CONFERENCE OF SCHOOL INSPECTORS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 21

CONFERENCE OF SCHOOL INSPECTORS.

Wellington, February 1. The conference of school inspectors was opened to-day. The Rev. W. J. Habeus, Inspector-general, presided, and in his opening address said that on behalf of the Minister for Education he thanked those present for responding to his invitation. He expressed his hope that an efficient system of public instruction would receive an important impetus as the result of the deliberations of the conference. The main purpose of this meeting was to secure greater uniformity in regard to valuation of school work, and to secure uniform interpretation of the various details of the standard regulations. Referring to the subjects to be discussed, he alluded to the proposal for bringing the inspectors into direct relation with the Education department. To effect this, he thought, would require an amendment of the Education Act ; but that was no reason why a full discusaion should be avoided. As to technical education, he was of opinion that the most important service that the primary schools could render was to give insiraction in primary knowledge of elementary science, and to ground all pupils in elementary drawiug, and especially elementary geometrical drawing. He had strong sympathy with tho proposal for a considerable increases in tho number of reading books. The present Hystom cf giving reading lessons neither afforded miilicieut practice nor tended to oreato or foster a love of reading. It would bo hotter to supply constantly fresh interesting matter, to bo road as much for the pleasure of reading as for the practice of reading. Four or five books instead of one would be required in the course of a year, and might be exchanged from school to school about once in three months. On the subject of examinations, he thought if the central department had full control of the inspectors it would be wise to leave the mechanical work of the standard examinations in the large schools in the hands of the masters, and to have each of these schools inspected by two inspectors, the local inspector being associated with an inspector from another district. The proceedings are not open to the press. Mr Hall was appointed secretary, and Mr Lee chairman of committees. It was decided to invite the Minister for Education to attend. The subject considered at this morning's sitting was the control of the inspectorate. A motion — " That, in the interests of education in this colony, it is required that the inspectors' examination of primary schools be uuder officers of the Education department ; and, if necessary, that the Education Act be amended in that direction" — was negatived by 13 to 9. A committee, consisting of Dr Anderson, Messrs Goodwin, Lee, Braik, Petrie, and Hill, were appointed to bring up a recommendation on the question of uniformity of inspection, and to report next day. The whole afternoon was occupied in discussing the proposals for a radical change in the mode of inspection. The discussion, which was not finished when the conference rose, will be resumed to-morrow morning. February 2. The School Inspectors' Conference approved of the following recommendation by the committee re improvement in the inspection of j schools: — "That in Standard TV in about six lines dictation from the class reading book more than two errors to count as a failure ; that in Standards V and VI in about eight lines dictation from the class reading book more than two errors to count as a failure ; but at the discretion of the inspector an unseen passage may be substituted in Standard VI for a passage of equal length from the reading book, when more than three errors shall count as a failure. That in arithmetic five questions be given to each standard class ; boys to pass on having three right and girls two and a - half. In questions that are not purely mechanical, half marks to be allowed for correctness of methods. That in Standards 111 to VI mental arithmetic may be given as one of the subjects, or as a substitute for one that will be omitted, on the following basis : Of three mental arithmetic questions, two correct answers to carry full marks, and one half marks. The Minister to supply inspectors with a few samples of the kind of questions to be set in examining the arithmetic of Standard I." The report was adopted. February 5. As a result of the discussion of the proposals for an improvement in inspection and examination, the Inspectors' Conference passed resolutions advising : — (1) The abolition of pass subjects for Standards I and 11, the form of examination and report to be similar to that at present required for the preparatory class. (2) The retention of the pass and class system in Standards 111, IV, V, and VI, with some modifications in the direction of reducing the number of subjects in the pass granted by the exclusion of grammar and geography. The conference also passed the following resolutions :—": — " That in the opinion of this conference it is highly desirable that a new • Flora of New Zealand ' should be prepared and published under the auspices of the Government, and that a deputation from the conference wait upon the Premier to urge upon him the need of taking action in this direction, the deputation to consist of Messrs Wood, Hill, Petrie, Hendry, and Goodwin." February 6. The School Inspectors' Conference to-day resolved that the examination in history as a class subject be discontinued ; history books to be used only as supplementary reading books, the language of which, however, will have to be explained by teachers. It was resolved that inspectors would welcome with great pleasure any attempt on the part of the Legislature in the direction of substituting a decimal system of money and weights and measures for the present anomalous but timehonoured variety, which unnecessarily obstructs the progress of our children, makes the work of producing good calculators needlessly tedious, and stands in the way of improving the course of school instruction in other directions. The conference passed a resolution to the effect that it is desirable some knowledge of ambulance work and the method of restoring the apparently-drowned should, if possible, be taught with science and object lessons. It ha* been decided that ohildren who fail to pass a standard, and who have made less than 250 attendances in the year, be excepted. The conference strongly recommended the establishing in all schools of school librari< s of books interesting to children, as a means of fostering a taste for reading. The following resolution was passed : — 11 That arrangements be made for revising the classification of teachers on some such basis as folio ws — viz : That if for three years in succession a local inspector assigns to a teacher lower marks for efficiency than he has before received, the Inspector-general of Schools, or another inspector acting as his deputy, shall see the teacher's work and decide whether his marks are to be lowered or left unchanged, and if the marks are lowered by the Inspector general or his deputy, the teacher's classification shall also be lowered." A detailed scheme of instruction in grammar

was recommended for the Minister's consideration.

With respect to drawing, the following recommsndations were adopted : — That the course of geometrical drawing of Standard IV be reduced, and that in Standard VI solid geometry bo omitted. With respect to arithmetic, it was decided that the arithmetic of the higher clisses be reduced by limiting the treatment of compound practice, compound interest, present worth, discount, and stocks to simple cases, and that simple cases of mensuration of solids be added to the course of instruction in Standard VI.

It was resolved that the Government be recommended to prepare for use in the public schools the following maps and diagrams : — Map of New Zealand to illustrate the geography required under the standard regulations, large wall maps of the North and South Islands of New Zealand, and pictures to illustrate the native flora and fauna.

The conference will probably close on Thursday,

, (Fxiom Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, February 6. Tho inspectors of the national schools, now iv conference here upon many questions largely affecting the progress of tho great department which is in their care, have done hard work from day to day, and have already formulated many proposals in the direction of expansion and roform. The Minister attends daily, but does not take any part in tho proceedings. He is, I bcliove, favourably impressed with the results already achieved, many of which it may be safuly said he will adopt, so that it is already apparent that tho school representatives will accomplish some practical work.