EDUCATION BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19320, 6 May 1926, Page 6

EDUCATION BOARD.

"BEGINNERS" IN SCHOOLS. PERIOD OF ADMISSION. The Auckland Education Board met yesterday, the chairman, Mr. A. Burns, prer siding. A„ resolution was received from the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute stating that while the average attendance was retained as the basis of staffing and salaries scales, the branch was opposed to the proposal that "beginners" should be admitted to infant departments only in February and July. Mr. 11. S. W. King said that the entrance of children to infant classes at odd times disorganised the work of the classes. He moved that the board should express its approval of admitting infant children only in February and July, provided that in cases where children reached the age of five years during any half-year it should be permissible to place their names on trie school roll at the beginning of that period. Mr. J. Boddie said he was opposed to anything which might threaten the very existence- of small country schools, cr might affect their grading.

The motion was defeated and it was decided to notify the department that the board was Satisfied with the present system.

The Educational Institute also wrote stating that it was in favour of restricting junior national,■ scholarships< to children under 13 years of age who were pupils of primary .schools. It was decided to support the suggestion. " The institute also suggested that the money at present used for scholarships - should be "used to assist deserving pupils from remote districts where secondary education was unobtainable. It was decided to forward the suggestion to the department without comment.

Statistics for the. quarter ended March 31 showed the number, of scholars on .the roll as 65.288, including 33,879 boys and 31,409 girls. The average attendance was 60,055.