EDUCATION BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 10783, 18 November 1898, Page 1

EDUCATION BOARD.

Yesterday’s meeting of theEJvo MionPotrd was attended by Dr Brown (chairman) and Messrs P. B. Fraser, J. Sim, J. M. Gallaway, W. Snow, H. Harraway, and the Hon. J. MacGregor. APPOINTMENTS. The following appointments were made : Ethel M. Murray, mistress*? Fairfax, vice Mary A. Ferguson, left the service ; Margaret E. K Taylor, mistress, Anderson Bay, vice Janet J. Walden, left the service. RESIGNATIONS. The following resignatijms were accepted : —Robert Hum, head teacher, Totara School; Margaret E. K. Taylor, junior assistant, Mosgiel School. ACCOUNTS amounting to £6,133 IGj were passed for payment. ‘ SCHOOLMATES.’ S. N. Brown and Co. wrote forwarding copies of the magazine ‘ Schoolmates,’ and requesting the Board to recommend the Minister of Education to authorise, as a supplementary reader, the use of ‘Schoolmates ’ in the public schools of the colony. Mr William Davidson, a well-known teacher under tho Otago Education Board, had been all along, and still was, editor of the magaz’ne. This fact, they submitted, should entitle them to the sympathy and support of the Board, and should be a sufficient guarantee that the magazine would be conducted in tho best interests of the school children of the colony. Mr Fraser said that members would remember that he called attention some time ago that there was being circulated in the schools of Otago a publication that was unauthorised. Another ground for his objecting to it was that they did not know who the editor was. The Board declined to do anything, and on the speaker writing to the Minister of Education he upheld his view that the publication was unauthorised, and ought not to be circulated in the schools. There was now an application by the publishers soliciting the Minister of Education to put the publication on the list of authorised books, so that if tho Board chose the book might have free course in the public schools. They had also mentioned the name of the editor, so that tho Board were in an entirely different position to what they were before. He therefore took up a different stand towards it now, and would move—- “ That the Minister of Education be respectfully recommended to place the periodical ‘ Schoolmates ’ on the list of books that may be used in public schools, application to that effect having been made to the Board by the publishers, who have furnished tho Board with the editor’s name. The Board make the recommendation conditionally on the editor being responsible for the matter and the advertisements appearing in the publication, and the publishers undertaking to inform the Board of any change in the editorial supervision.” Mr Snow seconded the motion. After discussion the motion was carried unanimously.

NATURAL HISTORY FACTS. Mr A. Hamilton, ht-n. secretary of the Otago Institute, wrote as follows ; I have the honor to forward to the chairman and members ot the Education Board a proposal made by Mr G. M. Thomson, F.L.S., and adopted by the institute, in which it is resolved that ten prizes will be given in December, 1899, for the jest-kept note books or diaries recording natural history facts, iam directed to ask your Board to concur with the aims of the Institute and to assist them by issuing to the schools in the district the circular and specimen entries herewith enclosed. I also enclose a newspaper report of the meeting at which tho proposal was brought forward, with the remarks made in support of the motion. , , . , . . With the object of promoting an interest m natural phenomena, and of fostering the habit of placing on record such facts of observation as daily 'come under notice, the Otag) Institute offers for competition next year ten prizes to the scholars of anv public school iu Otago, under the following conditions :-Thc prizes will he awarded for tho best-kept note bucks in which are recorded any facts of observation, such as the occurrence of birds, insects, plants, etc., mot with in the neighborhood, or during walks ; the date at which birds’ eggs were found, with observations on their nests, habits, etc ; the date of leafing, flowering, and fruiting of wild and cultivated plants; the weather of each day, etc., etc. Most value will necessarily be attached to accuracy and closeness of observation, but neatness of the work and consecutiveness of the notes will also be considered There should be no attempt at hue writing, but a plain record of facts. For the purposes of this competition the notes should close on 30th November, 189:), though it is hoped that once the habit of keeping such a record is started it will lie continued. Tho competition is open to all pupils who, ou 30th November, 1899, are in the sixth or any lower standard. While it is hoped that teachers will interest themselves in thus fostering observation, and will, during the remainder of this year, give their pupils hints and suk' rr estions as to how to go to work, it must be understood that tho notes must be bona fide the work of the pupils themselves. Competitors must send in their hooks to the hon. smretary of the Otago Institute before the 10th December. Mr Fraser moved—"That, in order that the teachers might be heard in the matter, the loiter ba sent to the Educational Institute and to the inspectors, asking them to give their ideas on the subject by the next meeting of the Board.” He strongly objected to Mr Thomson saying that observations of this kind did not go on in the public schools. Personally, he knew teachers who had been doing this for years, and they had never said anything about it. Mr Gallaway, in seconding the motion, said that he read Mr Thomson’s address carefullv, and he could not see how some of their teachers could take it as a slur on them. Mr Thomson was well aware that there were many teachers who did this sort of work but what he wanted the Board to do was to co-operate with the Otago Institute apd make it more general. The Hon. J. MacGregor said that it would have been more becoming if the Board had heartily received, accepted, and combined with the request instead of treating it in this half-hearted sort of manner. He did not think that any member of the Board could have any doubt that tho motives actuating this body were of the heartiest kind. For his own part he entirely agreed with Mr Thomson’s remarks, because he considered that the whole tendency of their present system of education, and the whole tendency of the present generation was to discourage) crush out) and tnaU© no provision whatever for the exeroiae of the observing powers. The whole tendency was in the opposite direction. This move was in the right direction, and one that many of them had considered necessary. He would move as an amendment that the request be complied with, and tho Board thank the Institute for their action In the matter. The Chairman seconded tho amendment, and said he did not think they should take too seriously any remarks made by Mr Thomson at the meeting of the Otago Institute, , , . . Mr Snow asked whether they would be ignoring their inspectors by not consulting them. If not, then he would support the amendment. On a vote being taken, the motion was oirried.

PRIVATE SCHOOLMr J. Beatty, Hyde, wrote* "I am in receipt of your favor of the 19th ult. in reply to our rt quest re maps and inspection of private school. The school is carried on in a private house at Newton, and the following are the names of the Committee - Messrs W. Currie, A- Trotter, D. M‘Kay,

P. Kinney, R. M'Bryde, and J. Beatty. Mias M‘Bryde, teacher, has not previously been teaching in any Government school, but was two years teaching in a private family. Tho number of children on the roll is twenty-six, and the average attendance about nineteen.” Mr Fraser moved—" That Mr Beatty be informed that the Board recommend the children of the private school be sent to the public school on the day of examination for examination, and that the application for maps be declined.” After a lengthy discussion the motion was lost, Messrs Harraway, MacGregor, Callaway, and Snow voting against it. The Hon. J. MacGregor then moved, and it was carried—" That the applications for maps and for the inspection of the private school be declined.” GENERAL The next meeting of the Board will be held on the 15th prox. Mr Ramsay’s notice of motion re corporal punishment regulations was deferred on account of that gentleman not being present. HANDWRITING AND THE HEALTH OF furas. Mr Gallaway said that his attention had been directed to the various systems of handwriting in tho schools, connected with the health of the pupils. He did not consider himself capable to form an opinion as to what system of handwriting was most beneficial to the health of pupils, but ho had no doubt that the chairman in hla medical experience must have formed some opinion on tho subject. His attention had been specially directed to Jackson’s upright system, which it was claimed had no bad effect on the health of pupils, the position of the pupil being different. He moved that the matter of handwriting in general in connection with health be referred to the inspectors to report, more particularly on Jackson’s upright system. The Chairman said that if Mr Gallaway had seen as many twisted spines as himself he would have spoken more strongly on the subject. Mr Fraser said that the twisted spines were got in the infant class, where they had no desks to write on. The motion was carried. NOTICE OF MOTION.

The Hon. J. MacGregor gave notice of motion—" That the inspectors be requested to submit a memorandum explaining the principle on which marks are assigned to teachers for skill and experience, and especially the principles on which the highest marks attainable are assigned.”