SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16738, 20 May 1922, Page 18

SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

WELLINGTON CONFERENCE. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 19. At the Secondar3’ Schools’ Association conference a protest was made against a statement as to the comparative standard of secondary education reached by pupils m New Zealand and England. Mr Oreswell moved and Mr F. Mar tin Renner seconded a motion affirming that such comparison of pupils, owing to radical difference in conditions, especially to the much earlier age when the English secondary course begins, is not warranted. Tho performance of such New Zealand students as proceed Home and a mass of other evidence proved, in the opinion of th© conference, that under the circumstances the standard of work don© in New Zealand schools compared favourably with that in England and elsewhere. The motion was carried unanimously. At 'the afternoon session of the Secondary Teachers’ Association the repo~t of the delegates to the combined conference of primary, secondary and technical teachers and university professors wag considered. The conference unanimously approved of the proposal to establish a combined body to be called the Educational Association of New Zealand. in order to promote effective co-operation between th.* different branches of education. Each society concerned is to appoint five representatives on th© executive council of the association, one at least of whom must b© a resident of Wellington. Such resident members, together with the officers of the association, will form a standing committee to do , i with matters of urgency. The folio \ - ing representatives were elected by the conference.—-Miss Gibson and Messis Cresswell, Renner, Strachan, and Milner. It was resolved that a rec‘*vcommittee should bo set tin to m.tlv recommendations for a revised syllabus in mathematics, history and civi.*?. : physical science and geography for intermediate examinations.

ATHLETIC COMPETITIONS DISCUSSED.

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 19. Th© conference of representatives oi the Secondary School Teachers’ Association was continued to-day. A number of remits making recommendations in connection with superannuation were considered and dealt with. The report of the committee appointed to deal with questions of shooting and athletic competition was brought up and adopted. The committee reported that, broadly speaking, in regard to athletic competitions they were unanimously of opinion that general competitions among secondary schools were not in the best interest of th© pupils and should be discouraged. also that no further trophies should bo accepted for competition This applied to such cups as the Riddiford Cup for cadets and tli© Skerrett Cup for Association football. As regarded the Moafecar Cup presented to tho New Zealand Ruby Union by the New Zealand Mounted Division in the committee, while fully appreciating the sentimental reasons attaching to it, considered that competi - tion by secondary schools for cups was detrimental to the best interests of the pupils, and that the New Zealand Rugby Union should be asked to utilise the cup for another purpose Regard- j mg the Heath cote Williams Challenge | Shield for cricket the finding of tho committee was that as the competition | for this shield had beneficial effects | and had done much to improve cricket j in our schools the competition should > continue on the same lines as at pre- 1