SECONDARY SCHOOLS' CONFERENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIX, Issue 14683, 14 May 1908, Page 9

SECONDARY SCHOOLS' CONFERENCE.

AFTER TWELVE YEARS' SILENCE. MEETING IN CHRISTCHURCH. For tho first time in twelve years delegates from the secondary schools of tho dominion arc meeting in conference. Tho sitting opened in the Christchurch Boys' High School last evening. Dining the afternoon conferences of the headmasters and headmistresses wcro held in committee. At the open conference in the evening tho following delegates were present:— Auckland Grammar School. Air J. W. Tibbs;' Auckland Girls' Grammar School, Miss A. M. Whitelaw; Thames High School., Mr N. A. Winter; Palmorston North High School, Mr J. L. Vernon, Miss C. B. Mills; Wanganui Oollogiato School, Mr H. B. Watson ; Wellington College, Mr J. P. Firth, Mr G. S S. llobison; Wollinston Girls' High School, Miss M. M'Lean; Nelson Girls' High School, Miss M. Lorimer; Marlborough High School, Mr J. Tunes, Miss M. C. Ross; Rangioia High Schcol, Mr T. R. Cresswell; Christchurch Boys' High School, Mr C. E. Bevan-Brown, Mr W. Walton; Christchurch Girls' High School, Miss M. V. Gibson; Christ's College, the Rov C. H. Moreland ; Ashburton High School, Mr W. F. Witters, Mr E. T. Norris; Timaru High School. Mr G, A. Summers Mr R. W. Roekel; Timaru Girls' .High School, Miss J. -Mulholland ; Wait'aki Boys' High School, Mr F. Milnor; Otago Boys' High School, Mr- W. J. Morroll; Otago Girls' High School, Miss M. E. A. Marchant; Southland Bovs' High School, Mr T. TD. Pearce; Southland Girls' High School, Miss C. M. Cruikshank. Mr C. E. Bevan-Brown was unanimously elected president of tho conferonce, And Mr W. Walton was elected secretary and treasurer. In his presidential address Mr BevanBrown said that twelve years ago Mr G. Hogben, now Inspector-General, had been elected president of the conference. Since his elevation to Lis present position,, and largely on that account, the conference Lad not sat. Mr Bevan-Brown said that ho felt that admission to free places was rather too easy. If tho Government took the troublo to hold central examinations to qualify candidates for free places, not requiring the pupils to travel more than twenty miles, it would not bo too much for the pupils to comply with the low standard required, and tho results would be better than thoso' that followed the sporadic tests now conducted by means of greatly varying examinations by different individuals. Many of tho 'conference's previous resolutions making suggestions to tho Senate of the New Zealand University had been carried out. More equitable marking was given; tho appointment of a moderator to supervise examination papers was being considered; the number of junior University scholarships had been increased; but the secondary schools had not been granted representation on the Senate. The examination requirements of tho. University needed humanising. In setting literature papers, for instance, instead of insisting on nothing but unseen passages, there should be at least a mingling of set books. A movement should also be made in the direction of reducing the tendency to over-pressure on the students in preparing for tho University examinations, and four compulsory subjects would be better fcb.au nvo . Mr G. W. Russell, chairman of tho Board of Governors of Canterbury Collego, extended a welcome to tho members of tho conference on behalf of tho Board. After speaking briefly on the financial position, he explained his policy of scholarship extension. Mr G. Hogben, Inspector-General of Schools, delivered an address on various features of the educational methods of countries he had visited recently.

After some questions on the paper had been replied to, Mr Tibbs read a paper entitled, "Some ThougLts on our Educational System," dealing witL tLe relations between primary, secondary and technical schools.

The conference adjourned till 10 a.m. on tho following day. A voto of tlianks to Mr Hogben for bis paper closed the evening's sitting. To-day tLe conference will settle a constitution, and will discuss Mr Tibbs's papor.