EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12933, 29 September 1902, Page 2

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

The, twentieth annual meeting of the North Canterbury District Educational Institute was held in the Normal School, on Saturday morning. Mr E. U. Just,* president, was" in the chair, and about twenty-five members were present. The committee, in its .report, stated that the Public School Teachers’ " Salaries Act seemed to have given general satisfaction, inasmuch as it had removed, to a great extent, the anomalies and fluctuations which had hitherto prevailed in.-the provincial scales of payment to teachers. Technical and manual .instruction classes had taken , firm" root in most centres, but no finality / had been attained with regard to a comprehensive system of technical instruction in the primary school's. Better educational results were anticipated on account of tha passing of the School Attendance Act. There seemed to be good reason to hope that the superannuation. scheme would soon become an accomplished fact. There wera one hundred and ninety-one members belonging to the Institute, ono hundred and forty-two being men and forty-nine women. There had been & failing off in the receipts from the sections. The attendance in the city, suburban and town schools had been materially improved through . the efforts of the Board’s truant officer, but some system was urgently needed for dealing with irregular pupils in country schools, and a hope was expressed that the Board would soon be able to provide for the services of a truant officer for rural district*. The committee strongly urged all members, of the- profession to give the superannuation scheme favourable consideration and support. The balance-sheet showed a. balanca in hand of £TT7s. The report and'balance-sheet were adopted. " * A number of remits to the New Zealand Institute were approved. They include one 'brought up by Mr J. G. L. Scott t supporting the superannuation schema, another, suggested by Mr T. Hughes, that in districts where no truant officers are appointed the administration of tbs School Attendance Act should be in the hands- of the police; and also one by Mr H. Thompson, that the time has- arrived for the introduction, of a colonial system oI promotion. Mr Hi B. Wilkinson forwarded his resignation as a member of the-Institute. It was decided to write to Mr Wilkinson, ex-' plaining the matters ho complained of. . The following officers were elected:—* President, Mr T. S. Poster; vice-presi-dents, Messrs C. H. Hardie and L. Watson ; secretary, Mr W. Stout; treasurer, Mr T. W. Ambrose; auditor, Mr J. B. Borthwick. > ;■