EDUCATIONAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 12582, 1 October 1908, Page 5

EDUCATIONAL.

North Canterbury Board's Resolutions

(Per United Presa Association). CHRISTCHURCH, September 30. At to-day's meeting of the North Canterbury Education Board the appointments committee reported: "We have further considered the matter of school hours and religious instruction in schools, and recommend the adoption of the following regulation, which embodies the principles laid down in previous resolutions of the Board : The ordinary hours of instruction in every district or aided school in- the North Canterbury Education District shall in all the standard classes be-five hours each day during five days of each week, but for the preparatory classes need not exceed four hours, and the teaching shall be entirely of a secular character. No teaching of a religious character shall be given in any school between the time of opening the school in the forenoon, and the time of, closing the school for the day." The report was adopted. Xlie following- coiw.ixiiiiiic2i.tion. -was received from the Board's inspector: "In connection with the vacancies recently advertised, the dearth of candidates in some instances and their complete absence in others tends to create misgivings not easily set at rest. It is a glaring absurdity to bestow free teaching and costly training upon people who refuse to render in return for these and for a reasonably liberal salary some modicum of that social service which the country might expect to receive for the generous' treatment it has extended to them, and for the valuable opportunities it has placed in their way. The inspectors beg to submit that the time is ripe to introduce a system of appointments and promotion^ which will secure to rural schools a iiih share of that teaching power which country residents are taxed to provide and to remunerate."

The Acting-Chairman said the difficulty of staffing country schools had been acutely felt for many years. It was anticipated that, owing to the number of prospective teachers in the training college, the difficulty would decrease. The opposite effect, however, was noticeable, and country committees when inviting candidates for vacancies either received no application at all, or applications from unsuitable persons.