TEACHERS CONFER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23517, 4 June 1938, Page 11

TEACHERS CONFER

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OTAGO BRANCH’S ANNUAL MEETING Questions of vital importance to the education of Dominion youth and to the welfare of the teaching profession were discussed at the sixty-first annual meeting of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute held in the Masonic Hall yesterday. The president (Mr N. Matheson) presided over about 300 teachers, who availed themselves of the opportunity afforded action of the Otago Education Board in granting a full day’s holiday to schools whose teachers wished to attend. .ANNUAL REPORT

The annual report stated that the roll number for the year was 442, as against 477 for the previous year. There were 199 men members and 243 women. The branch was represented at the annual meeting of the institute by Misses Hayward and Woodhouse, Messrs Hanna, Armstrong, Abel, and Dr W. J. Boraman. Mr A. Hanna acted as advocate for teachers appealing against their position on the graded list, and he was to be congratulated on the able manner in which he conducted the appeals. Mr A. H. Williamson was elected a life member of the branch. The Management Committee dealt with a large volume of business during the year. Some of the s more important matters handled were unification of educational control, state of school buildings, devotional exercises in schools, group grading of teachers, and the. “ New Freedom.” The sub-branches of the institute at Oamaru; Palmerston, Roxburgh, Tapanui, and Dunedin were functioning successfully. The institute took its part in the prepara-, tion for the New Education Fellowship Conference held in July, and this proved a wonderful success. A conference with the senior inspector and his colleagues was arranged by the Management Committee, and many points arising out of the new order of things were discussed. Some of these were the difficulties caused by the size of classes and the limitations of space, co-operation between teachers and inspectors, testing of pupils’ work, class teaching ahd an amended syllabus. The branch was represented on the national executive by Mr D. Forsyth, and it was pleasing to notice that he was again elected at its recent annual meeting.

The report and balance sheet were adopted on the motion of the chairman and Mr A. Hanna. ELECTION OP OFFICERS The following office-bearers were elected:—President, Mr C. Parr; vice-president, Mr J. W. Armstrong: auditor, Mr D. Forsyth; secretary and treasurer, Mr W. F. Abel. NEW GRADING SYSTEM An address on the proposed new grading system was given by Mr H. E. Dotting (Roxburgh), who was the branch’s representative at the recent conference in Wellington. After outlining the deliberations of the conference, the _ speaker answered numerous questions, and was accorded a vote of thanks. ASSISTANCE FROM MUSEUM A short talk on the assistance offered town and country schools by the Dunedin Museum was given by Mr N. D. Anderson, who said that special showcases and exhibits would be lent to teachers to help them illustrate lessons. He mentioned that the scheme would be in full operation in the near future, and it was hoped that teachers would make use of it and help in the expansion of the service. NOTICES OF MOTION Mr A. M. Davidson (Macandrew Road School) moved as a notice of motion: “That, whereas, in recent years, the amount of clerical work to be executed by the headmaster of Grades VI and VII shools has been such that the headmaster is prevented from fulfilling the essential duties for which he is paid, suitable clerical assistance should be provided to enable the headmaster to spend more time for the assistance of his class teachers.” —After brief discussion, the motion was carried. Mr Davidson also moved that the National Executive take steps to see that the superannuation allowance for the widows of deceased teachers be increased.—This was also carried. A third motion by Mr Davidson that every contributor to the teachers’ superannuation fund should receive an annual statement regarding the financial position of the fund was carried. Mr Davidson also moved that as the articles in National Education were tending to become divorced from teaching practice more space should be devoted to suitable articles relevant to school organisation and classroom practice.—After a brief discussion the motion was carried. Mr Hanna moved that in the election of members of the executive of the New Zealand Institute any teacher be eligible for one election only.—The motion was carried. Mr Davidson said that the Commissioner of Taxes had stated on one occasion that the money spent on text books by professional men would be exempt from income tax. He therefore moved that the amount spent by teachers on text books should also be exempted as was the sum expended in this way by other professional men.—The motion was carried unanimously. Mr A. E. Farrant moved — That this meeting deprecate the noncommittal attitude of the executive and annual conference of delegates in the matter of alliance with the Federation of Labour.” —After a brief discussion, the motion was lost. FUNCTION OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS A short address was given by Mr T- A. Morland, senior inspector for Otago, on the function of the primary school. Mr Morland said that the present was a time of great uncertainty in the world, and a time of educational changes. The new Education Bill would probably bring about great differences in the system, and with the general elections this year there was a possibility of further political and economic changes. Then there was the talk of “ New Freedom,” so that the teachers’ environment today was a very complex one. Mr Morland dealt with the need of primary schools to provide the right atmosphere and experience for the

child. The new mobile furniture was an indication of the desire to provide the right experience for the children, as no longer did they need to remain in the same position for every lesson. Mr Morland went on to deal with the question of separate subjects and the school time table. The time would come, he said, when the word “subject” would be removed from schools and a scheme would be evolved so that the day would be a continous one of learning with no individual subjects. Thus would come about a more flexible time table and finally its abolition. As far as he and his colleagues were concerned, Mr Morland said they would like to see teachers take a broad view of their time, and not be afraid to exceed the set time for a lesson if they thought fit. Teachers should use individuality in organising their schools. The speaker mentioned the amount of nervousness shown by teachers for inspectors, and he expressed the hope that this would be done away with, as all he would like to see would be co-operation between the inspectorate and the teachers. He referred to the wish of inspectors to co-ordinate their ideas, and that the greatest criticism levelled at them by the teachers was that they gave conflicting advice. He assured his listeners that this would be rectified. Mr Morland concluded by saying that it should be the aim of teachers to start the child off on the right lines for being a good citizen. It should be their aim to give children good, clean tastes, high ideals, and a determination to do their best in A vote of thanks was accorded the speaker. .