THE EDUCATION COMMISSION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11656, 11 June 1912, Page 1

THE EDUCATION COMMISSION.

(Per Press "Association.) Auckland, June 10 v Before the'FxTncation Commission Sir Crowe, secretary to the Auckland Board of Education, said the Board felt that the control of technical education should be placed in the hands of an associate board, on which local bodies would have representation. T. \V. Leys, vice-president of tho Library School Association, urged better provisions for libraries. Statistics proved that- apart from the advantage derived from a wholesome supervision of reading, the provision of good school libraries enormously assisted in the education of the community. The Commission leaves on Tuesday night for Dunedin direct,-and will visit Inve-rcargill, Christen urch, Wanganui, and Wellington. Auckland, June 10. Mr G. George (director of technical education in the Auckland- district) spokeon the educational system generally, as wel as on technical, education. He advocated secondary, technical, and university education. This board should have power to levy rates, which should be subsidised by the Government on a .-£2 for £1 basis. With regard to the training of teachers, he considered that they should not be allowed to attend a training college until they reached the age of 20. Male teachers entering the college should c bound for a longer period than at present, for many of them merely made the training college a stepping stone to other professions, instead of that of teaching. Such members should be compelled to reimburst the cost of their training. The witness maintained that female teachers should not be given such hard work as that alloted to males, and the basis of pay should be made accordingly. Physically, women were not constituted to work as hard as men. A medical inspection of each school should:.be made twice a year. Dealing with technical education, the witness said the technical schools should be made to serve many purposes during the day. For instance, they could be used as secondary and continuation schools, and also be part of the university system. The advantage was that the same equipment and the same staff could be utilised for various purposes. Technical schools could also be used 'for vacational I schools, where boys and girls could receive a certain amount of training in the learning of trades. Witness would make it compulsory for all boys and girls to attend continuation schools until the age of IS years. He did not believe in evening classes for those who worked eight hours during the day at their business. In Munich apprentices attended continuation closses for eight to nine hours every week. Employers in that country, who were' at first opposed to the. classes, were now delighted with the system. With respect to the remuneration of teachers, he considered that- technical instructors should be the best paid of all teachers. Mr G. J. Garland (Chairman of the Auckland Education Board) did not make a statement, but he answered a number of questions as to education -administration and other aspects of the system. He favored the present method in the Auckland district of appointing teachers. School committees were doing and had done good work, and should not- be done away with. The functions of committees, however, should not be extended in the matter of selecting teachers. He advocated a Dominion scheme for the granting and promotion of teachers.

The Commission will leave here tomorrow night, and will reach Dunedin on Thursday evening. After taking evidence there, the Commission -will proceed to Invercargill, thence to Christchurch, Wangamii, and Wellington. The sittings of the Commission will conclude at Wanganui. It is anticipated that the sittings in the various centres will engage the members until the middle of July.