EDUCATION NEEDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22975, 1 March 1938, Page 14

EDUCATION NEEDS

EXCHANGE OF IDEAS SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT TEACHERS AND INSPECTORS A successful experiment in the educational field took place in Auckland yesterday, when primary school teachers and inspectors met in conference for the interchange of ideas. Teachers were present from all the Auckland city and suburban schools, the meetings being hold at the Teachers' Training College, tin; Kowliai Intermediate School, Ponsynby School and the Normal School. At each mooting addresses were given oil aspects of primary education and general discussions were | held, when teachers and inspectors were able to pool their ideas in order ! to find common groujul on matters ol importance to the profession. The pro- - motion of teachers and the grading I system was one of the matters disj cussed. It wav felt that while the I school curricula were being widened l many teachers preferred to keep to ; the old tried and trusted methods of i teaching, rather than risk endanger- ; nig their chances of improving their | grading marks. Interests ol the Child in this connection it was pointed | out by the senior inspector. Mr. A. Haiji, that there were no grounds for such an assumption. Tiacliers could deviate from the well-worn grounds of tradition as long as the interests of the child remained paramount. Mr. Uain visited all the discussion centres in the course of the day. The speakers at the Normal school, where about 200 teachers assembled, were two inspectors, Messrs. H. McCliesnoy a.iul C. Pobertson. The former dealt with the new freedom of the school syllabus- and the latter with the practical application of the principles involved. Jn the afternoon the session was occupied with addresses by the headmaster of the Belmont seliOol, Mr. H. G, Hall, on art in the school, and by .Mr. J. W. McGeehie, headmaster of Parnell school, on physical education. Mr. A. Murdoch, president of the local branch of the institute, presided. Nearly ]BO teachers met at the Kowliai Intermediate School, where Miss F. Taylor, a member of the committee of the institute, presided. The speakers wen.' Messrs. H. Priehard and M. O'Connor, inspectors. The former outlined some of the principles which guide teachers in planning their work for the year. Mr O'Connor supplemented Mr. Priehard's address by interpreting it in terms of classroom procedure. Need for Co-operation

At the Training College, where Mr. lE. F. Snel!. presided, the principal speaker for the inspectors was Mr. 11. N. r r. Blake, while Mr. G. H. Lord, headmaster of Hcniuera School, and Mr. 11. Prows-Broad, headmaster of Epsom School,' described- eS|wrinipnts in education conducted in their schools. There were about 250 teachers present. Other inspectors were Messrs. A. E. East and I?. W. P. C. Ctnnming and M. N1 ills represented the inspectors at the Pomsonbv School. Achere the headmaster of Beresford .Street School. Mr. J. H. Hill, presided over a gathering of 100 teachers. After the addresses by the inspectors, who spoke on the need for co-operation between teachers and inspectors in view of -the- new- syllabus, the meeting divided into discussion groups. At the close of the meetings the inspectors left for other parts of the Auckland Education Board district, where similar conferences will he held.