EDUCATION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2951, 24 November 1900, Page 3

EDUCATION.

TEAUJIJiiKCs' TIiOTOiSALS. Ilie following proposals have been auoped by Uie biaucnes named oi tne jbuiu.i.lumu Institute of New Zealand, to oe •>exiD to the annual meeting 01 tlie institute .n dummy next, and tney -will be considered, at the next meeting of the Soum Janterbuiy branch, for _tne guidance oi their delegates at the annual meeting; from Mai l borough: 1. That hi order to obtain a better at:eudance at scliools without resort to the o.M. (Jourt, rule 11 of the “Standards” be .'.mended to read, “ In general a pupil shall oe expected to pass turough one class in cadi subject in a year, but in order to qualify for the Standard examination, sucii pujdl must have made three-fourths of the possible number of attendances, except when the teacher ! knows of extenuating circumstances which warrant the presentation of such pupil for examination.

2. That : it is desirable to continue a strong agitation for a speedy and complete revisal of the present syllabus, with a view co its simplification and increased elasticity. 3. That the present system of estimating the eificiency of the teaching of class subjects is most unfair to the teacher, and chat inspectors should be definitely instructed by the Department to confine heir examinations in those subjects to pupils -who have have made not less than three-fourths of the possible attendances since last examination.

4. That the Government be urged to make working arrangements without delay for increasing the facilities for training elementary school teachers. 5. That a system of retiring allowances analogous to that in force in England be established in connection with the colonial scale of teachers’ salaries, and that in the meantime the Minister of Education be approached with a view of granting teachers over 60 years of age, who shall have been 20 years in service, permission to retire on receiving a month’s salary for every year of service. From Taranaki: 1. That the school age be raised to 14 unless Standard V. has been passed. 2. That the compulsory attendances be raised to eight times per week. From Southland :

1. That the Minister of Education be urged to take up the School Attendance Bill of last session, which proposes to raise the schoo lage to 14 years, and the compulsory limit of distance to 3 miles. 2. That the attention of the Minister be directed to the many anomalies in the appointment and promotion of teachers, and also to the fact that in some districts teachers from smaller neighbouring districts are practically excluded from obtaining appointments. From North Canterbury: 1. That the salaries now paid to women teachers should be increased, and that for all positions salaries should be allotted having regard to the importance of the work and not to, shx. 2. That the compulsory clauses should be altered so that a child must be present on at least three-fourths of the number of attendances possible in each week. 3. That for each fully certificated teacher a minimum salary be fixed. 4. That the time has arrived when a. 7th Standard should be established. 5. That the present system of payment to teachers on average attendance is inequitable. 6. That in the interests of education, the Government be requested to grant free railwav passes to school teachers at certain times.

7. That it is desirable that teachers be represented on Education Boards, their representatives not necessarily to be teachers. 8. That it is desirable that teachers be afforded facilities for arranging “exchanges” of positions. 9. That teachers’ salaries should be paid bv the Boards direct to the teachers.

10. That inspectors and teachers be instructed to insist upon regularity of attendance (as referred to in Regulations 14 and 15) before promoting a- child. 11. That the attention of the Minister of Education be directed to the inadequacy of the provisions for enforcing the School Attendance Act in country districts, and to the desirability of placing the duty of such enforcement in the hands of the police. 12. That some scheme of superannuation is urgently needed.

13. That it be a recommendation to the New Zealand Educational Institute that a. systematic agitation be set on foot to secure a better system of promotion and appointment of teachers; that merit and not influence be the principal factor in determining appointments, and that therefor? a

strong effort should be made to shift the responsibility' from, the local School Committees to the Boards and the inspectors." 14. That obsolete commercial rules such as “ true discount ” be removed from the syllabus., From Westland :

1. That the Council affirm the desirability of placing the enforcement of the compulsory clauses of the Educn Act Entirely in the hands of the ■! Tr: r-.ation Boards.

2. That the attention of the Minister be drawn to the very unsatisfactory condition of the School Committee system, and its decadence in many rural districts.

From Wellington : 1. That in the opinion of this Institute, the retention of the annual pass examination and the issue of pass certificates for the standards tend to prevent that freedom of classification which is the aim and object of the new regulations. 2. That tlie Education Act be amended so as to allow schools to be closed on very wet days at 1 p.m., such attendance to co ->t as two half-days.

3. Ti.at geography in Standard IV. should be better defined.

4. That geography should be a class subject in Standard VI. 5. That the amount of arithmetic for Standard VI. be reduced.

6. That drawing should be a class sub ject in Standard VI. 1

MANUAL AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION.

Mr G. Hogben, Inspector-General of Schoolc and Secretary for Education, met a number of teachers at the Main School this morning, to explain the provisions of that Manual and Technical Instruction Act of last session. Mr J. G. Gow, Inspector of Schools, occupied the chair, in the absence of the chairman of the Board of

Kcb-cation (who was indisposed), and an apology was also sent by Mr Farnie, another member. There were about five-and-thirty present, including the headmasters of. the Timaru, Waimate, and Temuka High Schools, Bros. George and Pius of thrt Marist Brothers’ school, Mr Bell, assistant Inspector, and one or two members of the Timaru Main School Committee. The attendance of teachers would have been larger if the meeting could have been held next Saturday ,when most of the teachers would have been in town for pay-day. ■ Mr Hogben spent about half an. hour in explaining the provisions of the Act which would be applicable to South Canterbury, and a( longer time in answering questions. As we are unable'to give a full report in this issue, we hold it over till Monday.