OTAGO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20432, 12 June 1928, Page 2

OTAGO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

The monthly meeting of the Management Committee of the Otago Educational Institute was held in the institute s rooms on .Saturday. The president, Mr .1Abel, presided over a full attendance of members. Accounts amounting to £75 Is were passed for payment. The President made feeling reference to the loss suffered by Mr G. G. Menzies through the recent death of his wife. A motion of sympathy was passed with Mr Menzies, members standing in silence. The Secretary of the Tapanui subbranch wroting intimating that arrangements were being made to have an address at Tapanui from Mr Don, of the Training College.—lt was decided to approve of the proposed visit, and to vote the necessary expenses. Some discussion took place as to the most convenient time of the year for holding the annual meeting. It was decided to set up a sub-committee consisting of Messrs Jones, Forsyth, de Berry, and Wood to consider the best arrangements possible, the sub-branches to be asked to .forward their opinions. A further sub-committee consisting of Miss Sullivan, Messrs Abel, Thomson, Forsyth, and Williamson was set up to consider defects and anomolies in the grading and report to the next meeting. ' The Secretary of the Southland branch made a request for the assistance of Otago branch in connection with the summer school. Messrs Stevens, Wilson, and Hawke were appointed to co-operate with Southland in making arrangements for the next summer school. Senior Inspector Stuckey attended the meeting and made a statement on physical training in schools with particular reference to the work the Education Department was doing in this respect. The department, said Mr Stuckey, employed a staff of 15 specialists instructors whose duty it was to visit the schools. In addition to this refreshed courses -for the teachers were organised by the instructors from lime to time, and the teachers themselves had organised summer schools at which the department instructors assisted. In Dunedin the department was fortunate in being able to arrange for the wellknown orthopaedic specialist. Mr J. Renfrew White, to give special courses of instruction to selected students who would afterwards enter the schools as specialist Icachers. The department also assisted in the provision of equipment for organised games bv providing subsidies at the rate of £ for £ towards th e formation of sports grounds including the formation of basketball courts and lawn tennis courts, preparation of grounds for cricket, etc. Subsidies up to £2O were paid towards the cost of providing swings, ladders, chutes, and other playground apparatus, and a subsidy up to £2OO was offered towards the cost of establishing school baths.—The President thanked Mr Stuckey for his attendance, and said ! hat his statement would serve to remove any misunderstanding that might have existed in the minds of teachers or the public regarding the department’s work.