correct spelling- and punctuation, a passage from any stacdard English work. Arithmetic—The whole subjeet. Composition.—Outline of an object lesson, and a short essay en a subject prescribed, or a j-traphrase of a passage set. Geography. —An outline of mathematical og« phvsiod geography. Teaching. —To give on object lesson before an Inspector. ,_ , . Needle vark.—To be able to give efficient assistance in the sewing lessons of the school. Mathematics.—Algebra to Bingle equation, ind«sire. Geometry: Euclid, Book 1., with easy exercise. t/itin.—Accidence, cas«, syntax, and the common uses of the subjunctive mood Translation of some parts of Dr William Smith's ' Principia Latlna,' part IL, and retranslation of English with Latin—(or girls ouly. French.—Grammar, and easy translation of trench into English, and of English into Frenoh. This elosed the business of the Institute (for this year. The President, in retiring from the chair, congratulated the Institute on the work that had been done. Their seoretary (Mr Rennie) was deserving of the highest praise for the amount of time and trouble he had taken. To the Press the t&inks of the Institute was also due. It WAB unfortunate for them that they met At the game time as Parliament, otherwise the papea*, which always were only too -glad to give publicity to educational matters, would have reported their proceedings more {fully than they had.