EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXIX, Issue 12112, 6 July 1903, Page 3

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

The annual meeting sf the South Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute was held in Mr Wagstnff's rooms on Saturday, when Mr Goodall, vice-president, occupied the chair at a small meeting of al»ou.t a dozen members.

Some correspondence was read.' Mr T. H. Gill, secretary to the Executive, sent (circulars- <1) reporting that members of the Executive presented to the Minister Jor Education ' the resolutions passed., at the Napier conference, and the Minister's replies; (2) regarding the nomination of candidates for seats on the Executive; (3) suggesting that the branch urge upon the local members of Parliament- the claims of the teachers regarding the superannuation echeme.

Mr W. Davidson, Dunedin, offered hinr» self as a .candidate for a seat on the Executive. ' A ballot was taken for nominations to the Executive. Three persons' were named in the ballot, -and Messrs J. A. Johnson and W. Davidson were nominated,' the third person receiving/but on«"rote. Regarding Mr' Gill's circular re superannuation, the secretary, Mr- Valentine, rend a draft of a .letter to the South Canterbury members, to carry, out Mr Gill's suggestion. The letter;j#as approved.

. On a suggestion conTtyed in a letter from Mr J. A. Johnson, it Was rtfsolvid on th» motion of Messrs Greaves and Montgomery that the committee for the ensiling year be strongly recommended to take some steps to recognise the courtesy and kindness which the teachers of South Canterbury ; hare always received from Major Bamfield while acting for many years as secretary to the Board of Education. The secretary then read the report of the Committee for the past rear.' The office-bearers were: President, Mr J. P. Kalaugher; vice-presidents, Mr# Ritchie and Mr A. Goodall; Committee, Messrs J. A. Johnson, G. Dalglish, and M. P. Cooke: secretary and treasurer. Mr J. A. Valentine. The report states that the official year has been so altered so as to close on June 30th. instead of March 31et, so that the report and balance sheet cover a period of 15 pionths. During that time there -were 13 meetings of the Brancji and four meetings of the Committee. .Owing to the time taken up by various classes,. the attendance at general meetings had not been so good as in previous years. Papers had been read by Mr Pitcaithly on "The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools " ; by Mr Menzies on " Writing " ; Mr Goodall - introduced a "discussion Oh "Composition"; and a valuable paper was read by Dr Barclay, of Waimate, on "Some Aspects of Constitutional Debility in Children of School Age," a paper of unusual interest, for which the thanks of the Branch are accorded in the report. The most engrossing subject dealt with at the meetings had been that of superannuation for teachers. This had been well discussed, and the general principle of Sir J. . G. Ward's Bill had been agreed to by

I the Branch. The Committee had kept I the subject before the local M.'H.R.s, all of whom are in favour of the Bill, ana was still pressing it upon their attention, and hoped that tlie Bill, improved in some of its details, will be reintroduced early this session. One improvement desired' is a larger retiring allowance than the one-eightieth mentioned in the original Bill. The membership, 71 at the end of 1901-2, is now 93, or about 80 per cent, of the certificated teachers of the district, increase indicating that the teachers are becofliiiigf "33W€ sensible of the value of the Institute. The present membership entitles the Branch to send three delegates to the annual Council. Of the three delegates elected to the last CouncilMessrs Johnson, Kalaugher, and Valentine —Mr Johnson was unavoidably absent. Of six remits sent up by this Branch, five were carried,' and one withdrawn. Among the resolutions carried was one asking the Department to use the extra capitation to increase certain of the smaller salaries. The Minister had expressed his sympathy with the. request. During the year the Branch had approached the Board of Education on various subjects, and had always met with the utmost courtesy and consideration. Among the requests made to the Board (and also to local M.H.R.'s) was one that the Department be urged to appoint sewing mistresses where necessary; and these appointments have been made. • The report mentions the competition in essays on Scott's "Ivanhoe" for prizes commendably offered by the Caledonian Society. During the year 25 books of special value to teachers have been provided as the nucleus of a library, and members have made good use of them. A satisfactory scheme of exchange has rot yet, however, been devised. Information is expected at an early date about Home educational journals. At the invitation of the Department, the Branch had considered a draft of new regulations for. the classification and examination of teachers. The proposals as a whole did not meet with favour in South Canterbury, though 1 the council at Napier by a majority approved of the classification regulations. So far they have not been brought into operation. The balance-sheet shows that the receipts from subscriptions were £27 9s 6d, and ordinary expenditure £25 3s lid, so that "the subscriptions are just about enough for ordinary expenses, and if the library is to be added to the subscriptions must be increased. (The subscription rates are: On salaries under £BO, 3s 6d; £Bl to £IOO, ss; £lOl to £2OO, 6d; £2Ol to £3OO, Bs; over £3OO, IDs.) Members whose subscriptions are not 'paid by September 30th are suspended until the arrears are paid. In conclusion the committee congratulate \nembers on fire prosperity of the Branch and the secretary invites members who cannot attend meetings to 'correspond frequently and "fully on matters of interest to the Institute.

. The balance-sheet attached to tie report showed, receipts from subscriptions £!27 9s 6d, and a balance brought forward pf £lO 15s sd. The expenditure totalled £3l- - of which the chief items were contributions to the Institute and expenses of delegates, £l3 17s '63, trad library, '£6 12s. A "balance of £6 9s'is carried forward.

I The report was adopted, and -a vote of | thanks was accoTded/to the secretary, on the motion of Messrs Menzies awTStewart, lor the able and successful way he had conducted the business of the Branch. 1 The election of olficers for the "year, conducted by ballot "by post, resulted as follows :—President, Mr A. Goodall; vicepresidents, Messrs J. Greaves_ and. F. 'Smith; committee, Messrs Dalglish, Johnson and Kalaugher. 'A brief discussion took place on the 'superannuation scheme, the secretary point-., ing out that the 'basing of the allowance on . one-eightieth of the average salary for inales •and on one-sixtieth for females, "was too ■great a difference, especially as females may retire with ten years' less service. Two or three -members said the basis should 'be one-sixtieth.