PUPIL TEACHERS' EXAMINATIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12865, 25 May 1905, Page 6

PUPIL TEACHERS' EXAMINATIONS.

J'ftOPOSED ALTERATIONS.

I\lr Spencer, Chief Inspector, reporting to the Education Board on the Department's suggested alterations in Ihe proposed pupil teachers examina-. lions, said he could not recommend t tie adoption of the suggestion that the Department's; examinations and tho hoard's intermediate examinations .--hould be held annually. Grouping of pupil teachers for instruction he said would be practically impossible, rilid owing to the diversity of sxibjcets to be taught there would be a «iroat waste of teaching power. The number of examinations should be re- ■ m eed to a minimum. Jf the sugyeslion is adopted it means that two sets of papers will have to be *.iade up this year for the purpose of examining six pupil teachers and ihe expense would be great in proportion \o the number of candidates 10 l«> examined. On the motion of Mr Mackay it was decided to refer the suggested ami-mi-ni ents to the Chairman in oivl"r that he may lay before the Department the benefits to be derived '10m Ihe grouping of pupil teachers for instruction and the desirableness of decreasing the number of examinati >n lists ■.■(iquired from pupil teacher 1 -;. The Taranaki Teachers' In-iitute forwarded objections to tlu v newly adapted rules and regul iti >ns for pupil teachers, and stating that o^ it was too late at the time of the futitute meeting to lay a protest before the Education Board the I'resi dent of the N.Z. E.I. has been asked to lay the teachers' views before the 31 mister and to secure departmental criticism-. Three regulations were considered unjust by the teachers^ viz. (1) compulsory criticism lessons, (2) 1 making advanced work compulsory for exempted pupil teachers ; (3) making pupil teachers teach in all standards up to Standard IV. On the motion of Mr Morton it was decided to reply to the letter of the Teachers' Institute that the regulations to which exception had been taken were considered by the Board to be in the best interests of education, and that the regulations hail been submitted to tho Department and no "\iection offered.