EDUCATION MATTERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 11 June 1928, Page 11

EDUCATION MATTERS.

THE NEW! SYLLABUS

CONFERENCE AT ELTHAM

Questions raised at the last meeting of the South Taranaki oranch of the Educational Institute concerning sections of the new syllabus were disc iissed at a conference of headmasters in Eltham on Saturday, in addition to about forty teachers there were present Mr. J. Nairn, who was deputed to report on arithmetic; Mr. b. A. uates, Hawera, drawing, hand worn, music, hygiene, physical and moral instruction; Mr. L. J. Eurrie, Stratford, geography, history, and nature study; air. R. E. Thomas, Eltham, English.

The recommendations of the various committees were discussed fully and the comments of the branch were ordered to be forwarded to the Dominion executive of the Educational Institute, f rom that office an abstract would be sent to the revising committee. The chairman, Mr. Nairn, stated that the committees, on various subjects, had carefully considered all the questions raised. Alterations suggested were backed by sound reasons, based on the actual experience of the teachers.

Subsequently committees, as under, were deputed to wait on the members for South Taranaki: —To meet, Mr. H. G. Dickie (Patea): Messrs F. A. Bates and H. W. Jackson, and Miss Terry; the Hon. O. J. Hawken (Egmont): Messrs. R. E. Thomas, J. Nairn and Miss G. Morecrolt; to meet Mr. E. Walter (Stratiord), Messrs L. J. lurrie, T. Taylor and Miss F. M. Ritchie.

A special meeting of infant teachers was also held to discuss the preparatory section of the syllabus. This meeting recommended that all formal number work of' an. abstract nature should be eliminated in primer classes. The young children should be taught solely by concrete objects and should he familiar with the numbering of objects from one to twenty beiore promotion to standard 1. The recommendation was adopted.

IN NORTH TARANAKI

RECOMMENDATIONS MADE

At a similar conference in New Plymouth, last week, the syllabus was fully considered and the following recommendations made. English and Literature. —(1) That periodically the department should supply suggestions to teachers, with particular reference to ‘the method or combining formal language and literature; (2) that to enable teachers to prepare schemes for 1929, the new .syllabus should be available before the end of the 1928 school , year; (3) that suggested schemes be provided by the department for the use of teachers; (4) that bearing in mind the excessive amount of work imposed on teachers in sole-charge schools, we regret the department had not recommended the publication of mimeal spelling lists for each class; (5) that the angle of slope for writing be from 70 to 75 degi-ees ,rom the horizontal; (6) that lessons in writing for speed, legibility and quality be given regularly; that in formal language, for standard five, only simple examples of direct and indirect speech be required; (7) that separated School Journals for each class be issued, with explanatory notes as to methods of treatment, including questions for silent reading; (S)_ that an anthology be placed on the list of approved books for standards three to six: (9) that the reading matter, especially lor standards live and six Journals, he carefully selected with a view to such value as to give a definite lead in the appreciation ( of good literature. Arithmetic. —A recommendation that as the dairy problems were not of

much use. to town children, they should be optional, and that for the country children only such problems as would enable them to ascertain the butterfat production of any cow of a herd should be taught, was lost. The recommendation that stock and share problems he ommitted from the 7th standard syllabus was adopted. Seventh Standard.—The committee pointed out that the seventh standard was mostly for country children who would not lie going on to high schools, and the committee thought that their time could be more profitably spent in the study of literature. Handwork and kindred subjects.—Recommendations were made that there should be greater scope for expression work by children, who should ’be provided with better cravens of a greater variety of colours; brushwork was essential, and a more liberal supply of material.

In regard to sewing it was agreed to recommend tbjat the department Ibe asked to make a grant for material according to the roll number of girls in school, for such things as raffia, wool, twin, etc. Tn nature study work the recommendation was adopted that below standard five no records other than drawing be required. It was also recommended that in urban schools the training should be more in tbe direction of cultivating cottage gardens than in that of agriculture.