EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2252, 29 April 1897, Page 11

EDUCATION BOARD.

> The meeting of the Education Board on the 2lßt was attended by Messrs H. Clark, D. Borrie, W. Snow, J. J. Ramsay, J. F. M. Fra6er, A. M'Kerrow, J. M'Rae Gallaway, and the Rev. P. B. Fraser. Mr Clark was temporarily voted to the chair. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN. Mr J. F. M. Fraser had much pleasure in moving that Mr Borrie be the chairman for the ensuing year. Mr Borrie was a very old member of the board, and the speaker, though he had never had the pleasure of being a member of the board while Mr Borrie was chairman, understood that gentleman discharged his duties, when chairman, with thorough fairness and efficiency. Mr M'Kerrow had much pleasure in second- [ ing the motion. He had sat under Mr Borrie, and he must say that hia (Mr Borrie's) whole conduct was marked by a spirit of fairness and justice to all concerned. Mr P. B. Fjraser begged to propose as an amendment that the Hon. Mr MacGregor be chairman for the year. He might say that he had looked into the length of time the various members had been on the board. Mr Fraser had said tbat Mr Borrie wa3 an old member of the board, and nobody could deny that, but Mr MacGregor was a very much older member, and Mr Borrie had been in the chair more recently than Mr . MacGrcgor. In fact it appeared to the speaker, looking at the thing from the outside, that Mr MacGregors claims — Mr MacGregor would nob have used that word himself— were so far beyond those of any other of the members that iS almost needed some justification to keep him out, that his election would necessarily follow, and tbat some twist was needed to evade him. He (Mr Fraser) found that Mr Clark had the highest honour of the members, having been continuously a member of the board for 20 years, and it could not be said that Mr Clark bad grasped at the honours of the board, for he had only twice been chairman. Mr MacGregor had been for no less than nine years a continuous member of the bo&rd, and he had been in the chair twice, but it was , in the year 1892 that he was chairman last, and Blr Borrie was chairman in 1893. Mr Borrie had been continuously on the board for only two years, but it was true that he 'was once on the board before for a term of three yearß. Mr M'Kerrow had been for six years continuously a member of the board, and Mr J. F. M. -Fraser had himself had the honour of being for eeven years — for four of them continuously — on the board. Mr J. F. M. Fraser : I have never been chairman and I don't want to. Mr P. B. Fbasek (continued) : The board had acted on the prudent principle of picking the most capable business man for the position of chairman, and it had also gone on the principle — very wisely — of distributing its honours ; and though Mr J. F. M. Fraser had not been chairman of the board he had had the honour from the board of being chairman of the High Schools Board. < Mr J. F. M. Fraser : No ; pardon me. ; Mr P. B. Fraskr said the board had appointed Mr J. F. "M. Fraser a member of j the High Schools Board, and he was now chair- i man of that board. Mr Borrie also bad the ' honour, through the Education Board, of being | a member of the Waitaki High School Board, and he was chairman there. If Mr Cohen were on the board the speaker would have readily acquiesced in two or three years' term of office for that gentleman or* auy other member who took an enthusiastic interest in the affairs of the board, for he was not in favour of changing a chairman every year, just when ha had mastered the board's work. He thought the board weuld be doing a just, a creditable, and an honourable thing iv electing Mr MacGregor, who had been returned to the board by a larger ' majority of Echool committees than any other member had had. The members ought to remember that they were all returned by the same constituencies, and he was quite sure that the school committees would not permanently return to the table men who would not do justice to each other. ' Mr Ramsay seconded the amendment. He did j so iv no feeling of antagonism to Mr Borrie, but J because he believed it was almost the duty of J the board to elect Mr MacGregor. He (Mr Ramsay) had sat at that table for over four years, and he had, with all due deference to all hi 3 colleagues, noticc-d that there was no member of the board who had such a grasp of the business that came before the beard as Mr MacGregor. Mr MacGregor had advantages in education and in other ways that gave him this power to grasp thing?, and he had also the advantage of having given educational matters a I I very close attention. Mr MacGregor had never

aspired to the chair during the time he (Mr Ramsay) had been a member, and Mr Borne had been elected to the chair during that time. He thought Mr P. B. Fraser's arguments were unanswerable aa regarded Mr MacGregor's claims to^the position. Especially was it the duty of the board to elect Mr MacGregor as tho school committees had returned him by such an overwhelming majority of votes to that table. He enjoyed the fullest confidence of Otago educationists. It seemed to him tLere could be no reason why the board should this timu pass over what Mr Fraser called Mr MacGregor's claims, and if the board did not elect Mr MacGregor it would be for those opposed to that gentleman to give very substantial reasons for passing him over. Mr Gallaway said the chairman last year was a town member, and ifc aeemed to him tho chairman this year should be a country member, and he would himself have been prepared to propose Mr .Ramsay. He did not think that on this occasion there would have been any suggestion to appoint Mr MacGregor, for he did not think Mr MacGregor wished to stand, and he denied that a member who did not vote for Mr MacGregor would be casting a j slur on that gentleman, of whom no one had a higher opinion than the speaker. Mr Ramsay, by way of personal explanation, said that for good reasons he had decided not 'to stand. There were certain members of the board who would not vote for him, and he had i too much good sense not to force himself into a position which would cause a "row" at the j tablo. It was his turn to get the chairmanship, ' l bub he had no desire for it, and Mr P. B. | Fraser and he had prevailed on Mr MacGregor ' to stand on this occasion. Mr Gallaway would bear him out when he said that certain members would have refused to vote for him. He could name the members. Mr Snow said, with reference to Mr Ramsay's statement that certain members of the J board would not vote for him, that he (Mr Snow) > was sure no member of the board could say j how he would have voted. He came there ' I unfettered. Mr Ramsay : It is well known in town that you would nofc vote for me. Mr Snow said that did not come from his lips, ab any rate. He had heard a good deal in favour of Mr MacGregor ; but one point which had not been mentioned was that Mr MacGregor was a member of the Legislative Council, and he asked who was to occupy the chair in that gentleman's abseDce. — (Hear.) He admired Mr MacGregor, and if he (Mr 'MacGregor) had been in Dunedin he would certainly have voted for him, but as it was he must vote for Mr Borrie. j Mr J. F. M. Fraser said he had not weighed the merits of the candidates, for that whs a most distasteful thing to do. The board ought; to select the best man it possibly oould toe the position in the cause of education generally, , apart from all other considerations. Neither; Mr P. B Fraser nor Mr Ramsay had referred ; ! to the fact that Mr MacGregor was necessarily > absent for three months in the year, and in the j speaker's mind that was a fatal objection to bis ! qualification for the chairmanship. He did not ' hold for a moment that the office should rotate ; round the board table. Taere were certain members there vho were by experience thoroughly well qualified for the position, and an i experience of 20 years or so had taught him that men who bad filled office in county councils and municipal bodies — tnon of the stamp of Mes3rs Show, Borrie, and Clark — made the bssfc chairmen of public bodies. He j did not like to see »11 the members of the ; board prostrate themselves in the dust before >' any one member, and ho did not himself care to lose his individuality. He was conscious that he tried to do his best at the board table, and the o^her members did the same, and ha was not awar,e that the gap between himself ' aud any other member was so great that the imagination could not bridge it. He did not ' think he would have voted for Mr MacGregor [ in any case, for he thought that, like Mr Ramsay and himself, ha would nob make a good chairman. Mr P. B. Fraser talked about a twist being necessary to evade Mr Mac- | Gregor, but be could assure him that when he j had been a little longer at the board table he , ; would become alive to the fact that the mem- ! bers were men of average intelligence. Mr P. B. Fraser reminded him of the refrain of a i comic song which was suDg by a local athlete, j " We're small potatoes after Nat." — (Laughter.) He did not see ifc. Mr P. B. Fraser's amendment was then pub and lost; by 4- votes to 2,, the voting being .- — Ayes — Messrs P. B. Fraser and Ramsay ; i noes — Messrs Gallaway, M'Kerrow, J. F. M. Fraser, and Snow. j The motion was then put and carried. j The Chairman said the board had placed j him in a very peculiar position . He did not know whether he should thank them for tho honour they had conferred on him, which was the greatest honour they could confer on any of the members of the board, and he thought ' they would believe him when he said that the honour was not of his seeking, and that he would very much prefer to have seen any other member of the board in the chair. He might say ( that ho would very gladly have retired in Mr MaeGregor's favour if it had not been for tho disqualification which had been pointed out by ' Mr Snow, that no member of the board should j be elected chairman who was absent for at least j four months in the year. He thought the chair- ' man should always be present. If he had followed his own inclination in the matter he would certainly not have been a candidate, but it seemed to him the wish of the majority of the memoirs of the board that he should stand, and in deference to that wish he had put his own feeliiycs aside. He could only thank them for the hcj «?ur they had done him, and hope that they .wild bear with him ia his shortcomings. ,y> bad seemed to him during the I past year ti-^t the time occupied in the business of the bosfjf^^4 stretched out to an enormous

1 i degree — (hear, hear), — and in his estimation i | the volume of business had not increased go very much Ho thought they should lay their heads together, and devise means to get their business through without sitting there night and day. He hoped that in the incoming year they would endeavour to curtail the timip occupied in discussions at the table. Mr Ramsay : I hope not. APPOINTMENT* OF COMMITTEES. Mr . M'Kerrow proposed, nnd Mr Snow secouded, the appointment of Messrs Clark, J. , F. M. Fraser and the chairman as the Selection Committee for the year. — Mr Gallaway -ex.pressed a desire to see Mr P. B. Fraser on the committee, and moved that it should consist of the chairman, Messrs J. F. M. Fraser and P. B. Fraser. — Mr P. B. Fkaser declined to act on | the committee, as he had a very strong objeotion i to the commit/tea. — Mr Ramsay said he would : like to ccc Mr G alia way cm the committee. — Mr | Mr Gallaway, however, would not allow himi self to be nominated in opposition to any other town member.— Mr J. F. M. Phaser said his ' views on the matter of the Selection Committee I were well known. He did not approve of, the j committee, and if any motion were brought be- ' fore the board at any time to dispense with the committee he would support it. — The motion was carried. Messrs Gsllaway, Clark, M'Kerrow, Snow, | and the chairman were appointed a Finance ' Committee. Mr Snow moved and'Mr M'Kerrow seconded — " That the whole board be the School of Arts 1 Committee."— Mr P. B. Fhases said his experieuce was in such a c*&e that what was every1 body's business was nobody's business, and he moved, as an amendment, that the School of Art Committee consist of five members, including the chairman.— The amendment was lost by 5 votes to 3, and the motion was carried. It was resolved, also, that the whole board j form fche Normal School Committee ; Messrs , M'Kerrow and Ramsay were reappointed the { Accounts Committee ; and Messrs Gallaway, 1 Snow, and P. B. Fraser were appointed the Reports*Comm.tteo. THE BECORD REIGN. The Hon. SecrKt*r7 of the Educational Institute wrote &s follows :—: — lam instructed by the Committee of Management of the Educational Institute, to forward to the Education Board the subjoined resolution, pafcsed at its meeting on ihe 10th iusc. :— "That the Education Board b? respectfully asked to issue circulars advising 3chool committees to close their respective schools from the 21st June to the 2nd July inclusive, in honour of the celebration of her Majesty's Record Keign, and to instruct ♦he inspectors not to resume the examinations of i the schools for at limst a ior: Bight after the reopening." The Committee of Management desire to point out that, as a week's vacation is customary at midwinter, a slightly extended holiday would impress more forcibly uu the niindu of the children the noteworthy fact which we, iv con- • junction with the rest of the Empire, are about ■to celebrate. ,' The Chairman suggested that the letter be i received. There wa3 a very strong feeling in ! tho country that tbero were too many holiday?, '• especially in midwinter. [ The Secretary mention? d that there was '. usually a week's holiday iv midwinter. The institute asked that this year there should be a fortnight's holiday. Mr J. F. M. Phaser moved— "That the letter be received, and that the usual circular be issued." Mr P. B. Fraser thought the board ought not to treat her Majesty with such discourtesy, j and asked if the board meant itself to take any ! notice of the celebrations. The Secretary said the week of the midwinter holidays would be the Record Reign week. Mr P. B. Fbaser said that certain teachers, wishing to push their pupils forward, denied them any holidays, and he thought that-, if it was desired that the Record Reign week should be celebrated, the board should see that all fcha schools were closed. The Chairman said his experience was that a great number of country committees did not fix any particular week for the winter holidays. About the end of '"June there was a lot of wet weather, and in many cases they reserved their holidays until the weather broke. Mr J. F. M. Fraskr did not see how the board could interfere with the school committees in the matter of granting holidays. It was resolved that the letter be received, and that the usual circular to school cocimittees , be issued, with the exception that committees should be asked to grant the midwinter holidays in Record Reign week. PAINTING IN THE SCHOOL OP ART. The following petition xvem signed by 59 I students of the Dunedin School of Att and I Design :—": — " It having como to the knowledge of the students of the Dunedin School of Art and Design that you have passed a motion to abolieh the teaching of painting in the school, we, the undersigned, in our own interests, beg respectfully to request that you reconsider this motion before carrying same into effect, as we think such a course would be detrimental to our advancement in the art; of painting generally, which has hitherto been successfully carried on under Mr Hutton's tuition," The petition was received. GENERAL. Mr W. B. Graham, of the Forbury School, wrote applying for the payment of his sick leave during the whole time he had been on sick leave. He had been advised that, considering his present weak condition, he must not resume his duties for several weeks, and aa his illness (typhoid fever) was caused by no fault of his own, he trusted the board would give his application favourable consideration. — The Secretary said Mr Graham had received full pay for his holidays, and also a month's pay for sick leave. — The application was declined. Mr J. H. Moir wrote asking for an increase of salary. Ha pointed out that for seven years and three months he bad ieir«4

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explanation. I claim the right to make a personal explanation. The Chairman : Every member of the committee will have a claim to mako an explanation at the proper time and place, aud I rule ta&t this is not the proper time and place. Mr P. B. Fiuseri I am sorry you have tuled that way, because that does not improve ib. I think thai members of the committee The CnJUimAN j I have ruled, and that ia an end of it. Tho question is whether the reply be referred to the committee. Mr Ramsay claimed that it was competent for a member, on speaking to that; motion, to refer to any particular clause of the report. Mr Snow said that h9 would move as an amendment that each member be supplied with a copy of the report. Mr P. B. Fiiaser asked if that was an amendment. Mr Ci^abk objected to the motion, because he thought the teachers should put their views in writing before the board. The motion was amended by the addition of the words "and thab the opinion of the institute ba pub in writing and submitted to the board,''' and was then carried. Mr Ramsay : I cannot help expressing my regret that the inspectors should have taken the position that the report of the committee was antagonistic to them. TECHNICAL CLASSES ASSOCIATION. SlesTii A. Burb and G. M. Thomson waited on the board as a deputation from the above association. They represented that the association desired to make an offer to lease Anderson aud Morrison's premises in Moray piace ab a rental of £80 a year, exclusive of taxes, insurance, &c, making up a rental of about £100 a year, for a term of five years, with a purchasing option afc £2500, and the deputation approached the board in order to see if they would give the association an assurance or a guarantee to pay the whole or a portion of this rental, and thus enable the association to make an offer. To completely equip the bnildiug for bhe use of the association would cost about £1000, but it was not contemplated to spend more than £400 or £500 at present, aad then to go on with the fitting up of the electrical plant, towards the cost of which they had £300. The classes had quite outgrown the present building. This year they began with 550 pupils, or 100 more than last year, and more were still trying to get into somo of the classes. The idea was to relieve the congestion next session. As to the question oi fitting, the association contemplated getting something from the Government end something from tbe public. It was merely an assurance as to rent that they asked from the board. The Chairman promised that (he request should receive the board's best consideration. The board considered the matter in committee, but did not come to a final decision npon it. THE JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIPS. Mr W. F. Young's letter in respect to his daughter was again brought up, aud the Chairman said that the Scholarship Committee had nob yet reported. The position is that the girl won free education la«.fc year, bub is still under age, and the question asked was whether she was eligible to compete again for the junior scholarship. The board deoided that under the circutnstauces the girl be allowed to compote, it b a ,icg understood that later on the board would consider the whole question. ' GENERAL. Accounts amounting to £6895 0s 4d were passed for payment. It was decided to appoint Edward Crowe pupil teacher in the School of Art. It was decided that the various notices of motion given lor that meeting of the board stand over for a month. The Forbury School Committee asked the board to rearrange ths staff, and ifc was agreed that unless Miss Lawrence and Mr Maxwell mutually agreed as to their positions in the school, the board could not inteifere.

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ai relieving "teacher at a salary which now stood at £200. He was classified I 82, hit last promotion had beeu made three years ago, and during hit relieving work he had filled all classes of positions, in almost every case at a very great saving to the board — a saving which amounted on one occasion to as much, as his own salary. While he was refunded his actual fares when travelling, that was only a small proportion of the expense entailed on him by ihif ting from place to place aud paying for lodgings in hotels, kc. — On the motion of Mr Snow, seconded by Mr J. F. M. FraSer, it I was decided to increase Mr Moir's salary to £240, the increase to date from the beginning : of the year. ' .£ was resolved that in view of the fact that ' Mr M'Neil, the successful tenderer for the ereo- | tion of the Kahuika School, jiad been misin- j formed by the architect, who bad in turn been > misled as to the state of the road to the aite, ha be paid £35, the difference between his tender and the next lowest tender. It wa3 explained ■ that the architect had been informed by the ; chief surveyor that there was a practicable ; road to the site, and that the contractor had acted on the strength of that representation, but had found it necessary to convey the material for the work a distance of two miles by sledge, and convey it on fallen timber across the M'Lennan River. Miss J. M. JBowie, of Crichton, LovelPs Flat, Slaving sat for the teachers' examination in Dunedin and obtained a partial D pass, wrote aiking if she would be allowed to attend the school method classes at the Training College. — IThe rector, reporting on the application, wrote : "With regard to Miss Bowie's application I have to say that no one ought, I think, to be admitted to lectures who dees not also take the practio»l course of work prescribed for the students. Alias Bowie should be admitted as a regular student or not at\all." — Ou the motion of Mr Clark, seconded by*Mr P. B. Fhaser, it waR resolved to admit Mifs Bowie as a student. The rector of the Normal School reported that Marion Lowe bad passed the entrance examination, and it was decided that she be admitted as a student — It was resolved, on the motion of Mr P. B. Fraseb, that in future a copy of the papers set at the entrance examination to the Normal School ba furnished to the board and published in the anaual report. A number of claims for half the cosb of xepairs were granted. Mr John Graham appeared before the board *o ask for an alteration of the boundaries of the Brighton school district.— The chairman of the Saddle Hill Committee waited on the board on (he same subject. — Consideration was deferred. The meeting of the board on the 22nd was Attended by Messrs Borrie (chairman). Clark, M'Kerrow, Snow, Ramsay, Gallaway, J. F. M. fraser, and Rev. P. B. Fraser. APPOINTMENTS. The following appointments were made :— Constance B. Jones, head teacher, Taiaroa Head ; Grace M. Farnie, head teacher, A_ atore ; Eliza F. M. H. Paul, head teacher, Glenledi ; Margaret Diokie, head teacher, Euri Bush ; Andrew Parlane, junior assistant. , RESIGNATIONS. The following resignations were accepted :—: — Margaret D. Dickie, head teacher, Luggate ; tfane L. H. Brown, head teacher, Moa Flat ; William Gray, first assistant, ■ Mornington ; Frances Howket, second assistant, North-East Valley ; J. R. Wallace, fourth assistant, Caver«ham; A. Parlane, junior assistant, Kaitangata ; 'iiobina M'Gill, head ttfaoher, Windior. PORT CHALMERS. The Rev. T. N. Griffin, Messrs R\ Bauchop and J. Cook waited on the board a> a deputation from the Pott Chalmers District High

Sohool Cominifciee to draw attention to the water system and Hauitary arrangements iv connection with the school. Mr Griffin, who acted as spokesman, said the water system at the school was very imperfect in two respects — first in regard to ils supply, and becondly in the respect th»t it is not good. Dr Cuuninghame, the health officer at i*orb Chaloierff, had recommended the adoption of the 6aud-&ltcr system, which might be connected either with the public main or with the supply from the roof. The present sanitary arrangements had been condemned by tho dootor as awkward and imperfect in various ways. The deputation having withdrawn, The board resolved to refer the whole matter to the architect for a report. JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIP REGULATIONS. The following memorandum from the inspectors on tho subject of the junior scholarship regulations was read :—: — The committee reports that "in their memorandum the inspectors state that the former regulations confined the work of the juuior scholarship to the limits of tbe Fifth Standard, or only fivesixths of tha school course." We have uot made this statement. Again, the committee leportsthat "in the new regulations they (the inspectors) state that thoy have extended tho scholarship work to cover the syllabus of the Sixth Standard, or the whole course of instruction in the public schools." In the new regulations there is no such statement. In our memorandum of 13th February we say " that the Times article is obvioutly based on the assumption that junior scholarships ara intended to be awarded to children that have a good know- | ledge of five sixths of the cour&e of free instruction I provided by the Government— thut is to say, to the best Fifth Standard pupils." The chief theme of the article in question is that the arithmetic for this scholarship ia too difficult for children of 13. Other subjects are referred to as being more difficult in ths new than in tho old syllabus of work, but the writer emphasises arithmetic as the one that i?, in his judgment, unreasonably difficult ; and this is the subject about which we were thinking when we wiole our memorandum, which must, of course, be lead with the second paragraph of our letter of May 18, 18S6. Ia this letter we iudicate the nature of the proposed changes, and in the memo, of 13th February 1897, we give fomo of our reasons for the only important change iv the now syllabus— viz., the making of the arithmetic identical wirh tha public schojl course. Whether our lettm and memorandum be read together, as they should be, or eeparately, it i 3 clear th.xt. we do not say what in the first quotation above the committee makes us say. We neither say nor imply anything of the kind, except in reference to the subject that formed the leading theme of the newspaper article. Having made us state as a fact what we distinctly say is, in our view, an assumption by the journalist, the committee proceeds through several paragtaphs to examine and demolish what it describes as "the statement of the inspectors that the former scholarship work was limited to the requirements of the Fifth Standard." We have not made this statement. Iv its report the committee has placed us in an entirely false position with respect to the amended syllabus of work, and made us appear to have misled the board. When we submitted the amended regulations to the board we wrote :— " In the junior schedule history is extended to 1837, arithmetic is made identical with the public school course, and map-drawing is extended to the countries of Europe. In other respects the schedule is practically the same ai that in present use." Now, what is the schedule here described by us as "that in present use"? Two of its subjects (English and English grammar) aie almost identical with the work of Standard VI, one (dictation) is beyond the requirements of Standard VI, one (arithmetic) is below the requirement of Standard VII, and two (geography and history) are in difficulty quite equal to the work prescribed for Standard VI. Arithmetic is therefore the only subject in the old schedule that falls below

the level of tli* requirements of Standard VI. With our knowledge nf this cii'CUJii&tance v»e should have rendeied ourselves ridiculous had we committed ourselves to the statement \y\xt into our months by the committee " that the former regulations confiuert thu work for the juuior scholarshijis to the limits of tha Fifth Standard." Our letter to the boavd enumerates the changes we made in the syllabus, and our memo, gives, as we have said, some of our reasons for our proposal to raise arithmetic to the level of Staudard VI work. Evea the committee's findings are, with two exceptions (geography aud synthesis), in accord with our letter, and the exceptions are at utter variance with the facts. The committee writes :— '" English.— The new regulation is practically identic <1 with the old, with the trifling exception of the addition of Greek and Latin roots." "Grammar. — The new regulation prof rsaing to rni«e the work to the vquirements of the Sixth Standard is identical, except on one point. Svnthtsis as a specific subject is now added, but this dots not appear as a specilic subject (like analyois) in the public school syllab&s at all." If. the members of the board turn to the composition of the Fourth Standard they will fiud the following :— " Composition. — Exercises in the turning of two given simple sentences into one simple sentence with An adjunct, and in ths construction of the complex sentence by the blending of given simple sentences through the use of subsUntivftl, adjectival, and adverbial elaus>e3. The pupils are not to be required to give technical names to sentences, adjuncts, or clause*, or to dis-tingni-sh the three kinds of clauses, but they must be able to turn given sentences into clau»e3, and to insert them in suibabls order " Most of tha work here defined is pare synthesis, aud, thouch without it 3 labal, ought to have beeu recognised ;i3 such by, the committee. The thing iB in the syllabus, but, being without its name, it escaped the notice of th'! committee. The term " synthesis," it is true, in absent from the syllabus ; but that the spacific characters of synthesis are there is obvious to every competent judge : the specific characters are substituted for the name of the species. The work defined in this regulation is among the most u&ef ul and educative work of the t>yll;ibus— it is the application of technical grammar to the practical work of sentence architscture, and as such is in perfect haimony with the spirit of the tlon. John JlacGregor'a motion re. grammar teaching. " Geography (the committee continue*). — The new regulation h almost a transcript of the former senior scholarship regulation. Children of 12 and 13 aye now apparently required to accomplish what for years has been a tax on lads of two years older attending high schools. The only difference between the former senior and the prebent junior regulation is that a knowledge of Asia, Africa, and America is the additional work for the senior scholarship." What the committee calls " the only difference between the" former senior and the present junior regulation " is precisely the difference between the old junior aud senior regulations. The following are the regulations :— j The new junior geography: Physical features, i political divisions, principal town*, climates, and ! chief industries and products of Europe and the British Empire, and the drawing and tilling in of i rough outline maps of those parts of the world. J The old junior geography : The physical features, political divisions, and principal towns of New Zealand, Europe, and the British Empire, together with a knowledge of the climates and the chief industries and products of the countries ; also outline map of New Zealand The old senior geography : The physical features, political divisions, and principal towns of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, the British Empire, and New Zealand, together with a knowledee of climate and of the chief industries and products ; also the drawing and filling in of outline maps of Europe and the ttritish Empire. Ths board has only to read these regulations to see that the new junior regulation is "almost a transcript," not of the old senior, hut of the old junior regulation. The circumstance that, with the exception of what is in the report cabled " the only difference," the old definitions of geography for the scholarships are almost identical, is no excuse for the committee's representing our new definition of junior work as " almost a transcript

of the former senior scholarship regulation." That tha committee intended, the board to believe that the new junior regulation ia traili scribed from the old s-enior regulation ia shown by the second pentence quoted from the report —viz , that " children of 12 and 13 are now apparently required to accomplish what for ye*rs has been a tax, on lads two yeara older .attending high schools." This is equivalent to saying that i the inspectors have substituted for the iunior scholarshipf; what was in the old regulation the . work for the senior. L'eeliDg apparently, that, its statement of the case needed tomo modification, 1 the committee introduced into it 3 leport the qualifying sentence : "Tho only difference between j the former senior and tho present junior regula- , tion id that a knowledge of Asia, Africa, and 1 America is the additional work for the tenior scholarship " What is this " only difference " of the committee? It is the physical features, I political divisions, principal towns, climate, rhief i industries and products of three continents — Asia, j Africa, and America — surely a very formidable I body of work to ba borne by the expression "only ! difference." The "only difference" is, it seems I to us, a very mighty one— certainly too mighty to • afford the least justification for the committee's , statement that " children of 12 or 13 are now I apparently required to accomplish what for yeara has been a tax on lads two yeara older attending high schools." j The committee proceeds :—" Formerly the map- ! drawing was confined to a rough outline map of New Zealand. Now in the precise words of the I senior regulation, ' the drawing and tilling in of j rough outline maps of those parts of tho world '— i i.e., of 'Europe anoT the British Empire— is demanded from children in our primary schools." Notwithstanding the committee's " precise words of the former regulation," the term " rough" does ■ not occur in that regulation ! Under the old '• regulation competitors were required to draw ; "outline maps"; under the new thoy are rej quired to draw "rough outline map 3." Every i practical teacher will realise the extent to which the introduction of the word "rough" reduces the labour of map-drawing. It was introduced to discourage the waiting of time over very exact outlines, and was made to apply to all the coun- , tries included iv the definition to prevent the . 1 cramming of topography from the text book*. The ' method of learning typographical geography by | means of drawing and filling ip maps does not', at , this time of day, need any defence. It is, in fact, j the method employed in all the schoois in which I < geography is well taught. ! The committee tvjds that " tha writing and dictation requirements arc identical in the former j aud the new regulations," and that history I "extends a period of space of only 22 yeaiy." This is in perfect agreement with what we say in our letter to the board. Arithmetic. — This is a subject the limits^ of which are greatly extended in the new regulation. ' j which is made to include the whole public echool , course. This extension is pointed out by us ia ] our letter of May 18, 1896, already referred to. As i iuthe case of the other subjects so in the case of this, we have there stated tlm nature of the changes made in the syllabus work, lhe requirements of the old syllabus are below those of the syllabus of Standard V, and are, we thought and think, too low. Accordingly we advised, and j still advise, that they be extended. W« recognise, however, that more than ono opinion may be held respecting the extent of this extension ; but it is our opinion that the arithmetic (not including the mensuration) of the public school course should form the syllabus of work. The committee is of opinion that "probably no hnrm would result if decimal fractions, simple interest, and stocks were added to the former requirements," aud, curiously enough, it adds, as its ground for this opinion, "because Sixth Standard pupih are familiar with these." It is true Sixth Standard pupils are familiar with these ; but they are no more familiar with them thau with the rest of I their arithmetical work ; and tho reason advanced by the committee is as good for the whole as for the part. This is precisely our reason for raising the sublet to the level of tha Sixth Standard work With respect to the committee's innuendo that "possible conundrums under each head are endless," we simply remark that our examination papers aye available for analysis by competent autho r ities, and we challenge comparisons between them and those set

by any other examiners in ■or out of New Zealand. We endorse ths committee's view that " arithI inetic ia unlike tin other *übjecfcs, but not its I view that it is more certaiuly a test of cleverness, while the other subjects are largely a test of the scholar's information." To our thinking English (including grammar) is, both as an instrument of mental traiuing and as a test of Intelligence and " cleverness," second to no subject of the school course This ft is, of course, only our opinion placed against that of the committfto ; but it may, perhaps, be allowed to stand for what it ia worth. j The committee says : " Ilitherto tho schoVu-ghip 1 winners have made only about half marks iv the limitod teist of vales hitherto prescribed." Tho average percentage gained by the successful competitors for thu last seven years is 78"4— a result that surely is greatly in exce33of "only about half marks." This expression is, in our opinion, a verr inaccurate and misleading description of what scholarship winners have done in this -'subject. The committse has discovered a number of mis- » takes we did not mika ; but, strange to say, the one mistake we did make has. remained undiscovered. Ia our letter of May 18, 1896', we say : " And map-drawing is extouded to the counties of Europe." We ought to have added : " Aud to those parts of the British Empire to which mapdrawinc does not apply in the old regulation." The omission of this was due to pure inadvertencs. We believe that our advice to tha board is sound, and, whether sound or unsound) we know that it is perfectly honest. j We apologise for the length of this memo1 randum, and thank the board for kindly giving ' us the opportunity^ reply to tbe comSlitteo'a report. ' } I Mr Gallawat complained that it was hardly" ■ fair on the part of the inspectors to suggest j that the committee had insinuated that the inspectors did anything dishonest. Personally he would not admit that he had made a mistake , until he had gone into the thing very fully, and • it seemed to him that before taking any definite i step the board ought bo hava before them a | deputation from the head masters as had baen suggested in a letter from the Educational Institute. Mr Ramsay moved that the report be referred to the committee — cousinting of the chairman, Messrs Gallaway and P. B. Fraser,— with power to confer with the inspectors and representatives of the Teachers' Institute, and report to the board at next meeting. Mr P. B Fraseb, in seconding the motion, gaid he thought no time should be lost by any member oi the committee ia replying to the sentence, " With respect to the committee's innuendoes 'that possible conundrums tinder eaoh head are cndlesi,' we simply remark that our examination papers are available for analysis by competent authorities, and we challenge conipsrison between them and those Bet by any other examiners either in or oat of New Zealand." He oould only express his regreb that; the inspectors, in replying to the board, should have stated that the committee were responsible for any innuendo. The committee would not have pun an innuendo at all The Chairman, interrupting, said he did not think Mr Fraser should discuss the various clauses of the report at present. He ruled that it was out of order. Mr P. B. Fraser : I am making a personal

The name of Mr George Bonnington, Chemist, Christchurch, is well known throughout New Zealand in connection with his pre« par&tion known as "Carrageen," or "Irish Moas," which has for. many years enjoyed » wide reputation foe Influenza and Ghent Com* plaints.— Advfe.