SUMMER SCHOOL

Southland Times, Issue 22813, 12 February 1936, Page 9

SUMMER SCHOOL

PROPOSED REVIVAL MEETING OF TEACHERS The question of reviving the Southland summer school, abandoned this year on account of the Dominion summer school being held in the. South Island, was discussed at a meeting of the committee of the Southland branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute. It was decided to liold the matter over until next meeting when a fuller discussion would be possible. The following members were present: Messrs D. F. Leckie, acting-president (in the chair); Mr J. W. Lopdell, vicepresident; Mr G. F. Griffiths, secretary; J. A. Cushen, H. D. Gazzard, A. Kinross, F. Downard, T. B. Haydon, C. M. Lawless, G. D. Kitto, A. Thomson, E. Hargest, A. P. McDonald, L. J. Clapp and Miss M. Baird. Memorial Unveiled. Mr Leckie referred to the loss suffered by education in Southland through the death of Mr T. A. Cushen, instructor of engineering at the Southland Technical College. A motion of sympathy with the relatives was carried in silence. Messrs Leckie and Lawless reported having represented the branch at the unveiling of the memorial at Owaka to the late Charles Connel, who gave his life in a gallant effort to rescue two Southland teachers from drowning. The memorial takes the form of handsome gates leading to the Owaka District High School. A motion of sympathy with Mr H. T. Thompson, secretary of the Southland Education Board, in his illness, was passed. It was resolved to convey to Mr J. Hargest, M.P., the branch’s heartiest congratulations on his being elected a member of the Southland Education Board The secretary referred to the matter of members moving from one education district to another or resigning from the service and not promptly notifying the secretary of their movements. This, he said, caused serious dislocation in the keeping of the registers, particult rly in the matter of membership fees and delivery of National Education to correct addresses. It was decided to bring this matter before members at the forthcoming annual meeting. Letter From Miss Pay. The secretary reported having received a letter from Miss E. B. Pay, a member of the Southland branch at present on exchange in British Columbia, Canada. Miss Pay recounted a number of her impressions of education in Canada. She forwarded the order paper of the annual convention of the North Shore Teachers’ Association held in Vancouver in October last. The order paper bore a close resemblance to that of the annual meeting of the Southland branch of the institute. Intermingled with the routine business were lectures delivered by experts in education. The titles of these lectures showed that similar educational problems were being tackled in Canada and in New Zealand seemingly along similar lines. In view of the present consideration being givei to educational reorganization and reform in New Zealand one striking point in connection with the Canadian Teachers’ Association was that it embraced the teachers of all branches of education and was organized into sections, each section with its own chairman, but all unified under the one association. This was in contrast to the multiplicity of teachers’ organizations existing in New Zealand. At a previous meeting of the Management Committee it was decided to get in touch with the Director of Education for South Australia for information regarding the excellent children’s voice choral singing heard over the air from Adelaide from time to time. The secretary has received the director’s reply together with much interesting material. The organization controlling this choral work is entitled “The Public Schools’ Floral and Decoration Society,” a registered organization with a properly drawn-up constitution and under the patronage of the Governor. It was stated that in making inquiries the Southland Management Committee had particularly in mind the musical phase and the 1935 concert programme and music score which were received, revealed the scope and ambition of the work attempted. In circular letters to contributing schools directions were given regarding the strict attention to suitability to be exercised in selecting voices for the choir, the -aim being to ensure that the quality of the concert would be an incentive towards raising the general standard of school music throughout the State. A study of all the material received led to the conclusion that such a society must have a great influence on the cultural development of the children of the schools of South Australia. The Southland branch hoped to discuss at a future meeting the possibility of producing such a concert in Invercargill.