NEW ZEALAND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2443, 9 January 1901, Page 21

NEW ZEAL AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

(From Otjb Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, January 2.

The eighteenth annual meeting of the Council of the New Zealand Educational Institute commenced this morning. The main subjects for discussion are : Making provision for the efficient training of teachers, the revision of the syllabus on the line of greater freedom of classification, and a colonial scale of salaries and classification of schools. Two new features in connection with the meeting are the extensive collection of educational works and school apparatus on exhibition, and the inauguration of open evening meetings, at which half-hour papers by the leading educational and scientific experts are to be read.

The proceedings were opened by the Mayor of Wellington by an address, in ■which he referred in the highest terms to the -work and influence of teachers.

The President of the Council (Mr W. J. Grundy), in his opening address, referred to the working of the new regulations for the examination of schools and the proposed colonial scale of staffs and salaries. As to the former, he pointed out that though teachers had now freedom of classification, the standard pass was still retained, to the detriment of real education. He suggested the excision of the provision for the standard pass^ and the substitution of a special examination for a " leaving certificate," which might be called the "honour certificate." As to the colonial scale, he deprecated the cry of the boards that the institute wanted the control of teachers taken out of their hands and vested in the central department. The only change desired was the classification of the schools of the cqjpny, so that the staffing of schools and payment of teachers should be according to a definite colonial scale, and so a« to make the system truly national. He strongly advocated a colonial scale of staffs and salaries, and quoted startling anomalies in salaries existing now in the various provinces, and stated that under the present system of allocating the maintenance fund salaries throughout the colony must continue on the down grade as long as there is a necessity for the establishment of small non-paying schools in newly settled districts.

The Otago remits — that teachers be allowed to qualify for C and B certificates 'by passing in jingle subjects ; that instructions be issued to inspectors strictly defining their duties, as at Home ; that arrangements be made by the Government for the efficient training of teachers ; that code words be adopted in teachers' examinations ; that the names of examiners be placed at the head of papers set ; and that for the guidance of examiners and candidates -word-spelling lists have the pronunciation marked and meaning given when jlecessary — <were all passed. It was also agreed to recommend that the compulsory attendances* be raised to at least three-fourths of the attainable. Mr Hogben, the Inspector-general, was present throughout the day's proceedings. January 3.

'At the morning and afternoon meetings 6i the Council of the New Zealand Educational Institute, held to-day, the following remits were passed :— " That the compulsory attendance be not less than threeifourths of the weekly attendance ; that the Council of the Victoria College, Wellington, be urged to establish a chair of pedagogy ; that- the present salaries paid to women be raised ; that the age for exemption for children not passing the ■Fifth Standard be raised to 14 years ; that teachers' salaries be paid by boards direct to teachers, and not through committees ; that vacancies in the inspectorates be .filled from the ranks of teachers ; and that, as at Home, the Government be asked to -make provision for the medical examination of any scholar the head or sole teacher deems to be afflicted." A Vigilance Committee, consisting of Messrs

iWatson, Grundy, Gill, and Erskine, was appointed to watch the progress through Parliament of the bill to bring into force a colonial scale .of staffs and salaries.

The Qtago remits, that the council of the institute take into consideration the advisability of bringing the institute under the industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and that the institute be brought raider the rules and regulations governing trades unions, were referred to a committee, consisting of Miss Hooper and Messrs Hodge, and Flamank, to draw up a report to be submitted to district institutes. Great interest is being taken in the council's deliberations.

January 4.

At a meeting of the Council of the New eZaland Educational Institute, held to-day, the following resolutions were passed : — " That in view of the probable introduction -of such subjects as manual instruction there he a revision of the syllabus ; that the •council is of opinion that in the past the syllabus has been over-weighted with arithmetic, and that the work of the six standards be distributed over seven ; that the retention of the annual pass examination and the issue of standard certificates other than those for proficiency and exemption tend to prevent that freedom of classification "which is the aim and object of the new regulations ; that the Minister of Education be asked to admit representatives of the New Zealand Educational Institute to Any conference held to consider the S3*llabus, and that if children who have been irregular in attendance are fit to pass a higher standard an injustice will be done by keeping them back."

During the discussion of remits, Mr .31. Hogben, the Inspector-general, was in attendance, and closely watched the proceedings. He also briefly addressed the council, and expressed his deepest sympathy -■with the teachers in their work, and with the objects of the institute.

Nearly the whole of the afternoon and meetings were taken up in discussing the draft constitution drawr up for •district institutes.

The Educational Institute passed a resolution expressing a desire to place on re<Msd its appreciation of the Jnsnector-

general's kindness in attending and addressing the meeting. The following remit from Wellington was adopted :— " That in the opinion of this institute the retention of the annual pass examination and the issue of standard certificates, except in the form of exemption certificates and certificates of proficiency, tend to prevent that freedom of classification which is the aim and object of the new regulations." January 5.

The meetings of the New Zealand Educational Institute were brought to a close at midnight last night, after a sitting of four and a-half hours. In addition to the completion of the revision of the constitution for branch institutes, the following resolutions were passed : — " That a wide choice of work be allowed to each teacher, especially in such subjects as history, grammar, geography, science, and drawing ; that, within certain limits, each teacher be allowed to draw up his or her own syllabus for the year's work, as is the case in England, and that the present privilege of grouping standard classes in certain subjects be retained and extended." Mr W. A. Clark, 8.A., secretary of the Southland branch of the institute, was elected president for the ensuing year. The other officers were re-elected as follows: — Treasurer, Mr T. Hughes, 8.A., Christchurch; secretary, Mr T. H. Gill, M.A., LL.B., Wellington; Executive— Mr W. T. Grundy (Wellington), Mr W. Davidson (Diinedin), Mr R. D. Stewart (Auckland). It was decided to meet next year at New Plymouth, the meeting to take place, if possible, about the 14th of January. To-day visiting delegates were given a luncheon at Day's Bay, where a most enjoyable day was spent.

WELLINGTON, January 2.

At the Educational Conference a discussion took place on the training of teachers Motions on the subject from Otago and Marlborough appeared on the agenda paper urging the necessity of making more adequate provision for training teachers. One of the speakers said he thought it unfair that the Otago and North Canter-bury Boards, which had the only two training colleges in the colony, should bear the cost of training teachers for the whole colony. A motion Avas moved that the Government should undertake the training of teachers for the whole colony. The mover urged that there should be one training college for the whole colony, and thought Wellington would be the most suitable centre. Another speaker urged that a training college and chair of pedagogy, which it was proposed to establish in connection with Victoria College, would fit in well together. He pointed out that the Government had appointed dairy and poultry experts, and asked why should it not appoint teaching experts to go into the back blocks and instruct teachers there how to teach. An amendment to the motion was moved to the effect that the whole cost be paid by the department and no part come out of teachers' salaries. The motion was carried.

The following resolutions were also agreed to : — " That the following changes be made in the methods of examination for teachers' certificates : (a) That code words or numbers be adopted instead of the names of candidates ; *(b) that the names of examiners be placed at the heads of papers set ; (c) that spelling tests supplied to supervisors for dictation to candidates should show the pronunciation and meaning of each word for the information of the supervisors and candidates." A remit from Southland was amended and passed in the following form :— " That the Minister of Education be asked to introduce a School Attendance Bill to raise the school age to 14 years, and to make compulsory a limit distance of three miles for those over nine years of age and two miles for those between seven and nine." At the instance of North Canterbury, it was resolved — " That the attention of the Minister of Education be called to the inadequacy of the provisions for enforcing the School Attendance Act, and to the desirability of placing the duty of such enforcement in the hands of the police." It was further resolved — " That between the ages of seven and 14 years every child be required to attend for not less than three-fourths of the number of times the school is open each week."

The report of the treasurer showed that the legal defence fund has been raised to ±,438.

January 3. At this morning's sitting of the Educational Institute a debate took place on 'a motion by Mr M'Neil (Southland) calling the attention of the Minister of Education to the necessity of a better system of appointing and promoting teachers. Ultimately an amendment by Mr L. Watson (North Canterbury) was carried reaffirming last year's resolution — " That the present procedure of some education boards in debarring from employment in their districts teachers from other districts is unjust, and should be altered, to prevent the education system from becoming provincialised."