THE EDUCATION COMMISSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 June 1912, Page 3

THE EDUCATION COMMISSION

COUNTRY TEACHER’S EVIDENCE (kt TELEGRAPH,—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) DUNEDIN, This Day. At the Education Commission, Abraham Barnett, head teacher, Kakanui, urged the advantage of establishing cottage gardens in connection with countryschools. He objected to females beinggiven charge of 36 to 80 schools in preference to men. who had to support their wives and were expected to keep the cradles full. MEMBER OF THE EDUCATION BOARD.

James Mitchell, a member of the Otago Education Board, greatly favoured the Otago system of appointment of teachers, which was mainly founded on the advice tendered by the whole inspectorate. It had worked well and given great satisfaction to the committees. He maintained that the only way to meet the unrest among the teachers re salaries would be to give a fixed salary in accord with merit and length of service, the same as dominated other branches of the Civil Service. A KINDERGARTEN EXPERT. Miss Kelsey, president of the Kindergarten Association, emphasised the need tor the extension of the true principles of Froebilism through all the standards of the public school course. The children should be retained in the kindergartens till six years, thence passing to the standards.

It was agreed’to take Dr. Truby King’s evidence at Wellington. The Commission leaves for Invercargill this afternoon.