NEW INSPECTORS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 163, 11 June 1926, Page 2

NEW INSPECTORS

LOCAL TEACHERS' WELCOME.

REPRESENTATIVE GATHERING. To welcome Messrs. N. Lambourne and N. H. S. Law, the recently-ap-pointed senior and junior inspectors, respectively, in. the Wanganui education district, the Manawatu branch of the New Zealand Teachers’ Institute arranged a vory pleasant function at St. Andrew’s Hall last evening. Every grade of the teaching profession was represented, and at a suitable juncture expressions of welcome to tho supervisors, and sincere intention of earnest' cooperation with them in all things tending for the effective training of the pupils and the furtherance of educational ideals, were voiced by Miss G. E. Haggett, president of the local branch of the institute. Miss F. Govan (College Street staff), on behalf of the Women Teachers’ Association, Mr L. F. de Berry, on behalf of the headmasters, and Mr F. Campbell (Terrace End staff), on behalf of the male assistants. X.

Among those present were Messrs Durward and Hirnie, retiring members of the Wanganui Education Board, Crawford and Adams (inspectors in the Wanganui district) and Miss M. H. Crombie. Miss Crombie, who arrived a fortnight ago from Newcastle-on-Tyne (England) and is staying for an indefinite period with her sister, Mrs G. F. Dewhirst, of Palmerston North, was the first woman inspector to be appointed in England, her appointment, as Miss Haggett stated when heartily welcoming the overseas visitor, being as an experiment and an experiment that had been in every way successful. After an enjoyable programme of musical items, competitions by representatives of Central, West End, Terrace End, College Street and Hokowhitu) and social intercourse, Miss Haggett formally and heartily welcomed Messrs Lambourne and Law, stating that particularly honoured were they in having four inspectors present, and pointing out the'very fine spirit of unanimity that existed in the local branch of the institute. _ There were many problems confronting them as teachers, but there was no problem that could not be solved if they continued to act in harmony one with the other. Miss Haggett paid a tribute to the work of Messrs Durward and Birnie for their assistance in matters educational stating that these gentlemen had performed no small service on behalf of the schools. Miss Haggett’s remarks were endorsed by Mr de Berry, who stated that Mr Lambourne had come from Auckland with a great reputation, and Mr Law, had, until the acceptance of Ms new office, been president of tho New Zealand Educational Institute. Both would be assured of a very hearty welcome from., the headmasters. Miss Govan expressed the wish that the newcomers’ sojourn in the district would be very happy, and Mr Campbell promised the inspectors all support in anything that was for the furtherance of the children. , , . , Mr Law stated that he appreciated very much the expressions of welcome; ever since he had come to the Wanganui district he had received a welcome on all hands, and his colleagues, Messrs Crawford and Adams, were very fine fellows. The children .he had seen had been most interesting to work among, some of them being highly patriotic and with _ a knowledge of local celebrities. tne teachers, he found, were taking a great interest, not only in the work being carried 011 in the schools, but also with their general surroundings. And in those places where the buildings were not altogether in good repair the board, he thought, was using every endeavour to bring about new conditions! There were various aspects of education coming to the front, and the most serious was the question of tho curriculum, continued the speaker. Tho curriculum had been based on the academic needs of the child and there had been failure to realise that there was also need for a differentiation; some children were different mentally; there were some who could learn in different ways; there were some who could not keep up with the academic pace, and the curriculum did not provide for that. The time was now approaching when the curriculum should be revised ana so enable a child to do the work he was best fitted for—to do the work that would best enable him to fancl his proper niche in life. Another problem was tho general control and discipline of schools. Tho time i'hen ■fear was the driving force, when the stick and the strap were common was fast going by the board, and on the teachers, who were becoming the leaders of child thought and leaders in society, devolved the task oi replacing that atmosphere of compulsory attention to duty by another and more fulsome and wholesome atmosphere. It was for them to see that the children should get the right aspect towards education alid realise its importance and the benefit that would bo theirs from it right through life. “My welcome to the Wanganui district has been beyond anything that could be expected,” stated Mr Lamboume. “Wanganui has been exceedingly fortunate in the past in its senior inspectors, and I have come from Auckland with a good deal of diffidence in the carrying on of the work of my illustrious predecessors. Mr Lambourne went on to refer to the duties that devolved upon teachers. m the training of the young, stating / that most important was the training of the scholars’ character, teaching them to he unselfish, honest and truthful. And character training meant more—it meant the gospel of work, obedience to authority and the doing as well as one could whatever the work that might be found to do. In all classes, continued Mr Lambourne, there were a number who did not require to work to their limited capacity because they were bright enough to carry on with a minimum of effort. Perhaps these children did not get the help they should, and probably there were a large number of the slower, childien overworked. To meet each state of affairs the speaker recommended dividing a class into groups, with tlie'teacher trying to get as much work as each group was capable of doing. “I would like to see teachers using tlieir initiative and resourcefulness and' adopt those methods, with the approval of the headmaster, that will give the best results. Children do not mind working hard if they feel that they are making progress. Even is it so with them: Nothing succeeds like success,” stated the speaker. He was not opposed to experimenting in education, lie said, but he would not allow anybody to experiment just for his With experiments carried out skilfully the children did not suffer, but sometimes experiments were taken up unskilfully and dropped too soon. Then were they harmful. 1 He did not think that young teachers should adopt extensive experiments; they should first learn to teach, remembering that all that was old was not bad, that it had stood the test of time. By and by when they had gained facility in training their charges and'had. na diffi-

culty in getting work of high quality, then they could turn their attention to work of originality. In conclusion, Mr Lambourne stated that he was delighted to know of the very fine feeling that existed among the teachers of the district and of their loyalty, to the institute. , . Supper was then partaken of and tiie winners of the competitions announced. Mrs Bristow was first and Miss Perkins second, both ladies’ receiving large boxes of chocolates. The programme was contributed to by Mr and Mrs Davies, vocal ■ duet; Mrs _L- Bristow (Central School) song; Miss G. M. Brereton (West End), song; Mr L. F. de Berry, musical monologue; Air C. Hayden (Hokowhitu), song. Mr A. W. Thompson, headmaster of West End School, forwarded an apology for absence owing to indisposition.