COMMISSION ON EDUCATION.

West Coast Times, 19 June 1912, Page 4

COMMISSION ON EDUCATION.

LADY PRINCIPAL'S TESTIMONY,

(,I’EH PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.]

DUNEDIN, June 18. Miss Ross, Principal of the Girton College, declared there was a marked deficiency in primary school pupils in essentials when they came to the secondary schools. That was duo to primary school syllabus demanding too much of outside subjects. The teachers in private secondary schools would welcome Government inspection so long as their curricula were not interfered with. EX-BOARD SECRETARY.

Mr. P. G. Pryde, ex-secrotary of the Education Board, defended the School Committees having a voice in the selection of teachers, but acknowleoged that buttonholing and canvassing. on the part of the teachers became a positive scandal in and around Dunedin. Members of the Education Board were the greatest sinners. In Dunedin the electing of Boards by wards was a distinctly retrograde step, and had been the means of losing to Otago the services of some of its most able educationists.

There was no comparison with men who were elected under one large oleotoiatc. He complained bitterly of distrust by the Department of th| Boards whoso testimony in regard to new buildings and additions to existing ones was rejected or discounted by their recommendations being reported on by rangers and what not.

Returns required by the Department could be materially simplified "ith advantage to all concerned. Ir the powers of co-operation were liberally exercised, there might ho advantage in entrusting the control of primary, secondary and technical edn. cation to the boards.

A Council of Education would be a good thing if it se ourod the proiper itu tcrprotation of the code, and alterations tnorcin made on the advice of experts. Conferences convened by the education Department wore useless, because they were dominated by officials ana very seldom anything prac tical was evolved therefrom. A MERCHANT’S OPINION in tL W f terS ’ h6ad ° f a * )rodllc « n the mty, expressed opinion that *' primary- education of to-day did r » .=ll e .ou„cfed i„ ’ •» tho 1,,,,-, ot l„„ t , years ago. J That was a general complaint among business men during the last shcwed’T' ; VHting and a ritlimetio\ s ened signs of improvement, but acquaintance with one’s mother tamn,, " as lomontably deficient.