VALUABLE WORK RECOGNISED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23289, 27 August 1945, Page 4

VALUABLE WORK RECOGNISED

Educational Research By Mr Thomas Dr. Beeby’s Tribute “It is a shock to all of us concerned with education to hear of the sudden death of Mr William Thomas,” said the Director of Education (Dr C. E. Beeby) last evening in a tribute by telephone from Wellington. “We had come to regard Mr Thomas as being so permanent in our education system; as being one of those few ageless men who can achieve the wisdom of years without losing any of the young man's passion for improving the world.”

It was more than 10 years since Mi Thomas retired from the rectorship ol the Timaru Boys’ High School, anc he had made such a brilliant success there that he might have been forgiven for sitting back and enjoying a well-earned rest from education, continued Dr Beeby. But his mind was not made that way and he used his new leisure to launch on a long anc difficult piece of research into tlu conditions of University Entrance ir New Zealand and overseas. The publication, “Entrance to the University.” of which Mr Thomas wa.s th r chief author, played no small part ii: bringing about the introduction ol the system of accrediting last year. One consequence of this change was that the whole curriculum of the postprimarv schools in New Zealand hac to be thought out afresh, and it was appropriate that the Minister of Education should choose Mr Thomas a: chairman of the Consultative Committee on the Post-Primary Curriculum to which this complex task wa assigned. Tn this position his work wa c bevoiul pr.iisc. Under his skillet *. iiickuice the Commiiiee resolved tangled mass of c'mflii tin.i idea.', am pro«liiced in December. 1943. a rci.'Hi Ihrd won wide appiovn! The fact tha 1 Mr Thomas' uame was a! th? loot of Hie report was a '.marantec l( ail who know him that it was san?' ullerlv hom-t and a h.ippv hlendim of Ml that was Iv -I in >he old olm ii ion and the new I’lw recomma rnlm will’, a few minor iimojidmamt< he pm •Ar'kod” llru Mi I imn a had lived' !<

gressive ideas for which he stood. Bv his own personal qualities he made the Timaru Boys' High School one of the foremost secondary schools in New Zealand. He will be remembered by the old pupils of all of his schools for tils great acnievements: by educationists further afield he will be best known by the effect that his work in a wider sphere will have unon all the secondary sihools in New Zealand during the next 10 or 20 'cid Those of us who w?'ve privibvmd to be hi< pi’rsonul friends find some comfort ir the thought that tlm name of Williair Thomas will net ><•••■-. h c fcreotten Ir the hiHoi'v <7 x " ■ duration.' I IGbv Attacked by Ferret.—For tn? ! I’his 'lime the infaii’. a four-months old babv. was left nuaitcnded in a motor-car a: Kokotna. and on?' of tw? j ferreis which were tied up in a ba« .in ih.e biggage compartment freed i. ri<’.s attracted a nasser-bv. but no: I'cfore the ferrt't had eaten th?' tic .q i on th?' brideo of the child's nose Tc I reach the child (hr ferret had to cat iis ! , :,v Ihrou'-.h n uncl then sqn.-ezi ; (hroiicrh between the w.qll nnc