AN EDUCATION COUNCIL SUGGESTED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13831, 19 February 1907, Page 3

AN EDUCATION COUNCIL SUGGESTED.

Speaking generally on tliq conference, Mr White expressed the opinion that ii conference of 40 members was quite useless for constrictive purposes, an<l ]io suggested that on the return to the colony of the Inspector-general, Mr Hogbcn migljt see his way to call together a representative, council or committee to deal with the national education of New Zealand. Mr White's idea was that wo should have committees similar to those appointed from time to time in America. There. 10 or IS men most conversant with education in the United States are selected, ami they meet and draw up a report on (lie lines on which they think education should proceed. A council of that kind, Mr While thinks, is necessary in New Zcalaml in order to {,'ive unity to our national system. We had a Rood deal of local control, ami local control required the direction of a supreme council which would look at education not merely as primary, secondary, or manual, but as a national scheme. He has no doubt that the proposal will meet with the approval of the Education Department. Such a council. Mr White thinks, should be extra to ami not take the placo at the biennial or annual conference of inspectors, which have a truly useful purpose to serve in the opportunity they afford tile members of exchanging ideas with one another. TRAINING COLLEGE CONFERENCE. The second conferriice held at Wellington comprised the principals of the four trainin- colleges, the boards of advice of the colleges, and the Inspector-General and the Assistant Inspector-General (Dr Anderson). Each tr.iinini; has a board of advice, consisting of a university professor, a senior school inspi'i'lor, and two members of (he Education Hoard. The. Ota;:o College was fully represented. The conference lasted two days, (Jio time being occupied with the

consideration of the regulations for tho management and organisation of training colleges. The main alteration made wasin regard to the size of what are called (lie practicing schools, or schools in connection willi llio training colleges. The present regulations provide for those practicing schools being of a maximum attendance of 300 pupils, which is considered too small for the training of 80 students, the maximum number supposed to he in attendance at the colleges, A motion was proposed and agreed to in committee that the practicing school should consist, of COO pupils, more or less, in average attendance. When the committee reported to open conference this regulation was recommitted, and on recommittal a motion to reduce the number from 600 to 450 was eventually agreed 10. Mr White said he was not dissatisfied with the number being fixed at <550 pupils, which would bo a grout improvement en the present limit of 300.

,STANDARD FOR ENTRANCE. The regulation regarding the standard of education, particularly of tho pupil teachers, requisite for entrance to the training college was also considered. The regulation as it now reads is as follows :— "Every pupil teacher must pass the matriculation examination of the New Zealand University before entering the training college." In Otago such n restriction as that was not felt, but it was found to deal ratlior severely with a. district'like Auckland, and as a concession to Auckland tho regulation was modified to the extent that if a teacher had :i partial "D" certificate, even if he or sho had not matriculated, they might 1» received into iho training college. The curriculum of the training college was discussed, but, no alteration was made. The instructions, generally,'are that as far as possible tho principal of tho training college shall eoo that consideration is given to the qualifications of the various students, and send them only to such class or classes at the university as lis thinks they may attend with profit. , A significant feature of the conference, in Mr White's opinion, was the interest, taken by Iho university professors present in the college work. They appeared to recognise that in (ho future one of tho great functions of Iho university was lo give n, sound literary aud scientific education to the teachers of tho colony.