Refresher Course

Hutt News, Volume 20, Issue 11, 6 March 1946, Page 5

Refresher Course

I HUTT VALLEY TEACHERS INTERESTING TIME SPENT The Hutt Valley ( branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute held a refresher course last week in the Assembly Hall of the Waterloo School. About 180 teachers attended, and some instructive talks and demonstrations were given, followed by interesting discussion. These should have an important bearing on ' the future of school work in this . district. The syllabus arranged for' teachers of standards included social studies, with talks by Mr. A. J. Campbell (Christchurch Training College) and Mr. D. G. Mclvor (Berhampore; reading, Mr. A. H. Forbes (Wellington Training College). For infant teachers music in the infant department, percussion band and eurhythium were dealt with by Mrs. Easterbrook Smith, music specialist, Karori School, and reading and number work by Miss Lowry, infant supervisor. Mr. W. E. Wilkinson carried out the secretarial duties very capably. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE ANNUAL MEETING HELD On Friday the annual meeting of the Institute was held. Mr. S. J. McDonnell, president, welcomed mem bers and visitors, and introduced the speakers. Rt. Hon. W. Nash, acting-Prime Minister, expressed pleasure at being present, and spoke of the difficulty of providing sufficient schools along with housing and the uncertainty of estimating the school population. In a reference to world conditions Mr. Nash said that the shortage of food was one of the greatest underlying causes of unrest in all parts of the world. Universal peace and security were impossible unless the English-speaking peoples got together. An important aim of education should be to develop the capacity of the children to think for themselves.

Mr. J. W. Andrews, Mayor of Lower Hutt, referring to a request for library facilities for schools, said the difficulty was in finding accommodation for the library. While he could hot commit the City Council to any action he would do all he possibly could to help the schools. Shortage of School Accommodation. Mr. J. Storehouse, representing the Wellington Education Board, paid tribute to Mr. W. V. Dyer, who recently retired from the chairmanship of the Board, and spoke of the Board's difficulties in finding school accommodation for the children of the Hutt Valley., Some classes were much too large, and in some cases teachers were available but had no rooms in which to, teach.

Mr. G. H. Stubbs, senior inspector, said the refresher course had been very successful, and it had enabled the inspectors to make contact with the teachers. He outlined changes in the education system,' with the modern insistence on -the child rather than the subject. Mr. M. Riske, representing the executive of the N.Z.E.1., dealt with Institute matters and answered many questions. He urged the formation of a teachers' college. An apology for unavoidable absence was received from Mr. H. Combs, M.P. for Wellington Suburbs.