SOUTH TARANAKI TEACHERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 17 March 1925, Page 5

SOUTH TARANAKI TEACHERS.

AIEETING OF INSTITUTE. > At the first annual meeting of tne South Taranaki branch of the Educational Institute, held on Saturday, there was a good gathering of teachers, presided over by Air E. Bary. Nine new members were admitted. It was reported by the president, on behalf of the committee, that two meetings of the committee had been held, one at Stratford and the other at Hawera. The branch had been approved by the executive, Wellington, and had "been admitted to the New Zealand Educational Institute, registered. The secretary had adjusted the finances and roll of members with the original Taranaki branch, and the committee had carried out all the initial arrangements, and the branch was now fully oragnised. It would commence as a separate financial institution from the beginning of this year. The election of efficers resulted as under: —President, Air Ed. Bary (E - tham) 3 vice-president, Air F. A. Bates (Hawera) ; secretary and treasurer, Mr L. M. Fairbrother (Stratford); auditor, *Alr R. E. Thomas (Stratford); managing committee, Airs Sangster (Ohangai), Misses Slattery (Hawera), Finnerty (Eltliam), Alessrs J. Nairn (Alanaia), L. J. Furrie (Stratford), W. A. Curteis (Stratford). The president, vice-president and secretary were nominated to represent the branch on the central committee representing the Taranaki Education district.

The secretary reported that three nominations for the representative to the annual conference at Wellington had been received. Voting papers would be sent -out'to all members next week. Alessrs R. E. Thomas and C. F. Stratford were appointed scrutineers to conduct the eLection.

A committee, to report at the next meeting, was set up to go into the question of arranging a scheme to pool all the school libraries and form a central distributing library, so that each school would receive a different set of hooks annually.

It was decided to hold the general meeting of the branch in rotation at Hawera, Eltham and Stratford. The following remits were accepted, to be forwarded to the annual conference at Wellington:—(l) That the Department be requested to alter its method of paying sewing mistresses in sole-charge schools, by recognising one hour’s work per week as the minimum, instead of two hours as at present. This would place sole-charge ir.--n teachers on the same basis as the lady teachers, and allow of more time for history teaching. (2) That the Education De-nn-tment be requested to supply Education Boards with sufficient' handwork snprdies to enable Boards to fulfil requirements to all schools as laid down on hack of form AT 56 B. (3) That woodwork as a subiest in a primary school course he placed on abetter footing. (4) That a committee he set up consisting of representatives of the Institute and of the Department to arrange a. more suitable set of text books for Primary Schools than the present set of authorised hooks.