TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13766, 30 November 1908, Page 6

TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

■The- monthly meeting of the Sooth Canterbury Educational Institute was held in the Glasgow Tea Rooms on Saturday. There were about twenty present, and Mr Meruuea, president for the year, occupied the chair. ' The first business taken was a circular from the Wanganui Education Board, sent on by the South Canterbury Board for the opinion of the InstHute, suggesting that the time had arrived for making attendance at technical and continuation classes compul•OFT* * la a short discussion on the subject it was pointed out that adoption of the proposal would increase the cost of education by hundreds of thousands, as buildings, equipment, and staffs would have to be increased. ' On the motion of Messrs Kalaugner and Goodall is was resolved to senc to the Board the opinion of this Institute that the proposal is premature. The principal business of the meeting was the consideration of the items on the order paper for the conference of the X.Z. Institute, with a new to guiding the branch delegates m their vote* thereon. The remits, which were published in the "Journal of Education" for November, were classified according to subject. The first four referred to the Institute itself and the management of its meetings. The next ten were propositions regarding the syllabus and school work. Of these the delegates were advised to support remits drawing attention to the unsuitable nature of the "test cards" in English for the upper standards, owing to their difficulty and vagueness: and asking that an allotment of marks be made for these marks m as to secure,some uniformity in the standard of examination in the various dwtricts. The delegates were requested to oppose proposals <1) that the syllabus should be simplified in the direction of a return to the teaching of essentials <it was remarked that •"essentials" were taught now); (2) that the issue of test cards in arithmetic anil English be discontinued (it was argued that these are an aid to securing uniformity of test, throughout the Dominion); (3> tbat more attention should be paid to formal grammar in the examination papers; <4) that the A course in geography should be simplified By omitting the mathematical and other difficult portions. The delegates were left free to vote after discussion on proposals (1) for rearrangemeftt of the arithmetical course (the present grading of this subject was strongly condemned); (2) for making rifle shooting a regular school subject. Another class of remits dealt with the administration of the Act, the delegate*, were given a free hand with regard to (I) payment of expenses ot teachers transferred under the new Act; <2> classification of teachers and control of appointments by the Department; (U> acceptance of medical certificate'at' first entrance of a teacher (it was said there have been cases wherein teachers have been refused certificates after completing their trainings; (4)' control of inspectors by the Department in regard to their interpretation of regulations and syllabus; 1.5* grading ol" schools according to actual roll instead of average attendance; <6> granting leaving certificates to other than sixth standard pupils. The delegates were recommended to support requests for U> a scheme of promotion; (2> legislation making compulsory attendance of pupil* apply to every "time the school is open; (3> a colonial scale of salaries for the inspectorate. Of five proposals regarding the salaries and status of teachers it was derided to support two; that a fixed position in staff should be assigned to an infant mistress (at present she is a "first assistant" and may he placed anywhere in the school by the headmaster) ; and that regulation* should he framed regarding sick leave, ami lengthened furlough after long service. A proposal that 20 year*' service should entitle a teacher to a maximum grade of salary under the new Act ua.s opposed, and two other* relating to salaries and grounds for appointments and promotions vere left open. A proposal that reach* rs in small school* should be u : ~» n opportunities to acquire the -isarK* for ' experience ' was supported: t-nd »- o» tnat pupil teacher* should not be » d U> pav the matriculation fee was opposed. Under the head of "general," it Has decided to aftirm (l> that it is umiesirible to insist "on uniform «*-h«>ol U*>k-»: (2) that teachers' hous*-« should he t:ted with modern appliances; <:*> that the fees for chess C examination should be made equitable: and <l> that the , ..rntation to cadet corps should c.v. r officers" ont-of-pocket expenses. "1 h«delegate* were usked to oppose a de. inand for better provision for heating school* and outside «h-lter. A f«-u other proposals were left ot»n. Tlw* business having h«>cfi • •••m fitd.d. the president ». homed Mi-s Avisoti bark to Tint.iru ami the Institute n>.-ct-ing<. after her visit to the Old Country and he hoped that some d.iy she would glVe the member* the benefit of her observations on school hie at Horn. .Miss Artvort thanked the president .tn>i member* for their welcome, and proiu CM»«1 to H*Vf* » paper at «>.me tut ore meeting. Mr Valentin.- stated that be 1, if sent awav £3l 15s to the N Z.K I , the

contribution lor 127 members at . r is. He mentioned that he had had to pay 30 of these subscriptions out of his own pocket because of the forgctfulness or dilatoriness of members. Mr Valentine drew attention to a clause of the constitution which forbade District Institutes approaching tiie'Government except through the central executive. This branch had disregarded that rule in sending a deputation to the Premier last month, respecting the interpretation of the new scale of salaries; and that interview had had a good deal to do with bringing about the satisfactory result attained. Mr Valentine pointed out that teachers had till April next to make up their minds whether they would exchange th« old for the new superannuation scheme, and as there was sure to be a good deal of discussion altout superannuation at the conference they would do well to await the result of the discussion. The next rr.eeting of the Institute will lie held in February.