SCHOOL COMMITTEES' CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2369, 27 July 1899, Page 17

SCHOOL COMMITTEES' CONFERENCE.

The adjovirned meeting of the School Comjmltees Conference was held on Thursday night in tho Normal School. There were present : — Messrs T. K. Sidey (chairman, Anderson and Wilkinson (Albany street School, Israel and Meggett (Union street), Bentham and Moir (Kaikorai), Watson .High street), Fcrd (Mornington), Milburn (Macandrew road), Reid (Forbury), George |Ravensbourne), and White (Anderson Bay). An apology for the absence of Mr JTraer was received. The Chairman said that he would take up the order paper where it was dropped at the last meeting. The first question was that of the abolition of standards. He would move in order to bring the matter before the meeting — " That this conference is of opinion that it is desirable to abolish the individual standard pass." Personally he did not feel so much opposed to the present system as some who had expressed themselves in public. Ho advocated the alteration more with the view ot getting rid of some of the evils which they knew attended the present system. It must , be understood that this question involved tho - abolition of the pass, but not of the standards ! — the abolition of the test which was at pre- , sent applied in order to elevate scholars from . - one standard to another. One advantage of the pass system was the incentive which it gave ' scholars to work, and he thought that was one of the merits of the system. It had been held that one of the dangers of it was the unnecessary amount of cram that it entailed, and the fact that the knowledge was not assimilated. He thought, however, that objection would be found to be more fanciful than real. Even if the pass system were abolished, the assimi- - lation of the work would be pretty well tho same. If the standard pass were abolished it would be left largely to the discretion of the teachers to promote the pupils after the manner which obtained at the High School. He did not want to say anything derogatory to the High School, but his experience went in the direction of showing that somo children who got on capitally in the primary schools did not get on «o well in the High School. — (Hear, hear.) Somo put it down to this, that in the High School more attention was paid to bright- pupile, while those who did not exert themselves were neglected. That would go to show that the pass system helped dull children. In fact it had been stated that one of its evils was that bright children had been kept back while efforts were been made to bring on the dull children Another thingwhich was laid against the pass system was that it frequently disorganised the school. Perhaps the Caversham school was somewhat exceptional this year, but it certainly afforded a very striking example at the present time of the disorganisation produced by the present system. The Caversham school expected to be examined at its usual time, about the end of June. The scholars were primed, and everything was ready for the examination at that time. The examiners did not come. Intimation was given that they would start next Monday, a month late, and it now appeared ! doubtful whether they would be able to commence until the Monday following. What was the condition of the school in the mean- - time? The scholars were all ready, a\id iio new work could be "undertaken. Everything was at a standstill. Ho knew some pupili who had known their work thoroughly, arid had been ready for examination six -weeks ago, and since then had been learning nothing at all. He said that the position of the Caversham school reflected anything but credit on those who had the charge of educational matters in this province. That was another demerit connected with the present system, and it was one which had not been brought forward as publicly as it might have been. • Mr Reid seconded the motion. He thought that the individual pass should be abolished, but he thought the right should be tc the inspector to examine the pupils in all the classes if he thought fit. The syllabus had been drawn up on the theory that every child could <\o a certain amount of work in a given time. That was trying to work contrary to Natuie. The consequence was that a large portion of the teacher's time during the year had to be given to a minority of the class, who were not able to keep pace with others. At this stage Mr Moore, of the Kensington School, entered the room. Mr Reid stated that Mr Mooro wished to oring a Rpecial matter under the notice of the co-nference, and i moved that he be associated with those present. The proposition was agreed to, and Mr Moore waa notified that he could bring up the matter at the end of the order paper. Mr George stated that if a school were in a healthy state and the teachers competent, the mere fact that tho examination was delayed for a. few weeks should not disorganise the work. It showed that it actually depended for good results on the children being examined while the work was fresh in their minds. They had the knowledge but could not. assimilate it. Mr Israel said it 6eemed an outrageous thing that schools should be judged by the ( pressure put on the children during the space I of a few months. It seemed to him" that tho | inspectors, should make surprise visits and sample the general work of the school. His own opinion was that the present examination was not a fair test. Mr Moore stated that if a child got 100 per cent, in -four subjects and fell short by one mark in a fifth subject, say, composition, the

| child would be put down as failed. No credit I I .fX?-~- tf *~ to the child or -the teacher I for the 4uO ?•*# csnt of msuks it got. '• Mr Cohen hoped the morion would-be carried without a dissentient ■coiee, because it \-yas the largest question that had come before *lhe conference. The question had been put from the teachers' and pupils' point of view, , a~nd he jyould like it put from the public's ; point of^view. When the examination came round he knew the large amount of work that was forced upon the children to enable them " to get through with credit — an amount that ' was more than most parents cared abovit the children attempting. The position he took ' up was that a uniform examination resulted from an overburdened syllabus. He did not think that teachers were frightened of their task, but his idea was that they felt bound to coax the children along to ..the best .of", their ability to get through the course in the given time. Some people said it waa no good taking this leap in the dark, but they had the experience of other parts of the world to go upon, that it was the right thing to do. England and New Zealand were the only places where the syßtem that was now con- ' demned prevailed. The abolition of individual passes if -brought about — and he believed it would be brought about — would bo the greatest blessing both to. those teaching and to those who were taught. He would like to see the three R's emphasised, and above that the schools should have the simplest range. If thiß were done, teaching would be more thorough. There was a feel- ' ing abroad, although people did not like to say so openly, that after the children had gone through the higher standards, many of : them did not take to the higher and future • instruction in the way they would if that in- | etruction ha<l been as kindly disposed towards ; them as it might have been, and as it would ' have been under other circumstances. Mr J. White considered that great blame attached to this individual pass system, and ' the manner in which it had been conducted was entirely due to the conference and committeemen. Whenever a teacher was wanted in any school, the first question was, "How about his standard pass? " It was the very first thing committees looked at. If he was not a hundred per cent, man they passed over him straight away. With regard to the pupils, they could not come out at high-water mark ; they were allowed to reniain without going a step further. Most children only had one chance in life, and that was at school, and if they did not get the full benefit of their teaching in the public schools, they did not get it afterwards. In connection with what Air Moore had said about children going a hundred per cent, in four subjects and failing in the fifth, if the teacher looked at it as a matter of bread and butter he kept the children in the same standard for another year and ground them. The present system was a hide-bound one. Teachers were bound down by the syllabus instead of being allowed to teach to their uttermost -ability the children to the uttermost of their ability, and if this was wrong it should be righted. There had always been an opinion that the Education Act was too utterly sacred to be touched. If amending it was talked about,the person- proposing such a thing was looked \ipon as he (Mr White) did not know what, because if it came before the House denominationalism would be brought in. The Normal School was one that. always went in for the hundred per cent., and a hundred per cent, school could not be said to be a good school. , Mr Watson supported the motion, and did not understand why the syllabus should be so much in excess of that of Victoria. The 1 work seemed altogether too severe for the . children in the schools. • The motion on being put was carried unanimously. Mr Watson moved — " That this conference haying seen several of the monthly school papers which have been for the past two or three yeara in use in the Viotcrian schools, issued by the Victorian Education departmont, such papers having proved an unqualified success in Victoria, recommends the adoption of the system throughout New Zealand by our own Education department, ' on similar lines, in preference to the present ■ reading books, as being calculated to create greater mutual interest amongst teachers and scholars, while at the same time reducing the cost to parents on the present system I of reading books." He referred to the sucj cess the papers had met with in Victoria. ) The reading books in use were expensive, and did not create the interest that the Victorian ones would. Opinions were expressed that the conference j was hardly in a position to judge of tJie papers, not yet having had an opportunity of perusing them. Mr Cohen suggested that the motion should be modified co as to make the Victorian papers supplementary to the reading books j already in use in the schools. He had no • hesitation 'in saying that the selected matter in them and in the South Australian papers could "not be bettered. Why he would like to see something like these papers introduced into the pchools was that he thought the reading books should be the property of the school just as much as the desks in- it. There were children in the education districts who could not go to the schools because their parents 1 could not afford to pay for books. If the books belonged to the school and formed

part of tho school library, that objecl{o» would be swept away at once. ' Tho motion was amended as suggested by' Mr Cohen, and in that form supported by Mr Moore and Mr Reid. Mr White thought the suggestion fell in with what the inspectors had recommended with regard to there being reading books to be read at sight. They suggested this to give the children an interest in matterß without being examined upon them. The motion as amended was darried. The Chairman introduced the question of raising the capitation. It was now £5 15i where it had been £4- ss. He suggested it might be increased to the former amount. Mr Israel : It means an increase of aboul £50,000 a year. It was pointed out that £4- had already been carried by the conference at Wellington,- and the matter was dropped. Mr Cohen moved- that it be a recommendation to the delegates to bring the matter -• of holding the midwinter holidays next'yeat during the time of the Winter Show of the Agricultural Society before their respective committees, and this was carried. Mr Megget moved, and it was carried, that the Education Board be asked to alter the payment of capitation from per fifties to per head. , Mr Maor.e addressed the conference oh the; subject of staffing schools, and it was decided v that Mr Moore should bring the matter .before his committee, it to formulate a motioir and forward it to the conference for cor»-< Bidevation.