SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1922, Page 5

SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

* TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE. OBJECT TO ATHLETIC COMPETITIONS. WELLINCTON. May 19. The conference of representatives of the Secondary Schools Teachers’ Association was coatinued to-day, when a number of remits, making recommendations in connection with superannuation were considered and dealt with. The report of a. committee apponted to deal with the questions of shooting and athletic competitions was brought up and adopted. The committee reported that, ' broadly spenking, in regard to athletic competitions, they were unanimously of opinion that general competitions among secondary schools were not in the best interests of the pupils, and should be discouraged; also that no fur- I thcr trophies should be accepted for competition. This applied to such cups | as the Riddiford Cup for cadets, and I the Skerrctt Cup for Association foor- | ball. As regarded Hie Monscar Rugby ■ (’up, presented to the. New Zealand > Rugby Union by the New Zealand ; Aiountcd Division in Egypt, the com- j mittce while fully appreciating - the sen- i timental reasons attaching to it, con- I sidered that the competition by sec- • ondary schools for this cup was detri- i mental to tho best interests of the pupils, and that the New Zealand Rugby Union be asked to utilise the cups for another purpose. Re the 1 Feat hcoteWiiliams Challenge Shield, for cricker., the finding of the committee was that as the competition for this shield had beneficial effects, and had done much to improve cricket in the schools, the competition should continue on the same lines as at present. ! A protest was made against a statement by responsible persons’who adversely compared the standard of sec- | ondary education reached by pupils in New Zealand with those in England. ' ’Mt Cresswell moved and Air F. Martin . Benner seconded a motion against such a comparison of pupils, owing to a radical difference in conditions, especially io the much earlier age when the Eng- ' lish secondary course begins and af- ' firming that the performances of such i New Zealand students as proceed Home ' and a mass of otlter evidence proved in ’■ tbc opiniono f the conference that under the circumstances, 4iie standard of work done in New Zealand schools ’ compared favourably ■with England or elsewhere. The motion was carried j unanimously.