EDUCATION CONFERENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6544, 24 July 1899, Page 4

EDUCATION CONFERENCE.

[Per Pbess Association.] , ' WELLINGTON, July 21. At the Education Conference the Hon J. 1 'Macgregoiy in moving the resolutions regarding an' advanced department and. higher grade schools, said that this proposal had for some time attracted much attention in Otago. The objeob was to provide for the. Standard VI. problem, so that qoditanneiijiiipitsuihithertoii^glectedi.iißiigltt get such instruction as would fit them for their work in the world. The secondaryschools did not serve this purpose. Mr Macgregor reviewed the new Scotch code, and explained, the provisions covered by his motion.' Mr Riley, who had seen the system ait work in Great Britain, said that ib was proving highly beneficial to industries, and in the colony a large number of boys would be given two years' valuable tuition. The motion was carried unanimously after some debate. Mr Aitken was granted leave to withdraw a motion standing iv his name to the effect that the Conference should receive a deputation from the New Zealand Alliance at a time to be fixed. Mr Aitken said that he considered that it would be discourteous to decide to receive a deputation ait such a late date in the deliberations of the Conference. • Mr Hogben, Secretary for .Education, laid on the table " a ch-cular, which stated that the question of uniformity in books had been brought under the attention of the Minister of Education,, who considered it likely that want of imiiormity would often create serious inconvenience through the removal of children from one education district to another. On the other hand hardship might ' frequently be caused through the re- ; moval of ; pupils from one school to an- ( other wijshija the same education district, j and he wished to point out, that the matter ] would be set right .if every Education Board • would see that the chief* books, especially ! readers, were the same in all schools under its jurisdiction. ■ Under the regulations just issued the number of series of readers authorised had been reduced from ten to six, but the Minister considered that there was still an ample choice to enable Boards to suit the wants of their respective districts, and desired the attention of the Boards to be called to the obligation imposed by the regulations of confining their choice of books to those contained in the list of authorised school books. Mr Hogben suggested that the hardship which sometimes ensued when pupils were moved, from one education district to another would largely disappear if Boards would adopt some such plan as that of buying from pupils second-hand books in good condition, the books so bought being either sold again or kept to be used as supplementary readers, when the readers in iise were changed. A motion that the examination and classification of pupil-teachers throughout the colony should be undertaken by the De- . .partment was negatived by thirteen to six. | The Minister of Education, replying to a deputation, thoiight that with the freedom of classification, which he would like to see carried out" this year, teachers would find themselves free to take up subjects which they now felt were placed as an extra burden upon them. He referred specially to technical subjects. If freedom of classification was extended this year, then an alteration of the syllabus might be considered next year. He approved of special provision being made for a Seventh Standard so that youths might receive instruction helpful to their making their way in the world.