PHASES OF EDUCATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7019, 6 January 1910, Page 5

PHASES OF EDUCATION

, SHOULD THE SCHOOL DAY BE EXTENDED? CENTRAL VERSUS LOCAL CONTROL. EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE CONTINUES. Various interesting matters relating to tho administration of tlio Education Act were dealt with at tho Educational Institute Conference yesterday. Air G. AV. C. Macdonald (president) was in tho chair. “ DULL YIN G INSPECTORS” AND THE SYLLABUS. Air McKenzie (Aucklauil) moveo. that the whole of tho remits relating to the syllabus be referred to a committee with tho object of framing from them recommendations wliich would enable the proposals to bo discussed with advantage. He remarked Unit it was very necessary to have something clear to place before inspectors, for ho know of instances where country teachers had been bullied by the inspector for doing the very thing* which in a city school had been approved. Air J. A. Valentino (South Canterbury), who seconded, remarked that inspectors were not tho same all over the Dominion. »Bullying inspectors had not come within his experience. Air Holmes (Hawke’s Bay) moved that a committee of seventeen bo asked to consider tho resolution from Canterbury South to tho effect that tho conference should take into consideration the suitability of tho exists ing primary school syllabus to present day requirements with a view of making recommendations to tho proposed conference of inspector's and teachers early in 1910. This amendment was lost on the voices, and the motion agreed to. THE SCHOOL DAY: A LIMIT. That any extension of tho prescribed duration of the school day beyond a limit of five hours is inexpedient. Air L, "Watson (North Canterbury) moved this motion. Teachers themselves were responsible for the lengthening of the school day, he said. They suggested that the syllabus was so that they could not got through it in the time. But this was not correct; for the syllabus provided material out of which a selection could bo made, and if teachers extended the syllabus, it was their own fault. When children became weary, the time spent in teaching them was lost. It was moticed by Air G. Hogben on the Conrtinont that the long school day resulted in the children, towards the end, becoming listless and doing their work mechanically. The school day should be shortened, and the metric system adopted. “And reformed spelling ?” suggested a listener. “ No, our spelling is aE right in our district/’ replied Air Watson. “ If we could throw aE the scholar* ships into Wellington harbour we would bo doing a good thing/ 7 declared Air Owen (North Canterbury), He believed that a long gap in the middle of the day was beneficial to the»children. Tests of physique of the * Canterbury children showed that while* tho New Zealand children beat tbe, Americans in height, they were deficient in weight. Air AlaoAlorran (Wellington) sup- . ported the motion, because he believed five hours quite enough for growing children if eight hours were considered sufficient for adults. He estimated that seven hours a week were absorbed in attending outside classes in cookery, woodwork, and games. Then there were occasional visits to warships, the cadet bafctaEon parades, and shooting competitions, and saluting the flag—which-did not, he imagined, tend to patriotism—all of which took away time from the ordinary school occupations. The motion was adopted unanimously. TEACHERS 7 CONDITIONS. Air L. F. de Berry (Grey) moved: That if Education Boards have tbe power to transfer a teacher to an inferior position or grade of school, then steps be taken to amend the Education Act so as to withdraw that power. . After brief discussion, during which it was mentioned that tho institute's! _ hoped to shortly obtain a 1 legal decision upon the question of the right to appeal against such transfers, the motion was negatived. Air D. W. Low (Wanganui) moved: That th<3 executive of the New Zealand* Educational Institute be requested to endeavour to have the Teachers 7 Court of Appeal Act amended so as to cover transfers as well as dismissals.—Lost. CONTROL .OP INSPECTORS. The Auckland ’delegates moved; — That the inspectors should be placed] under the control of the Education, Department ,with respect to the interpretation of the regulations and of the! syllabus.—Ca rried. “That the inspectors- of schools; dhould be placed under the control of’ the’ Education Department/ 7 was ai Taranaki. remit. Air AlcXlroy, who{ moved it, suggested that the advantage would bo that districts would get the benefit of ideas from a number of other districts, and uniformity of interpretation of the regulations; would result. Air Aitken (Wanganui) said he would support tho motion, for one thin<; because ho hoped to see a change in tho method of electing education, boards. -The election of these imports ant bodies was the weakest thing im focal' government. Tho members were! appointed by committees which were elected by a minority of the ratepay-j ers. Once appointed, there was no ! check upon them for ’three years, andi ho believed the whole state of education would bo imjjrovcd by a better system of election. Air Henderson (Wellington) was entirely opposed to this phase of cen-, kralisation until tho teachers them-* selves were placed under central coa-i tro!. He looked forward to a timel when the inspector, instead of being} a drill-sergeant, would regard bis mission as ono of helping the weak teacher.

_ Advocates of the motion urged that* iho moving around of inspectors would greatly benefit tho teachers by enabling tho hitters’ capabilities to bcmo more widely known. J]ho motion was accepted by a large m.ijority. THE SCHOOL PUPIL.

On the motion of South Canterbury, it was resolved that the Minister of Education be respectfully requested to Introduce legislation that shall make

it compulsory for pupils attending tho primary schools of tho Dominion to attend every time the school is open, the usual exemptions being allowed. Air T. F. Warren (Auckland) moved: ‘‘That the standard of exempfcon be tho sixth standard.” Ho tmiutod out that although standard four had been regarded by the Railway Department as sufficient, the -sixth was fixed for other requirements and lie suggested that the age of exemption be increased to fifteen to provide tho necessary time. The motion was agreed to. RABID TRAINING. Air Owen (North Canterbury) moved: That till such time as schools can bo staffed with assistants only, a candidate for tho teaching profession shall servo an apprenticeship of at least four years, two of which shall be as a pupil teacher and two as a student in a training college, or three as a pupil teacher and ono in the training college. Tho mover remarked that it was quite possible for a teacher who matriculated to go to the training college and be turned out a full-blown teacher in two years. This was not good for the profession. It was a cheap, quick way of making teachers when they had to be got by hook or crook, but a five-years’ apprenticeship wa* demanded for house-painting. Air Hughes (Christchurch) suggested that the German system of supervising a teacher's work for two years after his appointment, might bo adopted. An amendment to the effect that cxsbudents should nob be sent to take .charge of country schools until they have had town experience, was negatived. The motion was agreed to. Tho following North Canterbury remit was adopted: That inasmuch as the Education Act Amendment Act, 190 S, anticipates tho substitution of trained assistants for pupil teachers, the Minister of Education be respectfully urged ,thab some regulation bo framed whereby, as tho supply of trained teachers allows, assistants may be gradually appointed in lieu of pupil teachers. Air Campbell (Auckland) moved: That tho Education Department be asked to abolish special capitation grants for handwork, etc., and to increase the general capitation grant to education boards in lieu thereof. Those who supported the motion suggested that a groat waste of time and money occurred in filling in tho necessary forms to obtain the 1 special grants. Teachers were so disgusted in some schools at the amount of clerical work involved that they would prefer not to get tho grant. As the money did not go direct to the school, it did not follow* that tbe school got the money it earned. The motion was agreed to. CHILDREN’S LIBRARIES IN AMERICA. Air Herbert Baillie (chief librarian at Wellington City Library) read a paper embodying notes ho had made in regard to library work with children in America.. He Indicated that libraries for the children are quite general, in fact it was quito exceptional to find a library without special facilities of this character. The movement had extended in co-operation with the schools. He described the cheery children's rooms, and .the system of .library groups of about a.dozen children well provided with books, at which ‘weekly meetings were hold for game® and story-telling. A feature lately introduced was the school reference ’library, a collection of about 200 books ’of special interest to the children in I their work, to be kept on the school shelves for reference during the school term. With regard to tho university libraries, a remarkable feature was the large number of periodicals taken. Ho* bold that most of our current know- 1 ledge came from the periodicals of the, day, and at Stanford XTniversity there* were 800 periodicals on the list. In regard to the standard of books desired ■for children’s libraries, every book wn.‘ read by one of tho staff before being accepted, and there wore books circulating in New Zealand libraries .vhioh were absent from the American !children's libraries. The money fcr> these libraries came from the municipal, {library rate. Replying to a question, [as to how damage to books was pre- ! 'vented, Air Baillie remarked: “Tha*/. doe® not seem to trouble them there as; it does here. 7 ' A very cordial vote of thanks war accorded to Air Baillie. NATURE-STUDY AXETHODS. Air L. F. de Berry, B.A. (Grey),, read a paper upon the methods ofi carrying out nature study in elementaryschools, and was thanked for a veryl useful contribution to tho conference* programme. FREE SCHOOL BOOKS. Miss Craig (Wellington) moved: “That the present system of distribution of free school books is unsatisfactory/' She urged that the use of books by so many children was insanitary. Some parents bought their, 'children's books to avoid trouble in: ‘this direction. As only 10 per cent, ’of the books were replaced annually, 'it stood to reason that the books would* flroar out long before they were oom-i [pletely replaced. Air Owen suggested that there was no more demand for free books* than, for free breakfasts. It would be better to allow the free-book grants to be expended on perishable books such as drawing-books. Mr Tyndall (Otago) remarked that .the previous speaker's memory was deficient/ for he recollected the strong demand for free school books which 'came from the public a few years ago. The motion was adopted. SUPERANNUATION. ! AD Henderson (Westland) moved:' •“That this institute recommend that {provision be made so as to admit, on* the payment of arrears plus interest,t to the benefits of tho Public Service Classification and Superannuation Amendment Act. 1908, those tcachera who are excluded therefrom through omitting to join under the original Superannuation Act. 7 ’ —This was agreed l !to. A Southland motion that retirement ifrom the superannuation fund should, ’be optional for males at sixty years was» lost. The conference adjourned at 6 p.m, •until this morning at 9.30, when the school syllabus will be discussed. ' Tho agenda will probably be completed to-night.