SCHOOL COMMITTEES' CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 9

SCHOOL COMMITTEES' CONFERENCE.

The annual meeting of the School Committees' Conference was hold at the Normal School on Thursday. Mr J. White representing the Anderson's Bay committee, occupied the chair, and the following delegates were also present:— Messrs Megget (Union street), 'Adams (George street), Burt, Simpson (Arthur Btreet), Anderson, Wilkinson (Albany street), Macadam (Anderson's Bay), Burk (Forbury), Devlin, Milburn (Macandrew Road), Calder, Roberts (North-East Valley), Sidey, Tennant (Caversham), Henderson (Ravensbourne), Reynolds (Mornington), Stuart, Bishop (Highcliff*, Bayloy, M'Kechnie (Green Island), and M. Cohen (secretary).

Apologies for noil-attendance were received from Messrs G. Reid and G. O. Israel. The 3atter wrote stating that in vacating the chair lie desired to express to the delegates his thanks for their assistance during the past 12 months, and his hearty appreciation of the business like and orderly character of the conference meetings.

A letter was received from the St. Leonard s School Committee on the subject of allowances to school committees, but as there v»oie no delegates from the committee present consideration of the matter was deferred.

The following report was presented to the meeting: — Schools' Demonstration. — The meetings of the executive dining the past year, except dur•ing the period immediately before tho Jubilee of Otago celebrations, call for no remark. But ■in connection with the last-mentioned event, ycur executive had frequent and often lengthy confeiences with the head teachers and first assistants of the city and suburban schools, the outcome being the drawing ixp of a programme ol sports that shotdd have attracted a great concourse of people and have induced keen competition among the various schools. Unfortunately, the day (Saturday, March 2P) appointed for our demonstration proved most unpropitious, necessitating a postponement to the following Saturday, when unpiopitious weather again not only greatly interfered witb ,the attendance, but compelled the abandonment of many of the events on the piogramme. His Excellency the Governor, whose courtesy towards your executive was most marked in all our communications with him on the subject, was much disappointed at not being able to attend the demonstration, which he had promised to do had it been carried through on .the day first fixed. We take this opportunity of recording our appieciation of the .services of the various head masters nnd assistants who were associated with U3 in this matter, and who worked one and all with a will to make this entertainmont, which we hope will be renege, I on some other favourable occasion, enjoyable to those who witnessed it, and a financial success to those committees who promoted it. That this latter purpose was not achieved was solely due to unavoidable causes, and it ia satisfactory to know that the committees interested readilY acknowledged that fact. Election of -Education Boards — In fulfilment of his promise of last year, the Hon. the Minister of Education has re-introduced the bill for the election of members of the education boards, which it will be remembered embodies -the views from time to time expressed at Idiis conference. It is to be sincerely hoped that the Government will eucceed in passing the bill this session, as there is a general desire throughout the education district that elections to the board bha'l, like all ordinary elections, be held on one day, and that the voting power of individual members of committees shall bear some relation to the number of children in attendance at each s?l;uol. Seeing that the main piinciples of the bill have been affirm eel, and re-affirmed not only by this conference and a similar body in North. Otago, as well as by the Education Board of Otago and numbers of individual I'omm tlees throughout the colony, we feel warranted in calling upon all the Otago members of the House of Representatives to £ive lUe bill their hearty support.

Appointment of Teschers. — V\ r e observe tl at the Education Board has adopted a new regulation relating to the appointment of teachers, under which the names of all eligible candidates, with their testimonials, are sent down to coinrnittees, and it is provided that the school committee shall be asked to recommend for appointment a candidate from the list of those marked, in terms of regulations 26 and £9, ''most suitable," or, in the event of one caiidittate being so marked, the committee shn I . be invited to concur in the appointment of that cai didate. Jn tho event of a committee not accepting the board's selection, reasons should be given for d is&cnt and in favour of another applicant. The board shall carefully consider all such representations ; but the board will not appoint any of the other candidates unless new facts, unknown to the board regarding the school district or other candidate, be revealed by the school committee interested, and be deemed by the board of sufficient importance to warrant fresh consideration ot the case. This regulation may appear to limit the privilege hitherto enjoyed by committees, but being apparently strictly within the statutory powers of the beard, cannot be objected to, and provided that the fullest possible information is given in every case so as to constitute a bona fide "consultation" with the committee, we are inclined to think that the new regulation will be productive of good and fulfil its purpose. The Chaihman, in moving the adoption of the report, expressed his regret that Mr Israel, chairman of the conference, was unable to be present. The conference was very much indebted to that gentleman for the active work that lie did in connection with the school children's demonstration, which would have been a splendid success if the weather had been fine. He suggested that a similar demonstration be held on some future occasion. If Mr Israel had been present ho intended to bring before the conference the fact that Arbor Day had ceased to be celebrated, He thought that was a great pity, and the committees might take the matter into consideration, and have the day celebrated as it was on the first occasion. Mr Israel also intended to bring before tho conference the question of school cadets. He thought that committee.* might give very much more assistance and greater consideration to school cadets. To have a cadet corps in a school was a very good thing, for it assisted discipline, encouraged boys U\ carry themselves well, and also to behave well, and when they left school they would go into the volun tcer corps aud become good citizen soldiers. Mr Israel also wished to mention the matter of gymnasiums. He felt that committees were taking a greater interest in the question of physical education, as was shown by the way in which they had raised moneys for gymnasiums in a number of the city and suburban schools. The chairman further proposed to refer to Mr Duncan Wright, who had been so successfully conducting Bible classes in a number of schools. The work carried on by Mr Wright showed that Bible teaching could be conducted successfully in schools if the committees wished it, and if they could find a proper man to undertake tho work. — (Hoar, hear.) Mr Simpson seconded the motion, which ,wa« carried.

The following office-bearers were elected for the ensuing year :— Chairman, Mr G. O. 'Israel; secretary and treasurer, Mr T. K. Sidey; executive—Messrs Mearns. Oalder, and Simpson,

Mr Stuart referred to the question of the appointment of teachers, and expressed the opinion that no system of appointments that had yet been adopted was satisfactory. He thought that school committees should have more say than they had at present in appointments. He mentioned that in a recent appointment made at Highcliff the board sent down the names of 27 candidates, and told the committee they must appoint a certain teacher. He thought that was a very arbitrary proceeding on the part of the board. He suggested that schools should bo classified into seven or eight grades ; that teachers should also be classified ; and that only the names of candidates eligible for certain positions be forwarded to school committees. He moved — "That all school committees have a choice of not less than four or five of the eligible candidates for any vacancy, instead of being limited to one name, and that no names be sent down by the board except those of candidates they would appoint if selected." Mr Bishop seconded the motion, which, after some discussion, was carried by 10 votes to 6.

During the disewsion several of the delegates slated that their experience had been that the board sent down the names of a number of candidates, and then agreed to appoint the teacher recommended by the committee.— Mr Bum also said that the Arthur street school School Committee would not allow a teacher to take a position in the school unless they approved of his or her appointment ; while- the Chairman observed that if the Highcliff case was to be a precedent it simply me.mt that the board was not going to let committees have a choice in appointments. Mr Megget moved—" That it be a recommendation from this conference that in future elections to the Education Board preference should be given to those candidates who have seen active service as members of school committee?." . . , Mr Cohen seconded the motion, which, after some discussion, Avas lost.