CONTROL OF SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20364, 19 September 1929, Page 14

CONTROL OF SCHOOLS.

WORK OF COMMITTEES.

ASSOCIATION MEETING.

MANY REMITS DISCUSSED.

Tho quarterly meeting of the Primary School Committees' Association was held last overling, tho president, Mr. S. E. Chappell, presiding over a good attendance of delegates. A remit from tho Mauku School Committee urging that any child requiring immediate dental attention and whoso parents wore willing to take tho child to the dental clinic, should receive that treatment, irrespective of the rotation of schools, was carried. Mr. G. Brownleo thought the Government should bo urged to provido travelling dental clinics.

Tho meeting expressed tho view that capitation should bo paid on the roll number. A resolution to that effect was carried.

Tho matter of conveying children to the Technical School formed tho subject of a remit from tho. Mount Roskill Committee, which stated that a child travelling 2jj miles paid his own total faro, while one travelling throe miles—the prescribed distance—had his fare paid by the department. Tho remit urged that tho association should do all in its power to havo tho existing anomaly rectified and have the prescribed distance reduced to, at the most, one and a-half miles. It was agreed to ask the board to provido transport for such pupils. Probationary Assistants.

A suggestion that probationary assistants, being teachers still in training, should not bo considered as part of the ordinary staff of a school, was made in a further remit from the Mount Roskill Committee. It was slated probationary assistants were appointed for one year only, and as each largo school had two on tho staff continual changes took placo. Probationary teachers were frequently in charge of classes of considerable size, and this was not in the best interests of the children, who should be under the caro of permanent and fully-trained assistants. Considerable discussion followed. A letter from tho Headmasters' Association was received, asking tho School Committees' Association to receive a deputation on the matter. Tho matter was referred to the executive, with power to rcccivo tho headmasters' deputation, discuss tho matter fully and report to tho next quarterly meeting of tho association.

Tho Bible in Schools

The Remuera School Committee forwarded Ihe following remit: "That, after experiencing tlie advantages of tho Nelson system of Bible instruction and its smooth working in the Remuera School, the commitlco recommends all other committees to take into consideration tho advisability of investigating tho Nelson system, with a view to introducing it into their schools." The remit was carried.

Tho Education Board wrote advising that the senior inspector was of the opinion that no special scholarship tuition should bo given to children during school hours. Tho letter added that tho board would notify head teachers accordingly. Regarding the supply of free water for school baths the Education Department wrote staling it could not agree to the proposal, whilo the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore, advised that if the board made a favourablo recommendation it would have his careful attention. Ho understood, however, that school baths wero used to a great extent by the general public and he could not at present see that the department should provide the whole cost of the water. The matter was referred to the Education Board, with tho request that all water should be supplied free.

A remit from the Newton Schools Committee, suggesting that the Government should bo urged to encourage the teaching of swimming in primary schools, was carried.

The Brixton Road School Committee advocated impressing upon local authorities the necessity for further measures to safeguard school children from vehicular traffic. It suggested that defmito crossings should bo marked in white on main thoroughfares. The remit was carried.