EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE

Otago Witness, Issue 3195, 9 June 1915, Page 65

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE

OTAGO BRANCH. The annual meeting of the Otago Branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute was continued at the King Edward Technical College on Friday. 0 here was a good attendance. president’s address. The president (Mr W. W. Turner (Balclutha) delivered his annual address, in which ho dealt with secondary education in district high schools. It would bo admitted, ho thought, that the demand for secondary education was increasing, that the parents of an increasing number of children had ceased to be satisfied with an ordinary Sixth Standard proficiency certificate, and that the more accessible higher education became to scholars the better they would be equipped for their battle in life, and the more useful citizens they would become. Mr Turner then went on to outline the nature of the instruction now given, and to analyse it from the point of view of quantity, attention necessary, and strain on the scholar. Ho also iiad something to say with regard to the requirements and the numerous examinations, and the fact that the success of the teacher and the success of the school was judged by the success of students in these examinations. In the face of these circumstances he found that the rural science course, demanding so much time for practical work and demonstration, was not clastic enough, though owing to the widening of subjects for the matriculation and other examinations it was becoming increasingly valuable from the. examination point of view. The demand on the part of parents sending their children to district high schools was raaivsy, he believed, for tuition that would Suable them to secure positions in the civil service or to enter the university or professions, in the case of girls principally the teaching profession. The desire on the part of boys for tuition that would be introductory to a scientific agricultural training, and on the part of girls to a sound domestic training did not obtrude itself in these schools. That was, he thought, unfortunate, for he believed that training bearing on agricultural, pursuits and training hr domestic science constituted a training that ought to have a much more important place in the educational system of the dominion. The rural course should be a stepping stone to special vocational schools in those branches of education —schools within easy reach of students both in point of distance and in point of expense. The main point of the - address was the. question of staffing and salaries. Only one assistant was allowed for an average of 30 pupils, which meant, of course, that the roll number must be 35, or even as high as 40, the average in these schools being largely dependent on state of weather, roads, and distances from the schools. This might appear to many to be quite a small number, but when it- was remembered that the number was divided into three classes (the junior class that had come up from the Sixth Standard, the intermediate class, preparing for the public service, and the senior or matriculation class), that all the subjects of the rural course had to be taught to the first and second year pupils, that additional subjects (such as Latin or French, or both), must be taught, that incresaed time, and that attention must be given _to mathematics to enable the matriculation pupils to have some prospect of success, one began to understand something of the quantity of work that had to be done by one teacher. Further, the quality of the work had to be considered. The teacher was taking advanced work, entailing much thought and preparation on his part. The secondary teacher, in charge of from 30 to 40 pupils, must have high literary attainments, and an infinite capacity for work, and yet all this must be done for a remuneration of from £250 to £250 a year. If the school increased in numbujpto 70. he would get the assistance of anotner teacher, but not a penny more in salary, and the additional teacher would receive only from £l9O to £220 a year. . Should the average become higher than 70, there was provision for a third teacher, but the highest salary of the three was still £230-£250; indeed, there was no higher salary until an average of 106 pupils was reached, when the highest salary became £260-£2SO, the maximum. Ho would like to know what secondary school teacher in New Zealand had ever reached that sum. The'speaker went on to compare the position of these teachers with those in the primary schools, his object being to show that they would have been much better off had they entered the primary section, and their duties would be much lighter. The speaker also referred to the difference in the ages of the scholars taught, those in the secondary schools (from 13 to 18 years of ago) requring far more tact, while the responsibility was much greater. A good deal of discussion took place ns to the administration of the provident fund, some members expressing the opinion that it should bo possible to use the principal ef the fund to make adequate provision for cases, and not merely the interest. The majority, however, seemed to hold an opposite opinion. The report was adopted. It was announced that there was a credit balance of about £SO. ELECTION OF OFFICE-BEARERS. The following office-bearers were elected : President, Mr J. A. Moore; vice-president 5 —Messrs Malcolm (Oamaru), Mechaelis (Kaitangata); librarian. Miss A. Ralston; auditor, Mr R. R. Hunter (Dunedin); secretary and treasurer, Mr J. Jeffery, Mr Phillipps, the former secretary, declining nomination, to universal regret. A motion of thanks to Mr Phillipps and Mr C. Bell for their work, the one as secretary and the , other as librarian, was carried by acclamation. workers’ educational association. Mr Eudey moved —“ That this institute affiliate with the Dunedin _ branch of the Workers' Educational Association, and that Mr Davidson bo appointed the institute’s

representative on the Workers’ Educational Association Council.” The motion was taken in two parts and carried. A number of other questions, mainly of interest to teachers only,, were discussed. general council of education. At the conclusion of the business of the meeting an address by Miss Emily B. A. Chaplin, of Christchurch, women teachers’ representative on the Council of Education, was read by Miss Mackenzie, Miss Chaplin not being able to attend. This paper was followed by a fine address by Mr J. Caughley, representing male primary school teachers on the council.