The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 1909. THE SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13888, 27 April 1909, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 1909. THE SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

The annual elections of School Committees, hold all over the .tyomiiu'on last night, if one looks at the matter comprehensively is a very imposing functi«n.; There is something like two ' thousand primary schools in the conn* try, .and if the meetings of householders averaged no more than a dozen, the number of men and women—almost wholly men—exceeding twice the wholo population of Timani,- assembled in their several schools for tho purpose of playing a -part in the machinery of education. It may seem that tho duties of School Committees do not touch the real work of education at all, inasmuch as the Committees have, no say in the subjects to be taught in. the schools, or in the manner of teach? ing them, and very little in regard to who shall teach them. Nevertheless the functions of the local .Committees are really important. In 11.0 place' they can do much to insure that pupils and teachers shall woric under comfortable physical conditi.lll-1; and they can encourage both, by that ». means, and by showing an interest in the results of the teaching as gauged by .the official inspectors. This suggests that it would not be a bad idea, for Committees to cultivate closer relations with the inspectors than has been customary hitherto. As for thp subjects to he taught, Committees might be able to exert some influence even over these, if they were composed of men qualified to do such a thing. And' their power in regard to the personnel of the teaching staff is not to bo despised, though unfortunately it is as a. rule practically applicable only to cases where, a teacher for some reason or other makes himself or herself unpopular. Much more seldom is such power available in the selection of new, teachers. "We do not see why tho Committees should not take more into- ■ rest than the majority of them do, in tho contents of the Syllabus, and its application to their several , schools. The regulations now give the teachers a much freer hand-than they formerly had in the choice of subjects to bo used as a means of education, and witli a little encouragement from the representative householders the teachers would doubtless lie found willing tra specialise to some extent in directions appropriate to the everyday life of tho majority of their pupils. This applies perhaps more to country than to town schools. In arithmetic, for instance, the teacher could be encouraged' to take his examples from tho experiences of the fanner, to a very much greater extent than the text-books provide; and a country Committee; could do much to assist the teacher in. the pursuit of nature study, which is rightly being "made of greater and greater importance. The Committees can in many such details help and encourage the teacher far more effectively than the Education Boards, be theso never so willing; and although the Board is paymaster, the Committee, as co-operator with the teaching staff, could by co-operating cordially exert greater influence than the Board, which as paymaster is only such in a mechanical way. The Committees may then look upon their office as eminently respectable and useful, if they -choose to make it so, and the more highly they think of it the more valuable their services are likely to be. In some other districts School Committees' Associations are maintained, and as some of them have attained a considerable age, it is to be inferred that they l\avo found their existence justified. Such an association was formed in South Canterbury some years ago, but it did' not endure long, and if we remember rightly it fell to pieces because town and country Committees had diverse ideas as to what they required. This should have suggested the formation of two associations, representing town and rural schools respectively, but that idea, apparently was not suggested. H might be usefully borne in mind if l* proposal is ever made for the formation of a new association of the kind in this district.