TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4936, 8 September 1890, Page 3

TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

| . A meeting of tho South Canterbury branch 9 of the Educational Institute was held at tho Timaru Main School on Saturday afternoon. Thoro was a good attendance, and Mr Adams, of TTaimato, presided. r Correspondence was rend from the North - Canterbury branoh regarding tho formation i, of o Teaohers' Union. Aftor consideration i. Ihoreof it was resolved, on the motion of Mr i, Hogben, " That tho No* 2oaland In«tituto, with a slight modification of its constitution, t is sufficient for all purposes that could be i 1 served by the formation of a teaohers' union." A resolution was also carried and recorded, " That we, as an institute, desire to placo on record the loss sustained by us through tho resignation of Mr John Wood as a member of the Institute." Mr Geo. Hogbon, M. A., headmaster of the Timaru High School, rend a paper on the national syßtom of education, of whioh tho following are the (JBNEBAL OONCLTJSrONS. (1) That the national system of education should inoludo provision for primary, n secondary, and higher or university education, y supported m wholo or m part from public o souroas. d (a) This agrees with what is dono m n Franco, Gormnny, Bolpium, Swilzorlnnd, and y almost over/ country m Eiiropo, as woll as ,c m tho United States of America. The i- exttmplo of Groat Britain, whero tho funds of it secondary and higher education are derived It m large part from endowments by private », individual), ifl not contrary to this; if theso >o endowments did cot exist, and no provision t, wore mide for higher oducation by tho Sialo, iy it would be. The tendenoy m Kngland at el present, Jindeod, is for tho State to support ]■ higher education where no provision exists by n, means of Buch endowments, is , (h) It is to the interest of the Stato that a ;o caroor should bo opon to individuals of talent 50 m all ola«e», and that the general man also 10 should receive training and oulturo as far as no possible. Those who would make higher :l) education more expensive to tho parent are »y no friends of democracy. They would olose n» the path along which, happily, the 00 oallod — middlo and lower classes have advanced ea ns far during the last fifty years. Thorioh n- would socure higher oducation for thoh children m any case, nnd a oaro« (boyonci l'» Ihe baro necessities of education) would no ad longer bo opon to talent, but only to £ s. d. :■• (3) That there should bo a certain amount slf of overlapping of thn work of tbeao branohes ot especially m a Bcattored country liko Ne« ng Zealand. For example : Ihoso who go froa alt the primary to tbo scoondary school shoulc de go at from 13 or V), so as to remain at thi

latter 8 years at least, but if possible 4 or 5, ie., they would not wait to pusu tho 6th and m some cases not even the stli standard, 'ihe syllabus of the 6th standard should bo altered so as to allow greater freedom to tho teacher, and enablfl him tc teach ono or more subjects now usually called secondary to those who will not havo tho chance or who will not benefit by proueoling to a High School. District f!ig!i Schools do not meet the case. Evon if they could giro secondary education as thoroughly as the moro fully-etaffcd High Schools, tho education m them is moro expensive than thnt m the High Schools proper. The average cost to the citato of salaries alone m District High -'cliools is on tho lowest compulation, £i 5 12a 4d per pupil, whereas the whole expenditure from publio sources on each pupil m the secondary schools ia less than £13. On tho other hind, the pupils receiving elementary inatruoUon m High Schools more than cover by their foes the cost of their instruction, and further save the Stato nearly £i per head m capitation and othor allowance?. Xhe instruction m primary and secondary schools should also to some extent overlap that of art anil technical schools, including schools of agriculture. Provision should also be made, perhaps by voluntary effort only, for some form of university extension or collegiato classes m such centres as Thames, Wauaanui, Timaru, Oamaru, Invercargill ; such a provision exists m Invercar- : gill, and it is proposed m Oamaru. (3) That, tho primary schools, secondary schools, and university, which form tho main frame-work of the system, need to bo supplemented by schools of art and induotry (technical schools) and by ixiining and agricultural colleges. Of tho former there should bo one m evory largo centre, and some advance, but not nearly enough has been made towards this end. These should be nupp'.omented m Lho Binallor districts by evening clasps on the came lines as far as poseib'o, and tho function of (he Government would consist m orgnuio ing them, rind m providing perhnpe 60m« te3t of their efiluieooy. bb io provided by the Scienco and Art Department m Great Britain. Ono school of agriculture exists m connection with Cunlorbury College, nnd a school of engineering has made a good start. (4) There should he scholnrfhipe, limited by preforeneo to scholars fmm particular Jint rifts, to meet the Co 6* of fees and books, and of boarding whero neccsaavy. In time I hope to aeo secondary education free as well us priinnrr. The cost of the former is bocoming loss per head eaoh year, and I believe the reserves will become moro and more valuable us time goes on. 'Jill then, howover, scholarships should be provided ; und oven afterwards a corlain number of bonrdingacholarships should bo given to enublo thco from country districts to attend high schools. (5) There shonld bo provision made for the training of all teachers, and for tho inspection and examination (m part, at all events) of all schools. In BDosiiDg of the training of teachers, I should bo sorry if T were thought to approve of the pupil teacher system. It is cheup, certainly ; but I feel sure that future ages will wonder at the barbarism of those who eat young parsons of tender yo*ra to tho double task of teaching children and of pursuing their own studies at the same time. I have purposely avoided the question of details of government, whether by committees and boards, or othci'tvisp. Perhaps at a fuluro timo I may have an opportunity of saying eomething on this part of the subject.