TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13841, 1 March 1909, Page 2

TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

A meeting of' the South Canterbury branch of the Educational Institute was held in the Glasgow tea. rooms on Saturday, Mr J. Menzies, president, occupying the chair. An apology was received for the absence of the secretary, Mr J. A. Valentine, through indisposition j -, , ,-

The acting-secretary, Mr J. Fleming, said that Mr A'alentine had prepared some notes on superannuation, and teachers could obtain any information on this head by writing to him. , The president and Messrs Valentine a'nd Thomas, were delegates repre&cntiug; the South Canterbury branch of the' Institute at the annual meeting held in Dunedin, and Mr Menzies gave a brief outline of the business done there. Many of the old veterans attended the meeting-this ""year, but ] there were also a number of new faces. The meeting was characterised by great enthusiasm, and' many good speeches were made. As usual, the irrepressible was in evidence, but on i the whole the speeches were very 1 good. Notablo among the speeches I were those by Mrs Craig, of AVellington, Miss Priestly, of Auckland, and , Miss Chapman, all speaking very well, their remarks being directed chiefly towards the status of the infant mistress. Mr Macaulay, of Wellington, had been very prominent at the meeting, and he (Mr Menzies) predicted that this teacher was one. of the coming men of the Institute. Mr Cousins, of had also leffl his impression .upon the meeting. As to th 6 remits-sent forward by South he was pleased to saj' that these had all been passed. There were several remits dealing, with the promotion scheme, but they had all been merged into the one sent forward from South Canterbury,.' and passed. It was a source of gratification to him to find that the remit providing for the presentation of a diploma'to everyone who has filled the positions of president of the New Zealand. Educational Institute, was well <received and passed. Remit No. 6, dealing with a rearrangement of ' the arithmetic prescribed for the vailous .Standards, had, at his suggestion, been referred to a sub-committee, and 1- this committee had not yet completed its work. .When the recommendations were ready they -would be,, sent 'to the several branches for adoption or amendment. Remit No.'- 9, dealing with the vagueness /oi -the 'test cards ' ajid English in the upper standards of tlie primary schools, was fully dis- | cussed, there being a strong • feeling against the way in which the questions' were set forth on these cards, and it was resolved that the' attention of the 'inspector-General be drawn to the matter.- ■ Remit No. 29, providing tliat a fixed position on the staff be allotted to the teacher of the infant department "of 'primary schools, brought the female teachers to tlieir ie<ft, Miss. Priestly and. Miss ..Chapman speaking forcefully in /favour of leaving- the position.* open'rather than fixed. The meeting was not unanimous on the point, and tor himself lie thought that the position should be ja fixed one. It was a responsible position, and a woman who had charge of an infant department,'' had ~to lie a teacher of high qualifications. In regard to ,k matriculation,' ft'was agreed that, pupil teachers should not be required to pay matriculation examination fees. It was that the introduction of uniform school books was undesirable. A proposal was brought forward with a view . to limiting the use of school cadets and school children generally, for the purpose of public display, and tins was carried. ~ 'He hoped that this would be observed 1 by teachers generally. The action of the Marlborough Education Board in appointing its teachers from 1 year to 'year, thereby attempting to deprive them of the advantages ot the Teachers' Court of Appeal, was discussed, and it was decided'to draw the attention of the Minister of Education to ' the injustice. Mr Valentine had been of great assistance -to the delegate for Marlborough in bringing this matter forward. In the report of the executive there was a paragraph which said " that the conditions of the teaching profession in i this Dominion must be considered on the whole as .satisfactory." This had been amended by the insertion of the words, ''Except for the urgent need of a promotion scheme." 'Teachers were not yet quite satisfied, and it was decided to delete another clause from the report, which read as follows: "In view of substantial benefits secured by -recent legislation, the teachers of the Dominion will be wise m making no further demands on the public funds for some time."' As long as'teachers had a grievance it should be open to them to beek a remedy, and there was no - reason why they should be backward in coming forward. The future policy of the Institute had been outlined as being to protect teachers an the proper discharge of their duties, to advocate the adoption ot a promotion scheme, to maintain and safeguard the advantages held by teachers, and to realise more fully the educational aspect of the (Institute's work. .In conclusion, Mr Menzies said it had been decided to hold' the noxt t annual meeting at Wellington in 1910, and he thanked the members of the branch tor the confidence' they had shown in him by sending him as one of their representatives to the recent annual meeting of the Institute. (Applause.) Mr Thomas added a few words, chiefly in appreciation of the way that Mr Valentine' and -Mr Menzies had expressed the views of the South Canterbury branch before the annual meeting. He mentioned that before attending the meeting he had been of opinion that it would be a bad thing to have a uuifoim set ot school books, but after hearing the matter discussed he had changed his views on this subject. On the motion of Mr Goodall; a| hearty vote of thanks was passed to thy delegates. » .' \v Mr ■ Menzies mentioned : th'ajb he had .taketr.; tlie for; the correct' delivery in future' of 'the ; New Zealand; Educational ■ Journal— : a , position which he supposed would lead him •into- ilipt wa^er.

Mr.' Dalglish brought lip the. quesof the supply of books to teachers,'; in ' which' r to keep records of :the term examinations,, tend' on ; his • motion it Was decided that' a committee, consisting of Messrs McLfeod. J'itcaithly, '.Thomas, Yalentiue, and the moverj be set up to make .enquiry, and;, submit a suitable book to ' the Board, with a request that-it should •sunnlytherh to-teachers.' . ;■ ' Miss Seyb was elected; a member of the Institute.

On the motion of Mr Goodall, ill was decided that euqmries should be made from the director of technical education in Timaru, with a view to ascertaining on what terms a university class for teachers (to 'be held in the technical school on Saturdays) could be established here m laboratory work. - This was -all the ordinary business, but members of the executive rc'maincd behind to deal with some business in' committee.