INTERVIEW WITH THE VICTORIAN DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, February 2.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 45

INTERVIEW WITH THE VICTORIAN DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, February 2.

There is at present quite a large gathering of educationists in Wellington in connection with the approaching conference in regard to the eyllabus which commences tomorrow. The new regulations recently issued by the Education Department will be exhaustively discussed by the conference. I have seen some of the inspectors with a view to obtaining their opinions upon the present position and the new syllabus, but 6O far they prefer to maintain a discreet silence. A great interest naturally attaches to the proceedings of the conference, but it has been decided to hold the proceedings in camera. The Post this evening, referring to this decision, says : "It will come as a disappointment to all the friends of education and to the public throughout the colony. *tbe importance of the conference itself is an almost unique- event in the history of primary education in the colony, the magnitude of the issue 3 involved, and the •widespread interest it has awakened, constitute an- overwhelming reason against the decision of the authorities. If the reform contemplated is to be successfully carried out, it will be through the general sympathy and 00-operation of the people of the colony. But how can that sympathy be awakened and the co-operation enlisted unless the public is taken into the full confidence by the experts who take part in the proceedings? Surely this is the only means by which an intelligent judgment may be formed of the relative value of the old and new methods and ideals of education. We trust that such reasons will be duly weighed and an opportunity given by which publio opinion may be informed on this most important question — one that has occupied the attention of the publio for many years, and is fraught with such, consequences to the educational life of the future citizens of the colony." Amongst those who will attend the conference to-morrow is Mr Frank Tait, of the "Victorian Educational Department. Mr Tate is comparatively a young man, but he evidently has the confidence of the Government of Victoria, for he iis Director of Primary and Technical Education in that State, and practically " runs" the whole department. Ho has come over to New Zealand to see for himself the working of our educational system. In Victoria, he states iKo whole of the whole of the operations of "the department— the training, appointing, promoting and disciplining of teachers, pro.vidin" and maintaining of buildings, and the conduct of examinations, in fact every detail of administration, was centred in tlio jUelboume headquarters. There were, some advantages in this eyttc-m, but there weie many disadvantages, and one result was a great lack of local interest in education which was manifested by the "V lotonan people. It had be on a matter of great interest to him during -the week h& Mi

already spent in this colony to see how fully our newspapers dealt with educational topics, and to note how interested the public generally was in matters affecting schools, &uch, for example, as the High School system, and the recently revised syllabus. In his State appointments, promonoiis, and transfers were all made strictly in accordance with the classified roll propared by the classiftera, although in practice is was found advantageous to advertise vacancies in order to allow eligible candidates to apply. If it was a case for promotion, applications were entertained only from teachers in the first sub-class of the clats below. There was no chance, as in New Zcalaud, for a smart, young Victorian teacher to rice rapidly by securing an appointment to a somewhat important school. Such a system of classification as tho Viotorians had guarded the rights of the teachers against Ministerial or departmental patronage, but it certainly also made' for the advancement of " respectable mediocrity" and discouraged the highlytalonted man. Mr Tate understood that tho teachers in New Zealand favoured pome such plan of classification ; but he felt sure that the Victorian experience Mas that the best teachers over there would gladly ccc a change of their own system so as to allow greater discretion to the responsible officers. In regard to the qu<?etion of eyl'abus, he said the Victorian one was very much on tho lines of the New Zealand. H& had not gone fully into our syllabus, but he thought every educationist would heartily commend tb/e spirit of it. Of course, opinion would vary as to the. amount of work prescribed, but, as he understood the syllabus, it was suggestue rather than directive. Teachers were realising that the newer methods of teaching which were being prescribed not only made greater demands upon their skill and energy, but it took a great deal of time to get through a lesson. Consequently the amount of work in a syllabus became allimportant, and a too lengthy prescription made it impoceiblo to teach as rationally as desired. In Victoria they trusted their teachers to this extent: — The syllabus prescribed that a certain time p&r week must be given to such a subject as history or science. The department then suggested a list of topics, and required the teacher to eeleot therefrom a suitable and sufficient amount. The inspector was the judge of this, and reported accordingly.