MUTUAL PROBLEMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24715, 18 September 1941, Page 9

MUTUAL PROBLEMS

ASPECTS OF EDUCATION BOARD AND DEPARTMENT DISCUSSION WITH DIRECTOR Various matters concerning both the Otago Education Board and the department were discussed at the meeting of the board yesterday, when the Director of Education, Dr C.E. Beeby, was present. Eacte of the qusstions brought forward was commented on by the director, who undertook to bring them up for the consideration of the department on his return to Wellington. Training College Entrance The alteration of the Training College entrance age to meet the shortage of applicants during the period of intensified training after the college was reopened was discussed in the light of a proposal to revert to the previous age standard. The chairman, Mr James Wallace, said that, in general, 17 years was too young to enter the college. The older students got most out of college. If the pupil-teacher or probationer period could not be reinstated, it might be Worth while to give students the option of returning to college after finishing their probationary year for, say, six months for a refresher course. During the first six months of each year many ex-students were marking time acting as supernumeraries. Dr Beeby said there was much to be said for the pupil-teacher system, though in many parts of the world the tendency was to move away from it. He considered the suggestion of a refresher course a good idea, but it was a scheme which depended largely on the capacity of the colleges. There was a general idea in the training colleges that it would be better if their students entered at an older age. It was agreed to leave the matter for the consideration of the department. Question of Fairness The question whether it was fair to those applicants for entrance to training colleges who had left high school some years previously to insist on the lapse of a year after taking matriculation and before granting their applications was brought up by the chairman. Each year there were applicants who had left high school without matriculating and had engaged in some form of employment, Mr Wallace said. Deciding to become teachers, they matriculated, but were not eligible for admission to college till another year had passed. This was a sound provision for applicants at high school, but deterred others. "This is a very real point," said Dr Beeby. "The idea, of course, is to encourage applicants to spend a post-matriculation year at school. I would like to discuss it with the department's experts before expressing an opinion." The matter was left to Dr Beeby to discuss it with the department. Credit Balances "The department wishes it was a more common complaint," said the director when the question of surplus funds of school committees was mentioned. The chairman said a great many school committees had considerable balances in the general account. In this district over 50 committees had more than £3O at the last balancing. The reason for this was that there was no legal outlet for the money after all the ordinary incidental expenses had been met. It was suggested that the regulation should be altered to allow of committees in this position spending surplus money on such teaching aids as projectors, film strips, physical instruction equipment, pianos, etc.

Dr Beeby said the list of possibilities for the use of the surplus funds was too narrow. Many things which used to be luxuries were now regarded as necessities. He agreed to go into the matter with the department.