EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3769, 8 June 1926, Page 29

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL MEETING. FIRST DAY’S PROCEEDINGS. • The annual meeting of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute was commenced in the Teachers’ Club Room, Moray place, on Tuesday. The ' president Mr G. T. Palmer) occupied the chair. ANNUAL REPORT. “f Tho Chairman moved the adoption of the annual report and balance Bheet, which that the membership of the branch still maintained a highly satisfactory position, the total enrolment being 53b. The •*£ro!l of honorary members (chiefly proba- . tioners and Training College students) was also well maintained, the present number i being 247. The present membership entitled tho branch to a conference representation of seven delegates. The statement of accounts showed the finances of the branch to be in an extremely satisfactory condition. The credit balance at tho end of 1925 was £414 Os 2d. ,The wisdom of building up such a large balance was evident when the committee was faced, during the year, with the task of furnishing the club room, which was made available by the generosity of the Education Board. The club room had already met a long-felt want, and had provided a room for meetings of the various committees and sub-committees governing their school activities. It was hoped to take steps immediately to establish the library on a satisfactory basis, and bring it up to date. It is expected that a number of books from the Education Court library at the Exhibition would be available. A large percentage of the work had been the counselling and protecting of teachers in their individual difficulties. In some cases legal assistance was secured. During the year the branch suffered serious loss through the retirement of Mr H. L. Darton (Lawrence D.H.S.', and the promotion to the inspectorate of Mr R. U. Hunter (Balclutha D.H.S.). The past year had witnessed the establishment of the longexpected club room. This was provided by tho board at a satisfactory rental, and it was now a well-equipped and well-furnished rendezvous for teachers. Reference was also made to the Education Court at the Exhibition Mr 11. C. Jones seconded the motion, which was carried. GRADING AND SALARIES. Mr Thompson moved the following notice of motion“ That where a school through increased attendance is raised in grade the positions of all teachers whose altered status entitles them to increased salary be advertised.” The mover said that teachers were receiving promotion by the increased attendance at schools, and this was causing the grading of schools to be raised, and consequently the salaries of head masters and some assistants were affected. Since 1921 67 schools had gone up, whilst 47 head masters and 131 assistants had been raised in grade. If the attendance at a school dropped teachers were transferred. He advocated that all positions where salaries were affected should be advertised. The motion was carried. NEXT ANNUAL MEETING. Mr W. A. Sproat moved that it be a recommendation to the incoming commillee that the annual meeting be held at an earlier date than at present. The Mover said that the meetings had been held during the Winter Show Week in order to allow country teachers to be present. Their annual meetings had been sparsely attended, however, and it seemed as if the teachers preferred spending the holiday with their friends. He considered that the board would be prepared to grant a day’s holiday to those who wished to attend the institute conference. The fljieaker believed that if the meetings were held in April they would be much better attended. Mr Williamson, in seconding the motion, thought that the change should be brought about, particularly now that they had three terms. Mr Coutts said that it was mostly formal matters that were discussed at the annual meetings, and he thought that teachers had got out of the habit of attending the conferences. He would support the motion if he thought the change would help in arousing more interest. Mr Rodgers said he considered that the attendance of country teachers was fairly satisfactory. He argued that it would be a retrograde movement to bring about lhe change suggested. Mr Harris said that the sparse attendance was due to a lack of information supplied about subjects to be discussed at the conferences. He thought that one day would not be sufficient for country teachers. Mr Rodgers suggested that the matter should he referred to the various branches for an opinion. He moved as an amendment that the matter be held over until the next meeting. The Secretary pointed out that was only a suggestion to the Management Committee. Mr x\bel said that they should 1 not cast any reflection on those who were not present, as many teachers had had a very strenuous time of it. The speaker contended that the business could not be disposed of in one day. Tho motion was carried. PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. The retiring President delivered an address op “The Literature Lesson,” in emphasising that there was more than ever a need for “a more adequate culture, a sound knowledge and practice of English, the possession of linguistic power, refinement, and liking.” OFFICE-BEARERS. The following office-hearers were elected : President, Mr T. R. W. Coutts; vice-presi-dont, Mr F. E. L. Forrester; secretary and troasurer, Mr J. P. Hawke; auditor, Mr A. J. Woods. MEANING OF EDUCATION. An address by Mr F. Stuckey (senior Inspector) was the main feature of the afternoon’s business. The speaker was introduced by Mr T. R. Fleming (late senior inspector), who said that Mr Stuckey had been in bed for the past two days owing to illness, and his address in consequence would have to be curtailed. Mr Stuckey spoke of the need of having basic principles to work on in education, nnd their Job as tenohera wag to train pupils in such a way that they were able

to face life and its problems in a fully enlightened manner. If they kept that in view they would not go far wrong in their work. Someone had recently asserted that “Education whs going somewhere, but God knows where,” and it was their duty to find where they were going. Since the war there was plenty of evidence to show that in all civilised countries people were seeking more and better education. They had a very ill-defined idea of what they really wanted, and it was their duty to find out exactly what was being sought. Were they requiring extra efficiency in writing, arithmetic, and spelling? He did not think that that was what they wanted, and he considered that they had to look elsewhere for an answer to the question. He considered that they had to attend more to the cultural side of education. In the past many had viewed education ns merely something to go out in the world with to earn a living, but when a boy had something above that he would not he able to live a full life. “We must, then, give more to the cultural side of educatiou,” he said. “We must attend more fully to literature; to what used to lx* called the humanities. We must give the boy or the girl some idea of art, music, painting. All these things we must work in, somehow. I think we can do it." He added that he believed they could do this without sacrificing the procedure and the kind of education given in the past. In conclusion. Mr Stuckey said that he and his staff would discuss the matter further with them in order to fit those ideals into their practice. Mr Talnier moved a hearty vote of thanks to the speaker, and this was carried with acclamation. Mr Hegg was accorded a vote of thanks for the way in which he had represented the local branch on the Committee of Management in Wellington during the past two years. The delegates were also thanked for their able representation at Wellington. CONFERENCE CONCLUDED. The conference was concluded on Wednesday, when the president (Mr T. R. W. Coutts) occupied the chair. VOTING FOR DELEGATES. Mr A. Woods moved" That the provincial method of voting tor delegates to the annual conference be reverted to.” He said that the district scheme had come into existence three years ago, and tl.oy were now in a position to criticise it. The new scheme, he said, had not brought about the enthusiasm they had a right to expect, and ho was afraid that it was impossible to get the best lepreaentation under t. The provincial cheme would make it possible tor country teachers to vote for the whole delegation, and this would mean hat they would have the privilege of voting for six more delegates than under the pres-,t plan. Most people he had spoken to wo Id like the wider franchise. The question was whether the present system mauled them to select the best delegates. Mr Thomson, in seconding the motion, said that a very clumsy system existed in connection with tho allotment of schools to various districts. Under the present system many teachers in the country felt they were disfranchised. Miss Robertson said that there were 16 delegates from Auckland at the a.-t conference, these being selected from 24 nominations. She asidered that this was n very imwieldly and unsatisfactory method. Tho speaker considered that cou y techers should have representation on the delegation. Mr Ironside said that :a the pa t Otago could look back on some very capable delegates who had made themselves < force to be reckoned with. They had retrogressed in recent years, and this \vm shown by the fact that Otago was net represented on the executive, he believed, for the second time. They did not want district representation so much as men and women representation. There was no other district in New Zealand which did as they were doing. In answer to a question from Miss White, the Chairman explained that an advertisement appeared in the local newspapers and National Education Hying tho date of the closing of nominations. Under the consitution very great freedom wa3 given for the setting up of branches, and it was felt that it would be de irable to subdivide the district into four. He had been struck by the number of able men who had been turned down in the country districts because they were not known. lie considered there would be no improvement until members were induced to attend the meetings of their branches. Mr Rodger said that the day when the present system would have worked well had gone, and he therefore considered thal this system should be : ’ olished. Mr Hawke said that an anomalv existed in the present system, particularly in connection with relieving teachers, who, although they might be in a district for only a few days, might exercise a big influence. Mr Barr said that there would be a fear amongst country teachere that the delegates would all drawn from the towns, but he did not think that they would suffer any injustice, as it was more than likely that the delegates would have had country teaching experience. The motion was carried unanimously. AMERICAN IDEAS. An informal talk on educational methods in America was given by L>r Lawson (professor of education at the Otago University). Dr Lawson said that the things that puzzled the visitors most were the unconventional methods adopted in the class rooms, and the discipline appeared to be of a quite different order from that which flourished here. For instance, on one occasion he was astounded to hear a pupil whistling in the midst of a lesson. Thero was the utmost freedom, but not undue familiarity. A class he inspected on one occasion was busily engaged in making labels for tomato jars, and one of the pupils, aged about 11 years, gave an address on the subject of bottling, which he appeared to know a good deal about. It was seemingly an impromptu efforth. A number of the youngsters did not appear to be interested in the address, and the lecturer threatened to retire from the rostrum, but the class would not hear of it. Although there was much to praise in American education, there was a feeling that, although the American educationist might know a great deal, his knowledge did not go very deep. He did not believe that the new methods would supplant the old, but he felt that many of the principles underlying them would at least serve as an inspiration.

On the motion of Mr Rodgers a vote of thanks was accorded Dr Lawson. FORESTRY IN SCHOOLS. In the afternoon an interesting address on “Forestry In Schools” was delivered by Mr It. It. Steel, of the Forestry Department. He pointed out in the course of his remarks that forestry had a national value, and children by taking up the work were doing something of national value. They were providing not just for themselves, but for others ahead of them. It was a good spirit to inculcate, and the inference could lie drawn of big things from small beginnings. He added that ho had seen trees cut down in France, and had been able to trace certain historical occasions by them. In the Napoleonic wars, for instance, the trees had not been attended to properly, .and their growth during that period had been stunted and irregular. In answer to a question regarding the best type of tree to grow, Mr Steel said that it depended on the soil and climatic conditions. Trees should be planted well back from the school, as it was not desirable to keep out the sunshine. Care should be taken to see that in winter time the shadows from the trees did not reach the school. If the ground wore only a small one a hedge should lie grown instead. Another teacher asked if it were possible to raise native trees from seed. lie had noticed reference to the progress of a kauri tree in New Flymouth, whereas he had thought .that these trees would not grow anywhere but in the North Auckland district. Mr Steel replied that that also depended on conditions. Native trees could he grown in Dunedin provided they were given shelter to start them off. lie added that nn effort was being made through the Education Gazette to inaugurate an exchange system. “I have seen a kauri growing well here,’’ he said, “and I understand there are some in the Botanic Gardens, while there are also several in Christchurch," Mr Steel concluded by saying that children ought to know more about our native birds and trees than they did. “I think it would be a very good move on the part of the Forestry Department to supply information on these matters," said one teacher. Mr W. Martin observed that the question of forestry in our schools was a national one, and the time had come when people would have to develop a forest sense. “I understand that the forest resources of the world will not, at the present rate of consumption, last more than another 30 years,’’ he added. lie went on to say that if the native .birds were killed off the forests would, in time, die out, though of course it would be a long process. Mr Martin said that he could guarantee to teach any intelligent person in two hours how to identify 30 different varieties of trees. He was taken at his word, and after somebody had remarked (hat it was a capital idea it was decided that arrangements be made for Mr Martin to give lectures on trees on two Saturday mornings at dates to be decided later on. Mr Steel was accorded a vote of thanks for his address. The question of grading in schools was brought up, and this was thoroughly discussed in committee.