SCHOOL COMMITTEES’ CONFERENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 9773, 1 August 1895, Page 4

SCHOOL COMMITTEES’ CONFERENCE.

The adjourned Conference of delegates from the city and suburban school committees was held iu the Normal School on Tuesday night; present—Messrs J. White (chair 1 man), Anderson Bay ; T. K. Sidey (hon. secretary), Cavcrsha.m {J. W. Roberts, G. Calder, North-east Valley ; A. .Sligo, Arthur street; H. Waite, G. J. Anderson, Albany street; H. Webb, J. F. Arnold, Mornington; A. Meggel, G. C. Israel, Union street. Mr M. Fraev (Kaikorai) wrote apologising for his non-attendance. It El' OMMEND ATTO N S IROM SOUTH CANTERBURY.

The letter, read at last meeting, from the South Canterbury School Committees’ Conference, setting forth several resolutions carried by that Conference, was taken into consideration. The first resolution was;—“ That one uniform set of school books bo used throughout the colony ; changes to be made only at intervals of not less than three years ; the education boards to supply books at cost price.” In answer to the Chairman, the Secretary said the Conference passed a resolution on the matter some time ago as follows: “ That it is desirable that, as far as possible, the same school books should be available for, aud be used in, each educational distriot throughout the colony, in order to save,expense to parents when removing from one district to another.” Mr Anderson said his Committee had instructed their delegates to support any proposal for a uniform set of school books.

Air Calder moved—“ That the resolution of the South Canterbury Conference bo given effect to.” He favored the suggestion that the books introduced into any school should be allowed to stand for a period, and three years he did not think was Loo long. Mr A.ndkusdn seconded the motion.

Mr Wui'.i! did not agree with all that was said by some people as to the nou uniformity of school books. He had Children who had been attending school for years, and the books they had used had passed on from one to another with few exceptions. In the Mmiiingtoti School there was apparently little change iu the books. As to the proposal that the education boards should supply books at cost price, he did not favor that at all. The next thing would lie that they would be asked to supply books gratis.

Mr Waitt; knew of a case in a school in which a child had read only a fourth part of a new book when an order was issued to get another one. Mr Israel said the matter was one with which tho parents who sent children to the Union street School had no complaint.

Mr Si.tia) hold there had been too much changing of books in the schools ; that was proved by the scores of books he had in his shop—books that had been spoken about and then abandoned. He did not sec that the education boards should sell hooks, and thus interfere with a business in which some men were at present making their bread.

Mr AuNohu confirmed what Mr Webb had said respecting the books in theMornington School. Ho thought the chief difficulty lay, not in the changing of hooks in any one school, but in the fact that people in removing from one district to another found that in the new school to which they sent their children the hooks in use wore not the samo as in the school they previously attended. It was advisable, therefore, that there should be as near as possible a uniform set of books. Mr Stiittv moved as an amendment—- “ That the South Canterbury Conference be informed, with regard to the first clause, that the question of a uniform set of school b >oks was considered by this Conference some lime ago, when the following resolution was carried (resolution given above).”

Mr Suno seconded the amendment. The previous resolution was carried at a large meeting of the Conference, and it would not be right now for a third of the members to upset that conclusion.

Mr Anderson said that as a rule it was the poorer class of people who were compelled to remove from one part of the colony to another, and it was in the in teres! s of these people that there should be a uniform set of books. *

The Chairman read from the report of the inspectors for ISO 4 several clauses against the reading and re-reading of hooks, and pointed out that Mr Habens was also in favor of a change of books. He thought it would be a mistake to depart from their former resolution. Mr Israel said that in his school books were constantly being sent in by parents who had no further use for them. These books were, of course, distributed by the master among the poorer children. After further discussion, Mr Caller altered his motion by striking out the last sentence.

On being put, the amendment was carried by (> to 5.

The second resolution of the youth Canterbury Conference was as follows“ That it is advisable, in the interest of education, that the inspectors should be appointed by and be under the control of the Government, and that they should not be more than three years iu one place.”

It was decided to inform the South Canterbury Conference that the Dunedin Conference had no recommendation to make at present with reference to the matter.

The third resolution forwarded to the Conference was as follows That in the appointment of teachers greater weight should be given to the recommendation of committees, and that no teacher (pupilteachers excepted) who had been less than twelve months in a school be eligible to apply for a vacancy.”

Mr Stiw moved That this ('uiilereuee deem that Otago school committees have no cause of complaint.'’ The motion was agreed to. The next proposal considered was as follows ; “ Thai all teachers should have the same right and consideration given to their applications, no matter in what part of the colony they may live.” It was decided to point out that what was indicated by the resolution had always been the rule in ibis education district. The Conference came to no decision with regard to the following resolutions forwarded for their consideration “ That the number of pupil-teachers is excessive, and likely to prove a serious incubus in the near future ; and that schools should be more centralised than they are at present by refusing to open any more schools withjn a radius of four miles.” GENERAL. It was decided to refer the question of a court of appeal for teachers to the Committee taeall a meeting of the Conference w’hen the Bill dealing with the matter came down from Wellington, and, if necessary, to call a special meeting of the Conference. The Ravensbourne Committee forwarded a resolution in favor of a text book, describing the nature of alcohol and its effects on the human system, being introduced into the schools.

Mr Sligo moved “That, the Otago Education Board having already placed a temperance text book on the list of books

for use in schools, the Coherence consider further action in the .matter at present un necessary.” Mi Israel seconded the motion, which was carried.

Mr Fkaer gave notice for next meeting as follows :—“ That, as the funds of the Otago Education Board are in such a Very satisfactory state, tho Board be asked to consider the allowances at present made to school committees for .incidental and other purposes with a view of increasing the same, especially as the amounts annually granted by the North Canterbury and Auckland Education Boards to school committees are considerably larger than those of Otago.” The Chairman, on behalf of the Rev. Mr Cameron, gave notice of the following motion “That the recommendation of the inspectors contained in their report of 18)04 on tho subject of providing reading books be considered.”