MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2118, 18 February 1908, Page 3

MINISTERIAL VISIT.

i :IS-; |ION. MU. FOWLDS VISITS GISBORNE. The Hon. Air Fowlds, Minister for Education, arrived in Gisborne at noon yesterday, Irom V a iron, \uv Morore. After lunch the Munster was driven to the Gisborne and Mangapapa schools. THE MAIN SCHOOL. At the Gisborne school, the party, consisting of the Minister .the Hon. j. Carroll, the lion. Captain Tucker and the Mayor, was met by Mr AY. Morgan. Mr C. A. DeLuutour, (chairman of the Board ot Goveruois of the High School). Mr F. G• howlev (the headmaster), and Mr J. Somervell (chairman ot the .School Committee). An inspection ot each classroom was made, and the Munster addressed the children. "New Zealand,” he said, "bad a grand bistoiy. mid the coining men and wonwui should make it greater and grander in (lavs to come lie was very pleased to'meet the children, and lie complimented them on looking so well niter their holidays, and hoped that they had returned to school with their minds made up to work hard during the coming year. They had very fmo holiday, and everything that human ingenuity could deviso to make their path as easy as possible and the opportunities they had were very much greater than most of their lathers bad. and the present day scholars should profit from these facilities to the utmost. AT MANGAPAPA. The party arrived at Manga papa just after tlie children had been dismissed, and the matter of accommodation was at once broached. Figures. in regard to floor space, wore gone into, and the Minister quoted figures largely in excess of the committeo’s estimates. Air. Fowhls explained that lie wont by the figures supplied by the Education Board, and they showed that another 300 children' could be accommodated at tho Gisborne school. Mr. Alorgan stated that- the secretary of the Board informed him that there was no room for moro than 120 additional. Air. Alorgan further stated that, In reply to the Minister’s contention that tho children should go to tho Gisborne school, the Board’s solicitor advised that the committee could not turn tho children out. Air Fowlds disagreed with this. If the children did not attend a school a mile and a quarter away, the compulsory clause could bo applied. Air. Cole, the headmaster, pointed out that some would thus have two miles to go, and in winter the roads wero quagmires. The Minister said that the Department had to take a strong stand in matters of this kind, because tho circumstances arose very often where thero was a town of two or three schools, and possibly one had a popular teacher and then its attendance grew, and there was a cry for extension. Organisation was difficult with the accommodation provided, and ho saw in that respect that ,it would bo an advantage to provide another room. A[r. Alorgan stated that the Board !, ad acquired a site for a school at vfilltown, as the Gisborne school .vould be filled in a short time. Air. Fowlds said he would instruct the Education Board to go on with the erection of one class-room at a cost of £4OO. He would advise tho Board immediately. Air. Alorgan asked that £SOO bo allowed, to provide sufficient accommodation The Alinister said he would see about it later. A visit was then paid to the calico class-room, erected by the committee. The Alinister asked if it would be required when the additions iverc completed. Air. McLeod replied that it would still lie needed. As the wet weather injured the structure, Air. AlcLeod asked jocularly if the Government had any old tarpaulins to give away. After a drive further into Alangapapa to see the growth of the place, fhe party returned to town.

THE AIINISTER INTERVIEWED

Last evening, a “Times” reporter had an interview with Air. Fowlds on matters of interest. i PAYAIENT OF TEACHERS. Asked about what the Government intended doing as a result of the eonference'of the New Zealand Institute .it Auckland recently, in regard to the payment of teachers, the AlinisLer said: “There were a good many proposals, a good number of which were impracticable on the whole. The question is receiving very careful consideration at the present time, and 1 hope to be able to submit some proposals to Parliament, when -it- meets. In any change- in the matter of salaries, sole teachers of schools will bo the first- to receive consideration. In regard to the Native School Conference, the gathering was in the interests of the teachers, and the new code introduced by the teachers last year was discussed.” THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN. “What steps does the Government intend taking regarding the'inspection of children’s'health?” queried the reporter. “No decision, has been arrived at on. that matter yet,” replied the Alinister. “The cost of any complete scheme to cover all the schools in the Dominion would be very considerable, and wo have to make euro that the best arrangements possible shall be made before It is decided to do anything. Various proposals are under consideration, but in any scheme likely to be adopted, considerable reliance will have to bo placed on the teachers to submit for inspection those who show signs ot any defect. As to the teeth, the medical man may possibly have some dental qualifications in isolated places, i understand that the members of the Dental Association would be willing to render assistance, particularly in the treatment of the teeth of children where parents were not in a position to pay for it, for medical inspection or dental inspection docs not imply treatment. It is just to draw parents’ attention to the existence of something that may not have been discovered at home. The rcsponsibliity of looking after children’s teeth or health will still remain with the parents. The amendment to tho Education Act of last year, gives authority to the Education Boards or the Alinister of Public. Health to appoint somebody to examine children’s teeth.” SCHOOL DESKS. Asked about tho progress made in the institution of single and dual desks, the Alinister replied: “That is a matter mainly in the hands of tho Boards of Education, but several vears ago the Department decided on having dual desks, which they recommended as being most suitable for the primary schools, and most of the Boards, in’ building new schools, or re-furnishing old schools, 1 believe, are adopting the dual desk system, as those are in every way the best, without involving any large changes in our educational system. To adopt the single desks would mean that the present class-rooms in most of the schools would be unsuitable, and, more than that, the staffing would have to he entirely altered and made much moro liberal, otherwise the children in a class could not see the blackboard without straining their eyes, so that without extensive alteration:-', the dual desk is much superior t.:> the single, and it answers the purpose practieallv as well.” THE SCHOOL JOURNAL.

UXIFOBM ITY OF SCHOOL BOOKS “The position in regard to the School Journal,” continued the Minister, in reply to a question, r 'is that Parliament expressed a desire for uniformity of school hooks, in which respect it differs very materially from the opinion of educationalists as to the advisahleness of adopting that system. At present, the selection of hooks is a matter that is left entirely to.the Boards of Education, subject to a- list approved by the Department.

] am ascertaining tho opinions of Education Boards on tho question beloro taking any further stops. A good doal of the obejotion to tho proscut system might have boon obviated if the Boards would coniine the schools within their own districts to one uniform sot of books. The publication of t-lie Journal is intended to meet, to some extent, the objection about the eost of the books, and 1 think it has done so. . From lurthor information wo have, it" takes the place of an additional reader in a number of schools, so that the number of books that have to be purchased by parents lias been reduced. One of the disadvantages of having a uniform set ol books lor the Dominion is that it. would give a monopoly of tin' supply of books to one in- ‘two publishers, and from time to time books would need lobe changed, or they would become out ol date. ' FOOD SUP.I’LIES. Asked about the coming into operation of the Pure Food Act ol last session, the Alinister said that that portion of the Act not dealt with by regulation came into operation on January Ist. In regard to milk inspection, be said it was being dealt with by regulation, and was awaiting the Governor’s signature when ho (the .Minister) left Wellington, and he presumed that it would be published in the Gazette by thus. The regulations under that Act only refer to milk alter it lias left the dairy, and milk that is being conveyed for human consumption or use within the Dominion. Milk being conveyed to creameries or dairy factories is not affected, such milk coming under the regulations ot the Dairy Industry Act, under the control of the- Agricultural Department. TO-DAY. At 10 a.in. to-day, a deputation from the Railway League and a number of others will wait upon the Minister at the County Chambers. In the afternoon he leaves for Puha, probably by a special train. On Wednesday morning the party leaves for the Coast, where the native schools will be visited, and special attention will be paid to -health matters. Air W. IV. Bird, Inspector of Native Schools, accompanies the Alinistor. The party proceeds to AYliakatane, and then across to Rotorua.

THE TOUR FROAI THE SOUTH. PROCEEDINGS AT AIORERE AND N Ull AKA. The Alinister arrived at AYairoa on Friday, and received a number of deputations regarding various local mutters, including the T-angaio washout, the Napier-AYairoa road, and the stock track to AYaikato via Waikaremoana. Rating on small grazing runs and on native lands -were also mentioned, and in reply to tile latter, which set out- that 800 square miles, half of which was Nativeowned, had only paid £l7 in rates last year, the Alinister said that this state of tilings could not bo allowed -to continue much longer. Ho v-.ts hopeful that under the new Act and as a result of the work of the Native Land Commissioner 4 a vast improvement in Native land matters would be effected. In regard to the other deputations, the Hon. Air. Fowlds promised to have each matter carefully represented to the Alinister of the Department interested. NEAV NATIVE SCHOOL. Tuliira, a native settlement between Morere and AYairoa, was visited on Saturday, when the Alinister formally opened the Native school. The •building has been erected upon a site of three acres donated to’ the Education Department by Air. J. blunter Brown, anil has -accommodation for CO pupiles, of which thro is the full number already available. A teacher’s residence has also been erected. The chairman of the school committee, Tuku Aluuro, tendered an enthusiastic address of welcome, declaring that ‘-the education the children would (receive in this school would help in a great measure to cement the two races, for wo must,” lie added wisely, “follow in the tread of the Europeans.” The Alinister, in reply, thanked the natives for the cordial welcome tendered him. Ho was engaged, he explained, in a visit of inspection of the Native schools of the district, by the special invitation o-f Air. A. T. Niga-ta, AI.P. Native schools had been first started, he proceeded to explain, by Sir Donald AlcLean, when Native Alinister, whose aim was to acquaint the Alaoris with the ways of European civilisation. The Native schools still stood; both the pioneering institutions and those since were now under the control of • the Education Department. Objections had, the Alinister said, been raised in some places to tho mixing- of the Alaori with the European children in the schools. “There is no reason,” he contended, “why they should not both attend tho same school, provided the proper measures are taken for cleanliness and health. In fact, the very best results should be obtained by the mixing of the two races in thinly populated districts.” So far as his experience had gone in visiting the Nativo and European schools, he had found that in the Native and European schools llie had found that in the Native school in almost all districts the children were as clean and tidy, if not more so, than in some average European schools. Tho Nativo School Department- had no desire whatever to interfere in -any way with .the Board schools. They never proposed to establish a special Native school where they was already a Board sehool within a reasonable distance, and at which tho Native could -be reasonably expected to attend. Tho Department was looking forward to tho time when ail those Native -schools would -be converted inco Board schools. As a matter of fact, Native schools wero -and had been handed over to the Education Board when the children had become Europeanised, or where the majority of children attending t-lic schools were Europeans. At Alohaka a European had -asked lor an assurance that the Board school would not be turned into -a Native school, because he complained in the -Native -schools the instruction was only given up to the fourth standard. This was a very wrong impression, the Alinister declared emphatically. The instruction given in Native schools was up to the sixth and seventh standards, and every year certificates of proficiency were granted to pupils attending Native schools, which entitled them to all the privileges of free education, which wore afforded to those gaining similar certificates in the Board schools. The Native schools wore all inspected, at least once annually, just the same as the Board schools, and -the position of the teachers ot the Native school was one which carried even greater responsibilities than a teacher in a Board school. Many of the former were in isolated places, and the greatest care was exercised in the selection of teachers for -these Native schools. After having been entertained at lunch the party left for Nulnika. AT N 111 AKA.

The lion. Goo. Fowlds inspected the Native school at Xuhuka, when there was a large muster of the children who rendered several part songs. The Minister expressed himself as very pleased with the appearance of ■the children, which indicated great care on the part of the teachers. A deputation was received from tho committee of the Nuliaka Board School, nsking whether there was a likelihood in the near future of a school being erected there, and if not, whether the Education Department would agree to the lining of the Presbvteriau Church, in which the school was being held; also, whether it would pay for the fencing of the school site in the vicinity. The "Minister pointed out that there was already a good, eommodiously built Native school in the heart of the settlement, mid a competent staff for teaching up the Education standard, and therefore the

Department could not- see il.s way to build another sehool when mere was already one within a quarter ol _ a mile. If (they had >a strong prejudice against their children attending that school they were quite at liberty to nut tiioir 'bands into ‘thon* pocKoits and provide the accommodation lor a separate school, and that they should not expect the Department to creel in second Board School when only one was necessary. TJm sentiment of Parliament, and he -believed of New Zealand, ivs# against anything in the nature ol class .schools. If the settlement in the district tucrensed, or if the majority of children attending sehool were of European parentage, the fine school and the eight- acres of ground, would, as live other such institutions would this vear, he handed over to the Education Board. ... . After (leaving Nuhaka Die Aliiustorial party canto to Alorere, arriving -it (> p. in.r and from there the following morning -left for \\ linrorata, arriving at <> p.m., where the night was spent, -and the journey to Gisborne was resumed yesterday morning. ________