EDUCATIONAL REFORMS

Southland Times, Issue 17877, 5 September 1918, Page 5

EDUCATIONAL REFORMS

TECHNICAL SCHOOL CONFERENCE. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, September 4. At the conference of Directors of the Technical Schools it was decided to recommend the National Efficiency Board to urge the Minister of Education to set- up a committee of educationalists to act with the Efficiency Board in an enquiry, the object of which would be to recommend such changes in the whole educational system as might be deemed necessary. It was resolved that the' Minister for Education be asked to institute a Dominion grading scheme and Dominion scale of salaries. It was decided that the Minister be urged to devise some method of preventing the present overlapping in the course of instruction provided in University Colleges, secondary schools and Technical Schools. It was resolved that advice should be offered to the Department as to a scheme whereby prospective secondary and teeth nical school teachers would be ever urged and enabled to take a course of training, pedagogical and technical. ADDRESS BY THE MINISTER. GREAT SCOPE FOR IMPROVEMENT. (Per United Press Association.) • WELLINGTON, September 4. The Minister of Education, addressing the Conference of Directors of Technical; Schools, said that primary school teachers held strong views against early specialisation. They objected to differentiation before the age of 14, and in that respect were in conflict with technical teachers, and secondary school teachers were in conflict with both sets of teachers. Regarding the syllabus he had urged that the number of subjects should be reduced in order to get thoroughness, but primary school taechers and inspectors said that the syllabus was satisfactory. His idea was that it would be for the good of the general education system if there were occasional meetings of university, secondary, and technical teachers in order that all should get a general idea of the system as a whole. Technical education had not been in existence long in New Zealand, and conditions had been allowed to grow which called for review. He feared that we were not giving in the technical schools enough attention to workshop practice in trade classes. In some schools too much attention was given to theory, and not enough to practical hand work. He was strongly impressed with the need for continuation education, and he had been, asked many times to give effect to (he proposals made, but he was under the necessity of considering the practical side of those proposals. If they were accepted they could not be made operative in some towns. The question of reorganisation in education was likewise not easy. Local controlling authorities had made powers with which the Minister could not interfere without legislation. He had investigated the capitation matter and said frankly that he was far from satisfied. There must be some alteration. More money would have to be found for education, but to. provide for all the reforms demanded would require a sum which no Cabinet could think of voting. He did not consider the salaries system for technical teachers satisfactory. More supervision would have to be exercised over technical education, and an officer in charge would have to be appointed. He was very anxious to see agricultural education developed, and trade classes for industrial training must have more attention at technical schools.