EDUCATION: CONFERENCES ON EDUCATION. A.—CONFERENCE OF INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS. B.—TRAINING COLLEGE CONFERENCE.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1913 Session I, E-12

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1913. NEW ZEALAND

EDUCATION: CONFERENCES ON EDUCATION. A.—CONFERENCE OF INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS. B.—TRAINING COLLEGE CONFERENCE.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave of His Excellency.

A—CONFERENCE OF INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS, INCLUDING PRINCIPALS OF TRAINING COLLEGES. 12th-15th February, 1913.

In response to the following letter of invitation issued by direction of the Acting Minister of Education, the Hon. H. D. Bell, the Conference met in the Chamber of the House of Representatives at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the 12th February, 191-5 :— Sir, — Education Department, Wellington, 12th November, 1912. I have the honour, by direction of the Minister of Education, to inform you that it is proposed to hold the usual triennial Conference of Inspectors of Schools (with Principals of Training Colleges) in Wellington in February next, and to request your attendance. The Conference is convened for the 12th of the month, and is expected to last, as on former occasions, for some three days, so that members will be free to return to their homes not later than the following Saturday. The special topics of discussion will be : — (1.) The syllabus of instruction for public schools, an amended form of which the Department will be prepared to submit to the consideration of the Conference : and (2.) Matters dealt with in the report and recommendations of the recent Education Commission. The Conference will, however, be open to the discussion of other matters of educational import brought under its notice by members. In good time before the Conference meets the Department hopes to supply you with a copy of its syllabus proposals and of the complete report of the Commission, inclusive of the evidence now in the printer's hands. Of the precis" place and hour of meeting of the Conference you will be informed later A reply is requested. I have, &c, W. J. Anderson, For Inspector-General of Schools.

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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS.

Wednesday, 12th February, 1913. The Conference met in the House of Representatives chamber at 10 a.m. Present: Education Department—Messrs. G. Hogben, M.A., F.G.S. (Chairman of the Conference); W. J. Anderson, M.A., LL.D.j W. E. Spencer, M.A., M.Sc. ; W. W. Bird, M.A.; T. H. Gill, M.A., LL.B.j M. H. Browne; J. Porteous, M.A.; E. C. Isaac; Royd Garlick. Auckland Education District—Messrs. E. K. Mulgan, M.A.; C. W. Garrard, 8.A.; W. A. Burnside, M.A.; C. H. Plummer, 1.L.8.; J. T. G. Cox; "1. Priestley; N. T. Lambourne, M.A.; J. W. Mcllraith, M.A., LL.B., Litt. D.; X. R. McKenzie. Taranaki Education District—Messrs. W. A. Ballantyne, 8.A.; R. (i. Whetter, M.A. Wanganui Education District Messrs. C. D. Braik, M.A.; J. Milne, M.A.; T. 15. Strong, M.A., B.Sc; D. Stewart. Wellington Education District —Messrs. T. If. Fleming, M.A., LL.B.; F. H. Bakewell, M.A.; F. G. A. Stuckey, M.A.; A. B. Charters, M.A. Hawke's Bay Education District—Messrs. H. T. Hill, 8.A.; J. A. Smith, B.A. Marlborough Education District—Mr. D. A. Strachan, M.A. Nelson Education District— Messrs. G. A. Harkness, M.A.; A. Crawford, B.A. Grey Education District—Mr. W. S. Austin. Westland Education District—Mr. .\. J. Morton, B.A. North Canterbury Education District— Messrs. W. Brock, M.A.; C. D. Hardie, 8.A.; S. C. Owen, M.A.; J. B. Mayne, B.A. South Canterbury Education District—Messrs. J. G. Gow, M.A.) A. Bell, M.A. Otago Education District—Messrs. C. R. D. Richardson, B.A. ;C. R. Bossence; J. R. Don, M.A., D.Sc.; J. Robertson, 8.A., B.Sc. Southland Education District Messrs. J. Hendry. 8.A.; A. L. Wylie, M.A. Principals of Training Colleges Messrs. H. A. E. Millies, B.Sc; J. S. Tennant, M.A., B.Sc; T. S. Foster, M.A.; E. Pinder, M.A. Address of Chairman (G. Hogben, M.A., F.G.S., Inspector-General of Schools). Changes in the Methods of Education are an Inevitable Consequence of Changes hi the Ideals of Human Life. It is good for us from time to time to reconsider and restate our ideals and our schemes for realizing those ideals. It is inevitable that we should have ideals, whether we are couscious of them or not, and as a matter of practice it is inevitable also that we should have schemes for realizing those ideals, which in like manner may be followed either consciously or unconsciously to ourselves. Within the last hundred years—nay, within the last fifty years—most thinking men have recast both their ideals of life and their schemes for realizing them. How largely this is the case is clearly pointed out by the great philosopher of Jena, Professor Eucken, more especially in the Nobel Lecture delivered by him at Stockholm in March, 1909, which last year was translated into English by A. G; Widgery, of Cambridge and Edinburgh. The title of the lecture is "Naturalism or Idealism." Possibly some of you have already seen it, but I make no apology for recalling to your minds some of the points on which Eucken dwells with especial emphasis, for it is impossible in an enlightened view to separate education from life; even those who take what I might call the most formal view of education would grant that it was part of the machinery of life. I would venture to go further, and say that it was a part of life, or, indeed, in the widest sense of both terms, life itself. In any case, we cannot form true or really workable ideals of life without considering the kind of things our education and our systems of education ought to be. Unthinking people may, and actually do, look upon any attempt to change or reform any more or less successful scheme of education as dangerous and as likely to lead to confusion; but when our ideals of lift' grow and change, there will be contradiction and therefore confusion if we do not reshape our systems of education from tinif to time in accord ince with our new ideals of life. The true reformer, in helping to thrust aside that which has grown old and out of accord with the working ideals of the present, will seek for methods that are inspired by those ideals and are therefore in accord with them; he is not merely destructive; his most important work is constructive. What, for oui purpose, is common to naturalism and idealism? And what, for us, is the difference between them? I am not concerned here with the arguments urged by Eucken to show that " naturalism " is inadequate to explain life; I shall assume for my own part that the case for "idealism" is proved; but I would point out to you that, as far as the methods of education are concerned, the features that are common to modern naturalism and modern idealism will determine those methods; they are the tendencies of — (a) Modern science; (b) modern industrial activity; (c) modern ideals of social relations. The feature that belongs to idealism is that these in themselves are not sufficient to explain life; man is not determined by these—that is, by his relation to his environment alone; he is himself, in his essence, above it. Mc has for his inner law neither the principle of absolute determinism (or external necessity or fate), nor the principle of absolute liberty; but a kind of self-determinism, liberty to realize himself in accordance with his own nature as well as in accordance with his environment, and therefore in accordance with the life of all—with a universal life, which he o\\ ;is and by which he is owned.

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Now, the life of the child is a pari of the whole life of the man or woman. The powers of the child are his own, and they grow into the powers of the adult man just in so far as they are developed in a natural way —in a way that accords both with external nature and with his own inner nature. In the child we discern the germs of the activities and ideals of the full-grown man; his powers urge him to examine and to know things; to do and to make things, and to know himself in relation to others. But we cannot by any merely external system of discipline or instruction carry out his self-development for him; we may help him to do so for himself; or, on the other hand, we may, by mistaken methods, actually check and thwart, or seriously warp his selfdevelopment. If life be one, and if there be a unity of any kind in all human life, the development of the powers of the child cannot be out of accord with mature human life; and, in order that when he is a man he may be able to turn to the fullest account the truths of science, the efforts of industry, ami the relations of human society, we must endeavour so to guide him that his early development may be on sound lines; his knowledge of nature should be sound as far as it goes; he should be gradually prepared to play his part in the great movements of human industry; he should have sympathy with human life in the past and in the present; and he should be led to form noble ideals for the future—for himself, for his family, his city, his country, and the race. But one of our worst faults hitherto as educators is that in our false zeal to make what we regard as substantial progress, we have tried to anticipate, so to speak, in the child the more matured product of adult manhood. No one in his senses would expect a boy of ten or twelve to jump 20 ft. or to run lot) yards in an even ten seconds; yet how often even in progressive (or may 1 say enlightened?) New Zealand have we expected in the same boy an accuracy and skill in writing not far removed from the ready penmanship of the practised clerk; we have even put into the hands of still younger children that barbarous instrument the steel pen, and have even punished them because their little fingers, being of a different shape and size, were not apt to hold the same instrument in the same position as the aforesaid practised adult clerk —nay, have we not sometimes whipped them, forsooth, because they have inked their poor dear little fingers.' Even adults cannot always sit patiently and work for long periods in confined positions] we are all naturally nomads, and dislike imprisonment in any form; but we crib and confine little children of five or six indoors, in gallei ies and desks, ami expect them to be good, and hope mayhap (if we ever think of it) that in consequence or in spite of our course of treatment they may grow up well developed in body and mind. The formal teaching of reading and writing threatens to invade the infant room to such an extent as to crush out of our memories all recollection that sneh a man as Froebel ever lived. "Unreal arithmetic" in nearly all classes dies very hard; f'irsi Standard children who scarcely understand the meaning of "one hundred*' are set to add up six lines or more of figures with six columns in each, and Fifth Standard boys are expected to show the same skill in working commercial sums as the adult clerk. The worst of it is that a skilled teacher can succeed in making the children, or a good proportion id' them, do these things, but at what a cost of warped bodies and minds? Have these children no natural activities properly belonging to childhood lhat call for exercise and expression, that we must anticipate the activities characteristic of manhood.' Would it not pay —viewing the child as the germ of the man —to let him grow in a more natural way.' The child has a measure of self-determinism also; the exercise of his powers is one form of Self-expression—to the wise teacher the best indication of what those powers are, of what the ehilil is let iis guide him by all means, at each age according to its powers and ils needs. The curiosity of the infant to examine into everything (even to pull it to pieces, if necessary, for that purpose) may be directed step by step so as to grow into the trained observation of the man of science. The desire, to make and to model things finds expression in handwork, the form of which gradually changes until we have that which calls forth a dexterity of hand and a quickness of eve akin' to that of the expert artisan. The child loves to hear stories, and to tell stories, and to art stories; all these aid in producing in him an interest in the relations of human life, which later on is fostered by his studies in literature and history; indeed, when I look back on my experience as a scholar ami teacher, anil ask myself what was there of value in the teaching of Latin and Greek, 1 am constrained to answer that it was not grammar or philology or syntax, but interest in the life of the past, in its history and literature. And so, for the ordinary boy or girl, who is not destined to be a grammarian or a philologist, I say that whatever secures this love of the history and literature of the past will secure to him or to her what was most valuable in the older studies. We must bring our teaching into the closest possible contact with life, with the ideals of life as We now view them. Reform in the subjects and methods of our schools would lead to the identification of the olass-room with the average boy's life, as the playing-field is identified with it now. It is sad that the average boy should forgive himself so easily for the sin of habitual inattention or of working at half-power in the class-room. If the schools do not in the best sense fit their pupils for the needs of their future lives, theorists may talk about the culture of this study or that as much as they like, but the schools will have failed, because to the great majority of their pupils the lessons of the class-room have had no relation to the facts of the universe, moral or otherwise. It is on this ground, principally, that I would urge the introduction of what are known as vocational courses into our secondary schools. A vocational course, as thus understood, is not a technical or professional course, nor is it merely externally and immediately utilitarian, as those who are somewhat brusquely termed the bread-and-butter school would have it to be. It is essentially a course of general education, with the English and history, the mathematics and at least part of the science, and the physical training conn i to it with the other courses' but a course in which a certain part of the work is brought into close contact with the

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facts of the life in which the boy or girl finds himself or herself and with the aims and objects of the most probable calling that he or she will follow in the future. The purely utilitarian viewis not the true view, whatever immediate advantages it may present. A broader view than that of the bread-and-butter school will provide a better general education, and at the same time will probably give a man all the bread and butter he needs or deserves (although not perhaps all he wants or asks for)—at least, it will do so in any decently organized system of society. 1 need not dwell on the benefits to be derived, in New Zealand in particular, by a boy who takes a vocational course bearing on agriculture, or by a girl whose course has for its special feature a knowledge of home science; nor need I point out that with the conditions I have laid down a pupil may receive just as good a general education, fitting him for winking out the ideals of life, as in any of the older and more orthodox courses. The vocational course, moreover, by its very nature, satisfies one of the conditions that I have already indicated as forming the common features of modern naturalism and modern idealism, and so as determining education —namely, that it is in accord with the tendencies of modern ideals of social relations. We want to reconsider, in fact, all our courses and syllabuses in view of the new ideals that we have adopted of life. Professor Adams, in his British Association address, has pointed out recently that education, so far as it is a science at all, is a science based for its proved conclusions mainly on statistics. For instance, the old British syllabuses and the individual pass system had a certain value, because in course of time the syllabuses were so modified that it was found that the average child well instructed could pass through one standard a year. This overlooked the fact that the average child is merely an abstraction; in reality, there is no such thing as an average child; there is only the boy Jones and the girl Smith, and their personality must always be taken into account by the wise teacher. Still, a standard is useful as a rough criterion to judge of the progress made by the boy Jones or the girl Smith. But the old syllabuses and the old pass system formed a method of judging the quantity rather than the quality of the work done. The statistics may be quite right as indicating the quantity of work most children of a certain age or class can do; we want statistics of another and more subtle nature to show us what kind of work most children of- a certain age or class can do. The collection of such statistics would be a useful task to give the more advanced students —say, the graduate students—in our training colleges. We should then have more solid ground on which to rest our reforms than we can claim to have at present, and with greater certainty could hope to bring our teaching into close accord with the natural powers of the children. There is one more aspect of the modern movement in education, consonant with those 1 have already mentioned, to which 1 would call your attention for a moment. It is that the school should be viewed as a part of the society in which we live. We should make much more of our schools if in each locality the school was regarded as an essential feature of human life in the neighbourhood —as much as the farm, or the shop, or the bank, or the horne —children, parents, teachers all working together for the common good. For this reason I consider a local education authority with substantial powers and responsibilities to be an essential factor in a successful school system, ol which primary, secondary, and technical schools, libraries, museums, social and athletic clubs, parents' meetings, farmers' societies, and so forth, should all be recognized as constituent parts supplementing one another. The school system should be part of the municipal system; the school an essential element of the life of the township, whether in the city or in the country, more important perhaps in the latter. Personally, I believe such a system would be more stable for the material bond of local financial responsibility, a fact which is fully recognized in every part of the civilized world except Australasia. Whether you agree with the last sentiment or not, would not our country teachers find a grand mission, a glorious broadening of their work and interests, in the endeavour to make the school a centre of light and brightness which should illumine the drudgery and pettiness of everyday life in the backblocks? Some are, no doubt, doing some work of this kind already; may their tribe increase I I will end as I began by saying that changes in the methods of education are an inevitable consequence of changes in the ideals of human life, and to make with safety changes in our methods of education we must endeavour to understand the changes that have taken place in recent times in our ideals of life. Gentlemen, I cannot sit down without referring to the news that has just reached us from the Antarctic. It is our duty and our privilege to endeavour in our humble way to extend the bounds of human knowledge, and in some degree to raise the ideals of human life; it is therefore with mixed feelings of sadness and triumph that 1 mention the sad fate of those brave men who have shown us as heroes how to live, how as heroes to fight and to conquer, and how as heroes to endure hardship and to die; who have extended so widely the bounds of human knowledge, and have so immeasurably raised the ideals of our common manhood at the cost of the sacrifice of their own lives. I suggest that some member of the Conference should propose a motion expressing our appreciation of the noble work performed by these men, and our deep sympathy with those who are the immediate sufferers by their loss. Mr. Mulgan moved, Mr. Hill seconded, That this Conference, recognizing the great services which Captain Scott and his brave companions have rendered the British nation and the cause of science, deeply regrets the sad misfortune which has overtaken them, and extends its heartfelt sympathy to the relatives of the deceased. —The motion was carried in silence. Provisional Agenda Paper. 1. Regulations for the Organization. Inspection, and Examination of Public Schools, and Syllabus of Instruction.

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2. Report of Education Commission. 3. Matters from various sources referred to the Conference for consideration :— (i.) Wanganui Education Board : Topics brought under notice of Minister in interview of 21st November, ll> 12, so far as these relate to the general interests of education in public schools. (Mr. Braik.) (ii.) Education Boards, Auckland, Southland, Taranaki : Proposals to establish special model or observation schools for the training of inexperienced teachers. (Mr. Ballantyne.) (iii.) Question of (a) amendment of "Instructions" in Daily Registers of Attendance as to method of marking to indicate causes of absence (clause G); and (6) question of amendment of law to provide for the absence of children in consequence of action of medical inspectors; and (c) of amendment io define more clearly the rights of Boards in connexion with the attendance of pupils at manual training centres. (Department.) (iv.) Question of payment of salary to ingoing or outgoing teachers, &c, for the month of January : practice of Boards in this respect. Messrs. T. H. Gill and A. B. Charters were appointed Secretaries of the Conference. Mr. Garrard moved, That there be appointed a Business Committee, such committee to consist of five members and the two Secretaries. —Agreed to. Nominations for members of the Business Committee were received, and, on a ballot being taken, Messrs. Fleming, Richardson, Braik, Mulgan, and llarkness were declared elected. Mr. Fleming moved, That the meetings of the Conference be open to the Press. —Agreed to. The Conference decided to sit from l() a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. The Standing Orders adopted were those of the House of Representatives. It was proposed and seconded, That every member present be required to exercise his vote, but the motion was lost on a division. Mr. Mulgan moved, That the " Regulations for Organization and Inspection and Syllabus of instruction " be referred to the Conference in committee as a whole.--Carried. Mr. Fleming was appointed convener of the Business Committee. Mr. Foster moved, That a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to the Inspector-General of Schools for his interesting and instructive address, and that he be requested to allow it to be printed.— Seconded by Mr. Fleming, and carried by acclamation. It was agreed that the time-limits be ten minutes for the mover, with an additional ten minutes if the meeting so decided, and five minutes to each subsequent speaker. It was decided that a committee be set up to analyse the report of the Education Commission, to report, if possible, on Thursday morning, and that the Education Commission's report be referred to the above committee. A letter was read from the Pioneer Club, stating that the wives of visiting Inspectors were made honorary members of the club.—Received with thanks. Mr. Whetter moved. That a committee be set up to deal with the question of inexperienced teachers and teachers' certificates, and that the question be submitted to this committee. —Carried. It was decided that a committee be set up to deal with matters relating to school attendance and registers, and that this matter be referred to the committee. The provisional agenda paper was held over for the present, except that No. 3 (iv), the question of payment of salary to ingoing and outgoing teachers. &c, was referred to a committee to discuss staffs and salaries, such committee to be called " A Stalls and Salaries Committee." In regard to the following proposals submitted by Auckland Inspectors for discussion action was taken as indicated below. *(1.) That a Council of Education be constituted with administrative powers. (2.) That the Council be constituted as follows: Two members appointed by the Minister; two members appointed by Boards of Education; one member to be elected by Inspectors; two teachers to be elected, one by primary teachers, one by secondary teachers and teachers of technical schools. (3.) That the clauses referring to Education Boards, as outlined on page 7, be approved. (4.) That the proposals contained in paragraphs 1 and 3, in reference to School Boards, be generally approved. (5.) That the- number of Inspectors in each district should be fixed by the Council of Education, and should be in some more or less definite ratio to the number of schools in each district. (6.) That a general scheme of grading and promotion of teachers throughout the Dominion is desirable. (7.) That any amended scheme of salaries should take into special consideration the desirability of increasing the salaries of head teachers of Grades 4 and 5 schools, and that the annual increments in the case of these schools be spread over a greater number of years than under the present scheme; and, further, that capitation paid on children in schools of Grade obe at the rate of £10 per annum. (8.) That the question of adding to the staffs of schools above Grade Vla be no longer delayed. (9.) That no teacher on the staff of a training college be paid a salary lower than that of Grade 3 (£l2O to £150). (10.) That the following proviso apply to Table Bof the Staffs and Salaries Regulations: " Provided that if the average attendance of any school rises for one quarter to the numbers appearing in column 2, the school shall become entitled to an increase of staff without further delay; provided that an Inspector of Schools certifies that such increased average attendance is likely to be of a permanent character." (11.) That, in cases where the average attendance is affected by epidemics, clause 1 of the regulations controlling staffs and salaries be amended so that the quarter affected may be entirely omitted when computing the yearly average — i.e., in order to find the yearly average in such a case

* In this paragraph, pages and paragraphs mentioned refer to the report of the Education Commission. E.-12, 1912.

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the three quarters unaffected by epidemic be totalled, and the sum be divided by 3. (12.) That probationers who, prior to appointment, have passed the Matriculation Examination, shall receive for the first year of service the salary of a third-year pupil-teacher, and for the second year that of a fourth-year pupil-teacher; and the probationers who have not so qualified shall receive for the first year the salary of a second-year pupil-teacher, and for the second year that of a third-year pupil-teacher : Provided that if at the end of the first year the probationer passes the Matriculation Examination, the salary paid during his or her second year of service shall be that of a fourth-year pupil-teacher. (13.) That the clauses relating to continuation classes and agricultural education be approved. (14.) That the conditions of attendance at school classes established under the Regulations for Manual and Technical Instruction be controlled rather by age and by physical development than by standard of attainments reached; in other words, that any pupil enrolled in the public schools be eligible to attend such classes and to earn capitation, provided that an Inspector of Schools certifies to the advisability of such a course. (15.) That the element of competition be gradually eliminated from scholarship tests, so that all who reach a sufficiently high standard of attainments may be afforded opportunities for further education. (16.) That as a first step towards providing greater facilities for enabling young people to take advantage of secondary or technical education, all scholarship allowances to holders of junior scholarships be abolished, and that the funds thus set free be employed in providing boarding allowances for those candidates who are obliged to live away from home. (17.) That in each case where a winner of a State scholarship applies for permission to hold such a scholarship in a private secondary school, the Education Department be the authority to decide whether the private secondary school in question is educationally equivalent to the State secondary school which such scholarship winner could reasonably be expected to attend. (IS-) That the following proviso be added to clause 1 of the Regulations for the Inspection and Examination of Schools: "Provided that in the case of schools with whose general efficiency the Board of Education concerned is thoroughly satisfied, one of the visits may be omitted in any year, and all visits may be omitted for a period not exceeding two years." (19.) That in clause 5, line 2, of the Regulations for the Inspection and Examination of Schools, the word " two "be substituted for the word " three." (20.) That no notice . of any visit of an Inspector to any school shall be necessary. (21.) That the proposal outlined in the report on page 23, under the heading " Private Schools," be approved. (22.) That each Education Board shall nominate annually one of its Inspectors or teachers for the purpose of studying education methods in other parts of the world, such nomine tion to be confirmed by the Council of Education. (23.) That in certain districts " observation schools" be established for the benefit of inexperienced and inefficient teachers; that in order to secure suitable teachers for these schools, which should not be of higher grade than Grade IV, the salaries provided be appreciably higher than those paid tinder present conditions. (24.) That in view of the large number of uncertificated teachers still employed in the schools throughout the Dominion a more liberal allowance be made to the Boards for the purpose of providing the instruction needed. (25.) That, where possible, a separate kindergarten department be provided in all schools of Grade X, to which children shall be admitted on reaching the age of four years, and in which they may be instructed until reaching the age of six years. (26.) That, with the object of improving the quality of singing in our schools, the Education Department issue for the use of teachers a pamphlet dealing with elementary voice-production. Mr. Garrard moved, Air. Stuckey seconded, That the first five proposals of the Auckland Inspectors be referred to the Commission Committee.—Carried. Proposals Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 were referred to the Staffs and Salaries Committee. Proposal No. 11 was referred to School Attendance and Registers Committee; No. 12 to Staffs and Salaries Committee; No. 13 to Commission Committee; No. 14 to a committee (Manual and Technical); Nos. 15, 16, 17 to a Scholarship Committee; Nos. 18, 19, 20 to a Syllabus Committee; Nos. 23, 24 to Training of Teachers and Certificates Committee; No. 25 to Education Commission Committee; No. 26 to a committee (Training); Nos. 21 and 22 to Commission Committee. Dr. Mcllraith's motion (notice of which was given), re classification of schools into groups, &c., was referred to Staffs and Salaries Committee. Dr. Anderson moved, That the Conference resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to discuss " Regulations for Organization and Inspection, and Syllabus of Instruction." The Conference went into Committee of the Whole. Resolved, That the Chairman of the Conference act as Chairman of the Whole. The Committee adjourned at 2.10 p.m. The Committee resumed at 2.30 p.m. Dr. Anderson moved, That the Committee report to the Conference, and ask leave to sit again.—Mr. Gill seconded. —Carried. Mr. Fleming read the report of the Business Committee. The following committees were set up : — 1. Commission. —Mr. Braik (Convener), Messrs. Garrard, Ballantyne, Hill, Mulgan, Crawford, Strachan, Brock, Hendry, Bossence, Fleming, Morton, Bird. Dr. Anderson. 2. Inexperienced Teachers and Training of Teachers. —Mr. Millies (Convener), Principals of training colleges, Messrs. Priestly, Stewart, Robertson, Bakewell, Strachan, Wyiie, Ballantyne, ♦ Austin, Gow, Hardie, Harkness. 3. School-attendance, Staffs, and Salaries. —Mr. Bell (Convener), Messrs. Cox, Plummer, Whetter, Milne, Lambourne, Hardie, Porteous, Mayhe, Dr. Mcllraith.

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4. Scholarships. —Mr. Mulgan (Convener), Messrs. Smith, Bakewell, Harkness, McKenzie, Owen, Charters, Strong, Burnside, Dr. Anderson. 5. Manual and Technical Instruction. —Mr. Richardson (Convener), Messrs. Brown, Isaac, Spencer, Stuckey, Brock, Bell, McKenzie, Strong, Dr. Don. 6. Miscellaneous. —Dr. Don (Convener), Messrs. Gill, Porteous, Walker, Pope, Mayne, Dr. Anderson. Dr. Anderson moved, and Mr. Owen seconded, That the Conference resolve itself into a committee of the whole to consider the proposed " Regulations for Organization and Inspection, and Syllabus of Instruction." At the suggestion of the Chairman, Dr. Anderson gave a resume of the suggested regulations. Mr. Garrard moved, That the words "as a general rule " be omitted from paragraph 1 of the Regulations.—host, 37 to 11. Mr. Canard moved, That the following words be added after the word " Inspector," in line 2 of clause 1 : " Provided that, in the case of schools with whose general efficiency the Inspector is thoroughly satisfied, all visits may be omitted for a period not exceeding two years."—host, 35 to 13. Mr. Burnside moved, That the following words be added after the word " Inspector," in line 2 of clause 1 : " Provided that, in the case of schools with whose general efficiency the Inspector is thoroughly satisfied, all visits may be omitted for a period not exceeding one year."—Carried, by 26 to 22.* Mr. Cox moved, That the words in clause 1 from " at least" to " required " (both inclusive) be deleted, and that the following be inserted : " That no notice of any visit of an Inspector to any school shall be necessary."—host, by 39 to it. The Chairman reported to Conference, and asked leave to sit again. Several notices of motion were refei red to the Business Committee, with instructions to refer them to the separate committees. The Conference adjourned at 4.30 p.m. till 10 a.m., Thursday.

13th February, 1913. The Conference resumed at 10 a.m, The minutes of the preceding day's proceedings were read and confirmed. Several notices of motion were received, and referred to the separate committees. Dr. Anderson moved, and Mr. Mulgan seconded, That in Committee of the Whole the timelimit he five minutes.—Carried. It was resolved to go into Committee of the Whole to continue consideration of the syllabus. Subsection (i) of clause 2 was retained. Subsection (ii) of clause 2 was rejected. Subsection (iii) of clause 2 was amended to read as follows : " The presence of any children in the Preparatory Division who are over eight years of age should be discountenanced, and should be specificially explained by the head teacher in his class lists." Subsection (iv) of clause 2 was retained. Subsection (v) of clause 2 : It was decided to delete all the words after " Junior Division " in line 4. The remaining subsections of clause 2 were all retained. Clause 2 as amended'above was adopted. Clauses 3 and 4 were retained. Clause 5 (a) was amended to read as follows : " The head teacher shall not later than the Ist of March in each year draw up schemes of work . . . results of these examinations." Clause 5 (a) as amended was retained. Clause 5 (6) was retained. Clause 6 was amended as follows: "Immediately after the annual examination the head teacher shall set out the results of that examination in class lists on forms provided by the Department; and he shall forward to the Inspector a copy of such class lists." Clause 6 (/) amended to read : " The number of marks on a scale 0 to 20 gained by each pupil in the Junior and Senior Divisions." Dr. Anderson moved, That the Chairman report progress, and ask leave' to sit again.— Carried. The Conference adjourned at 12.35 p.m. The Conference resumed at 2.30 p.m. An interim report of the Committee of Staffs and Salaries was received, and made an order of the day for to-morrow. An interim report from the Manual and Technical Committee was received, and made an order of the day for to-morrow. An interim report of the Committee on Education Commission was received, and made an order of the day for to-moi row. Resolved, That Conference go into Committee of the Whole. Clause 6 adopted, as amended in the morning. Clause 7 adopted, with consequential alterations where necessary. Clauses 8 and 9 adopted. Clauses 10 and 11 retained. Clause 12 (viii) amended to " Supervision in recess and organization of school games."

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Clause 12 (xiii) : Words struck out (" List of "). Clause 12 (xv) : Words " and probationers " added. Clause 12 as amended was adopted. Clauses 13, 14, and 15 adopted. Clause 16 (a) : " 150 " substituted for " 120." The Chairman reported to Conference, and asked leave to sit again. Notices of motion were received. The Conference adjourned at 4.35 p.m. till 10 a.m., Friday.

14th February, 1913. The Conference resumed at 10 a.m. Notices of Motion. —Various notices of motion submitted by Messrs. Bossence and Richardson and Dr. Mcllraith were referred to Select Committees; and others by Messrs. Bakewell and Braik were made orders of the day for to-morrow. An interim report received from Teachers' Training and Certificates Committee. —Received, and made an order of the day for to-morrow. A report received from Scholarships Committee. —Received, and made an order of the day for to-morrow. An interim report received from Staffs and Salaries Committee. —Received, and made an order of the day for to-morrow. Mr. Fleming moved, and it was resolved, That Conference proceed to consider further the Regulations for Organization and Inspection, and Syllabus of Instruction. Clause 16. " Geography, 100" : That the words " Physical, political, and social " be inserted before the word " Geography " was carried by 31 to 14. The words " together with any two of the following " were struck out by 25 to 21. The word " or " was inserted between " Elementary science, 100 " and " Handwork, 100."— Carried on the voices. That the words "that permission be given to Inspectors to use in lieu of marks appropriate symbols having the same significance" be added after the words "Handwork, 100." —Carried, by 29 to 16. Word " 150," after " comprehension," was altered to " 120," on the voices. Word " 50," after " spelling and writing," altered to " 80." Subclause (b) : " 500 marks " was, altered on the voices to " 540 marks." Subclause (ii) retained. That clause 16, as amended, be part of the regulations.—Carried. Clause 17 was retained as part of the regulations. That there be inserted after the words " Certificate to be granted," in clause 18, the words of clause 18, subclause (2), of old regulations. —Carried. Clause 20, subclause (2) : It was decided to insert the words " if the Board shall so direct " after the word " or," in line 2, and to delete the same words after " Education Board." Clause 20, as amended, was adopted. Clause 21 retained. Clause 22 was amended as follows : The words " the return shall be accompanied by a report on the public schools of the district, dealing, for the schools generally, with such of the topics named in clause 12 as it may seem expedient to include " were added at end of the clause. Clause 23 : The words " and no attempt should be made to teach the formal principles of phonetics " were deleted. The words "in simple phonic word-building " were inserted after the word "involved." After "pen and ink," "need" was substituted for "should"; and after the words "be used, nor," the word "should" substituted for "need." After the words " spelling should be taught " the word " mainly " was substituted for " only." After the words " suitable poetry " the word " must " was substituted for " should." After the words " physical exercises" the word "must" was substituted for the word "should"; and after the words " physical training : they " the word " must " was substituted for " should." The Committee reported progress, and asked leave to sit again. The Conference adjourned at 12.35 p.m. The Conference resumed at 2.30 p.m. The Chairman introduced to the Conference the four Medical Inspectors, and invited questions in regard to medical inspection. The Medical Inspectors answered questions asked by members of the Conference. A further interim report of Manual and Technical Committee was received, and made an order of the day for to-morrow. Decided that Conference resolve itself into Committee of the Whole for further consideration of syllabus. The words in clause 24. subclause (2), " where " to " instead " inclusive, were omitted. Clause 24, subclause (4) (Composition): "Simple" sentences altered to "easy" sentences. Clause 24 (Spelling): The words from "but" to "sparingly" (both inclusive) were cut out by 32 to 6. Clause 24, Second Year (Standard II) : Dots to be inserted between J, and T ij. The word " work " was cut out in line 6, and the word " problem " inserted, by 21 to 18. (4.) Nature Study: Paragraph 2 to he transferred to "Further Directions." Clause 24 as amended above was adopted as part of the regulations.

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Clause 25, Senior Division : At the end of paragraph 2 these words were added : " Provided further that girls who take needlework and one of the last-named subjects need not take elementary science." Clause 25 (1), English (a) : The word " more," in line 3, was deleted, and " shall be given " substituted for " may begin," in line 4. (b.) Reading: Line 1, the word " three " was substituted for " two." At 4.30 p.m. the Conference resolved to sit until 5 p.m. (6.) Reading: The words "one may be a miscellaneous reader" inserted after "School Journal," in line 2. (b.) The words " with knowledge . . . as of sentences " were deleted. (c.) (i.) : Paragraph 2 omitted. The Conference resolved to resume at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. The Committee reported progress, and asked leave to sit again. The Conference adjourned at 5 p.m.

15th February, 1913. The Conference resumed at 9 a.m. The minutes of the preceding day's proceedings were read and confirmed. A letter was read from Pathe' Freres, offering to give a demonstration of their pathescope. It was decided to defer consideration till later in the morning. The Conference resolved itself into committee for further consideration of syllabus. Carried on the voices : That it is desirable that the instruction in vulgar and decimal fractions proceed by easy stages throughout the Senior Division. After the "handwork," in line 6, page 22, it was decided that in connexion with Senior Division arithmetic the following be added to the paragraph on arithmetic : " The use of graphs and graphical methods in the Senior Division should be encouraged, especially in connexion with the teaching of area, vulgar and decimal fractions, and problems generally, so that the pupils may early learn to think in terms of space." (2.) Arithmetic — (d) Fourth Year (Standard VI) : After the word " discount," in line (i, page 15, the words " but not banker's discount " were added. After the word "planes," in line 11, page 15, the words " and of a cylinder " were added. After the word "generally," add the words " including algebraical and graphic methods." (3.) Drawing and Handwork — (i), (a) : The word " and," in line 1, was cut out, and the words " chalk " inserted before " pencil," and " or " after it. (c.) To be added after word " views " : " Provided that this clause shall not apply to girls in Standard VI taking a course of domestic science." (4.) Nature-study and Elementary Science: hine 1, the word "should " altered to "shall." (5.) Geography : hine 1, " should " altered to " shall." (6.) History and Civics : hine 1, " should " altered to " shall." Third and Fourth Years : " Japan " cut out, and " the Pacific littoral " inserted. It was decided that the programme in singing should be modified on the lines of Mr. Owen's memorandum. Needlework : " That the syllabus of needlework be revised in accordance with modern ideas " was carried on the voices. Clause 37. Health : Line 1, " should " altered to " shall." Clause 38. Singing : As recommended previously (clause 25, 8). The principle of an Appendix to the Syllabus was approved unanimously. That the Chairman do report the regulations, as amended, to the Conference.—Carried. The Chairman reported to Conference the regulations as amended in committee. The Conference adopted the regulations as amended in committee. It was decided to accept invitation of Pathe Freres at 2.30 this afternoon. Mr. Garlick attended, and answered questions relating to physical training. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Garlick. It was decided by Conference to sit till 1 p.m. Mr. Bakewcll was allowed to withdraw his motion, notice of which had been given. The Conference decided to adjourn till 7.30 p.m. The Conference resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr. Braik moved, and it was resolved, That in order to give continuity to the work of this Conference, a Standing Committee of five members be appointed at each triennial meeting to meet annually under the auspices of the Department for the consideration of questions bearing on primary education. Mr. Braik moved the suspension of standing orders, in order to recommit the motion above. —Agreed to. Mr. Braik's motion above was recommitted, and the word "five" altered to "six." Mr. Braik moved, That the Standing Committee consist of Messrs. Mulgan, Fleming, Brock. Richardson, Harkness, and the mover. —Carried, It was decided to proceed to the other orders of the day. Scholarship (Committee's Report. 1. This committee is of opinion : (a.) That the element of competition should be abolished from the tests employed to select holders of free places at secondary schools, district high schools, and technical day schools, so that all who reach a standard of attainment to be subsequently

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determined may be afforded opportunities for further education. (6.) That boarding-allowances be provided for all holders of free places who are obliged to live away from home, provided that a grant not exceeding £5 per annum may be paid to free-place holders who are not obliged to live away from home, (c.) That Inspectors of Schools be empowered to nominate for junior free places a certain of pupils in schools below Grade IV, to whom during the year certificates of proficiency have been awarded. 2. This committee has no recommendation to make on the remit " Scholarships and free places" referred to it by the committee set up to deal with the report of the Education Commission. 3. That in each case where a winner of a State scholarship applies for permission to hold such a scholarship in a private secondary school, the Education Department be the authority to decide whether the private secondary school in question is educationally equivalent to the State secondary school which such scholarship winner could reasonably be expected to attend. E. K. Mulgan, Convener. Clause (a) was amended and passed as follows: "That competition for Education Board Scholarships and for Junior National Scholarships should be abolished." 1. (b.) " That boarding-allowances be provided for all holders of free places who are obliged to live away from home, provided that a refund of the amount expended in books may be made in necessitous cases at the discretion of the Education Board.'' —Carried. 2. " This committee has no recommendation to make on the remit ' Scholarships and free places' referred to it by the committee set up to deal with the report of the Education Commission." —Carried. The report as amended was adopted. Report of Committee on Education Commission. Your committee, having considered the report of the Royal Commission on Education, begs to report as follows : — The committee considers that certain topics are of such outstanding importance as to warrant their consideration either by special committees or by the Conference as a whole. I. The Council of Education Commission's Report. The Council of Education Minority Report. 11. Redistribution of Education Districts. X. Grading and Promotion of Teachers. XVI. Ihe Syllabus. XVII. The kindergarten. XVIII. Education of Girls. Sex Physiology. The Trend of Education. XX. School Buildings and Playgrounds. XXI. Consolidation of Schools. 111. Those questions dealing with School Boards. IV. School Committees. V. Inspectorate under the Commission's Proposal, the Cost of Education, and Rewards for Zeal should also be left to the Conference as a whole. The committee considers that the following should be referred to committees already appointed : — To the Manual and Technical Committee the following : — XI. Manual and Technical Instruction (p. 14.) XII. Continuation Classes (p. 15). XXIX. Street Trading by Children (p. 23). XV. Agricultural Education (p. 16). To the Scholarship Committee the following : — XIX. Scholarships and Free Places (p. 20). To the Training Committee : — VII. Training of Teachers (p. 13). XXVI. Correspondence Schools (p. 23). XIV. Demilitarization of Junior Cadets (p. 16). To the Staffs and Salaries and Attendance Committee : — VIII. Teachers' Salaries (p. 13). IX. Staffing of Schools (p. 13). XXII. Facilities for Attendance (p. 22). XXVII. Superannuation (p. 23). XXVIII. Compulsory Attendance (p. 23). To the Miscellaneous Committee: — XXV. Private Schools (p. 23). XIII. Overlapping (p. 15). XXIII. Free Books (p. 22). Geo. D. Braik, Convener. Interim Report, Staffs and Salaries Committee. 1. Mr. Richardson's Motion, No. I. —That the time has arrived when the scale of salaries for teachers should be revised, with a view to placing them more in line with those paid in other branches of the Public Service; that a teacher's salary should increase by regular increments to a fixed minimum of, say, £240 for men and £180 for women : and that the maximum salary for Grade 10 be £500.—Carried.

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2. Mr. Whetttr's Motion, No. 2. —That in a Grade 4 school where the head teacher is a female, provision should be made to allow of the appointment of a male, instead of a female assistant, if considered necessary. —Carried. 3. Teachers' Salaries (Commission's Report, p. 13). — (a.) That the salary attached to the position of infant mistress in the higher-grade schools should not be less than that of the second assistant. —Carried. (c.) That no deduction should be made from the salary of a teacher who has qualified for a certificate, but who is under twenty-one years of age. —Carried. 4. Facilities for attending Schools. —That the Commission's report, page 22, be indorsed. — Xot agreed to. 5. Superannuation. —That the first paragraph, page 23, of the Commission's report be indorsed.—Carried. 6. Compulsory Attendance (Commission's Report, p. 23). —(«.) The committee has no recommendation to make on the defect in the compulsory sections of the Education Act, including the provisions in section 152, which allows seven days to elapse before a parent who fails to send his child to school is liable for a fine. —Carried. (b.) The committee recommends that the Minister's attention be drawn to the conflict between the minimum age of employees under the Factory Act and the maximum compulsory age for school attendance, and that section 18, paragraph 1, of the Education Amendment Act, 1910, be amended by deleting the words " on the application of a School Committee." —Carried. 7. Registers. —That in No. 6 of the " Instructions for the keeping of the Public-school Register of Daily Attendance " — (a.) The following words be deleted: " r lhe letters 'a,' ' s,' ' w,' ' h,' may be used to indicate respectively ' absent,' ' sick,' ' weather,' ' home circumstances,' " and the following lie substituted : " The letters ' c,' ' a ' may be used to indicate respectively ' absent with reasonable excuse,' ' absent without reasonable excuse.' " —Carried. (//.) The words " But teachers may use any other well-considered method of marking, provided that they use it consistently," be deleted. —Carried. 8. Attendance of Children at Training Centres. —The Committee has no recommendation to make.—Adopted. A. Bell, Convener. The report was adopted. Recommendations of Staffs and, Salaries Committee. — Second Interim Report. Payment of Salaries (Department Remit). 1. That where a teacher resigns his position at the end of the year he should be entitled to his pay for the ensuing Christmas vacation. 2. That teachers and pupil-teachers be paid from the date on which they commence duties. 3. That in order to secure uniformity in this matter the necessary instructions be issued to the various Education Boards. Promotion of Te tellers. 4. Auckland remit No. 6 agreed to. Scale of Staffs and Salaries. 5. That any amended scheme of salaries should take into special consideration the desirability of increasing the salaries of head teachers of Grades 4 and 5, and in order that deserving teachers of Grade 4 may have more opportunities of promotion Grade 4 be divided into two subgrades—4a (36-60) and 4b (61-80), and that the salary of Grade 4b be greater than that of 4a. (In place of Auckland remit 7.) 6. That the substitution of assistants for pupil-teachers on the staffs of schools above Grade 6a be effected as soon as possible. (Auckland remit No. $.) 7. Auckland remit Xo. 9 : Substitute (hade II for Grade 111. (That no teacher on the staff of a Training College be paid a salary lower than that of Grade 11— £120-.£ ].">().) 8. Auckland remit No. 10. —Agreed to. 9. Auckland remit No. 11. —Agreed to. 10. Auckland remit No. 12 : That the salaries of pupil-teachers and probationers be brought into line with those paid to cadets in the Public 'Service, and that the regulations be amended with a view to making the salaries at present paid to pupil-teachers and probationers more nearly equal. 11. That in order to secure better teachers for backblock schools some provision should be made by the Department to grant teachers of such schools an allowance over and above the statutory salary of such schools. (In place of Dr. Mcllraith's motion.) 12. That the salaries of secondary assistants in district high schools are inequable, and should be materially increased. —Agreed to. 13. That no scale of salaries can be considered satisfactory or equitable in which salary depends directly or indirectly on average attendances or roll number (Mr. Richardson's motion — no recommendation). 14. That it is recommended that the retiring-allowances to teachers retiring on superannuation be paid on the three best years of salary. (Mr. Whetter's motion—agreed to.) Adopted. Final Report of Staffs and Salaries Committee. Salaries. —Recommendation : (1) That a uniform scale of salaries for Inspectors of Schools and corresponding officers in the departmental service should be adopted, with salaries ranging from £500 to £650 per annum, exolusive of travelling-expenses, and that the salaries of heads of departments in the Education service should be made adequate.—Carried. A. Bell. Convener. The above report was adopted.

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Interim Report of Teachers' Training and Certificate Committee (Convener, 11. A. E. Milnes). Provisional Agenda Paper 3, ii, and 23. 1. It is desirable that in districts where necessary certain of the schools of Grade 111 should become observation schools for the purpose of providing opportunity for practice in teaching for inexperienced teachers, who would be required to attend for a few weeks at a time so as to get an insight into the working of an efficiently conducted school. In such schools a suitable addition to the teacher's salary should be made. " Grade III," above, was altered to read " Grades 11, 111, and IV," and clause was carried as amended. Provisional Agenda Paper 24. 2. That, in view of the large number of uncertificated teachers still employed in the schools throughout the Dominion, a more liberal allowance be made to the Boards for the purpose of providing the instruction needed. It is suggested that the 10-per-cent. deduction of salary be used to this end. —Deleted. 3. No recommendation to make.—Adopted. Provisional Agenda Paper 26. 26. That, with the object of improving the quality of singing in our schools, the Education Department issue for the use of teachers a pamphlet dealing with elementary voice-production. 4. Mr. Bakewell's motion, " That teachers' certificates be reduced to three " : No recommendation to make. Mr. Bakewell moved, and it was resolved, That the committee's recommendation above be disagreed with, and that the Conference affirm the desirability of reducing the number of classes of teachers' certificates. —Carried. Regulations for Teichers' Certificates. 1. On page 4, 8 (1), dealing with requirements for a B certificate, English language and literature be added. —Carried. 2. On page 9, section 24, re D certificate : " Provided Group 1 be passed, a candidate shall be given credit for every subject in which he has attained the necessary number of marks for a pass in that subject." —Deleted. And it was resolved, That the amendment of clause 24 of Teachers' Regulations be commended to the consideration of the Department. Re D Certificates; Re Practicil Certificates in Science Subjects. That where a teacher cannot attend a centre in order to obtain a practical certificate in agriculture or dairy science, a certificate from the Inspector or Agricultural Instructor be accepted, provided they are satisfied that a good school course has been followed out by the candidate during the year. —Carried. 3. That p. 10, section 32, be referred to the Inspector-General for a ruling. In any such case the candidate will, however, still be required to obtain on the remaining subjects of the group an undiminished aggregate of marks to satisfy the pass conditions of the group, and must pass in addition in some optional subject not otherwise chosen as for Class D or for Class C. —Ruling given. Commission Report. 1. Page 13, re training of teachers. —No recommendation to make. 2. Page 16, re demilitarization of Junior CaJets.—No recommendation to make. 3. Page 23, re correspondence schools. —No recommendation to make. Matters brought under Hon. Minister's Notice, and referred to Conference. There is a difficulty of outlook with respect to the rural-course pupils. They have gone so far to find that there is no path leading to a definite end. A pupil taking the Civil Service course looks to appointment, and a pupil taking the Matriculation course looks forward to the University, while a pupil taking the rural course, no matter how able he may be, has no outlook. It is suggested that promising pupils might be received at one of the State farms, and allowed a small wage from the outset. When agricultural colleges are established the outlook for such pupils will be definite. In connexion with the rural course, it is in the highest degree desirable that the services of the Agricultural Department's experts should be occasionally placed at the service of the Boards. Veterinary and wool-classing experts could do an immense deal to raise the utility of the instruction given. The Board cannot independently command the services of such experts*. The Department might well make a fixed grant to Boards to be devoted to the payment of agricultural experts' salaries which are inadequate. Physical Training. —Along with instruction in physical training should go instruction in first aid, and the Department should supply first-aid cabinets to all schools. School Sanitation. —Allowances to committees for this purpose are inadequate, especially in the smaller schools. Disinfectants are out of the question; for these a special grant might be made. Teaching by Kinematograph. —lt is desirable that Boards should receive a special grant to enable them to send to grouped schools in country districts a teacher provided with a kinematograph outfit for the purpose of giving pictorial lessons on geography, manufactures, nature-study and history. Medical Inspection of Schools. —Medical inspection should be followed by medical action, and parents who are unable to pay should be in a position to Took for medical treatment for their children at school or elsewhere, more especially in dentistry, eyesight, hearing, and lung trouble.

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Training of Uncertificated Teachers. —There is a large number of uncertificated teachers in this district who cannot possibly attend Saturday training classes, and who by necessary limitations cannot take the practical science required for certificates in any other way than by personal attendance at classes established for their benefit. The Department provides railway passes, but teachers pay their own board. This, with their small salaries, they can ill afford to do. Cannot an allowance be made for this purpose? Probationers. —A probationer may not become a pupil-teacher, nor may the position of a probationer leaving the service during the year be filled. This arrangement ill suits our district, where, with our rapidly increasing school population, any waste of teaching power is a serious matter for the schools. Recommendations. Physical Training. —As the regulations have not been issued yet, no recommendation to make. Training of Uncertificated Teachers. —Already dealt with. Probationers. —Should a probationer resign before the completion of his term, another appointment be made. The above recommendations were adopted. interim Report of the Manual and Technical Committee. 1. It was resolved to refer remit No. 14 from the Auckland Inspectors to the Conference, with a recommendation in favour of its adoption. 2. That the present system of payment of manual and technical grants for primary schools should be abolished. The committee was informed that the Department had under consideration a scheme by which the objects sought to be obtained under this motion would be secured, and in view of this information, it was agreed to proceed no further with this motion. 3. That the capitation rate paid for cookery be increased to 15s. per pupil in average attendance. The committee recommend that this motion be agreed to. The committee is also of opinion that it is inadvisable that any charge be made to pupils attending cookery classes. The report was adopted. C. R. Richardson, Convener. Further Interim Report of Manual and Technical Instruction Committee. With regard to the matters under the heading " Manual and Technical Instruction " referred to this Conference by the Hon. the Minister of Education, your committee make the following recommendations : — (1.) That Senior Scholarships be tenable at State farms and similar institutions. (2.) That those pupils who have satisfactorily completed a three years' rural course at a district high or a secondary school should be given preference as cadets on State farms. (3.) That a three years' course of study in a rural course should be considered as an equivalent to one year's work on a farm as required for admission to a course at hincoln College. (4.) The committee recommend that the Government should be urged to proceed with the establishment of two agricultural colleges as speedily as possible. (5.) The committee recommend that the services of the Agricultural Department experts should be occasionally available for instruction in connexion with district high schools, secondary and technical schools. (6.) The committee also recommend that, in so far as compatible with the Civil Service Regula tions, and other things being equal, candidates who have undergone a course of rural instruction should be given preference of employment in the Department of Agriculture. The committee recommend that the Education Department be asked to rearrange the courses in botany and in agriculture for the Civil Service Junior Examination, and allow candidates to sit for the examination in both these subjects. With regard to fixed salaries for agriculture and manual training experts, this committee has no recommendation to make. The report was adopted. - C. R. Richardson, Convener. Final Report of tin Committee on Manual and Technical Instruction. In connexion with the remits under the heading " Manual and Technical Instruction," from pages 14 and 15 of the report of the Royal Commission, your committee have to report:— (1.) That the matters referred to in clauses 1 and 3 have already been dealt with in an interim report from this committee. (2.) Your committee is of opinion that the recommendation contained in clauses 5 and 6 of the Commission's report under this heading be given effect to. (3.) With regard to clauses 2 and 4, your committee makes no recommendation. With regard to the remits under the headings " Continuation Classes" (page 15) and " Children and Street Trading " (page 23), your committee has no recommendation to make. Regarding the remit under the heading " Agricultural Education " (page 16 of the Commission's report), your committee reports that — (1.) It disagrees with the finding of the Commission as set out in clause 1 : (2.) It has already dealt with the matter referred to in clause 5; and (3.) It has no recommendation to make regarding clauses 2, 3, and 4. The report was adopted. C. R. Richardson, Convener.

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Final Report of Miscellaneous Committee, * 1. Matters brought under Hon. Minister's notice and referred to this Conference, (a.) School sanitation.—Recommended to the Department for favourable consideration. (6.) Teaching by kinematograph.—The committee has no recommendation to make. (c.) Medical inspection of schools. —Recommended to the Government for favourable consideration. 2. Matters arising out of the report of the Commission on Education in New Zealand, 1912. (a.) Private schools (p. 23 of report). —This committee is of opinion that all private schools should be inspected by Inspectors responsible to the Department of Education. (6.) Overlapping (p. 15 of report of Commission). —The committee has no recommendation to make. (c.) Free school-books (p. 22 of report of Commission). —The committee agrees with the recommendation of the Education Commission. 3. " That wherever practicable it be part of a teacher's duty to visit during the year at least one school other than that in which he is engaged."—The committee has no recommendation to make. 4. Motion by Mr. Bossence : "That the Department enter into correspondence with educational authorities elsewhere for the purpose of securing interchange of teachers between this Dominion and other parts of the Empire."—The committee has no recommendation to make. 5. Motion by Mr. Bossence: "That in order to secure continuity of method at least two staff conferences be held yearly in each school employing more than two teachers."—heft to the direction of Education Boards and Boards' Inspectors. Motion by Mr. Bossence: "That in the Education Act provision be made for facilitating temporary exchange of teachers." —The committee has no recommendation to make. John I!. Don, Convener of Committee. The report was adopted. Report of Education Commission. Dr. Mcllraith moved, and Mr. Hill seconded, That a Council of Education be appointed.— Carried, by 18 to 10. Mr. Richaidson moved, Mr. Whetter seconded, That the function of the Council be advisory. —Carried. it was decided that the Conference terminate its proceedings at 11.30 p.m. It was resolved, That this Conference,, while agreeing that the number of Education Boards should be reduced, considers that the disti icts as recommended by the Commission are too large for administrative purposes. It was resolved, That the Conference is unable to consider the question of education of girls, sex physiology, and the trend of education. It was decided that the question of school buildings and playgrounds be left to the Boards and Department. The Conierence generally approved of the consolidation of schools in suitable localities. The Conference decided that it had no time to consider those questions dealing with School Boards and School Committees. It was resolved, That each Education Board shall nominate periodically one of its Inspectors or teachers to study educational methods in other parts of the world, such nomination to be confirmed by the Council of Education. Mr. Bossence moved, That this Conference protest against the finding of the Commission of want of aim and method among Inspectors, as such finding is contrary to fact, and not in accordance with evidence. —Seconded by Mr. Richardson. —host on the voices. Mr. McKenzie moved, That in the opinion of this Conference the Inspectorate should be centralized. —Seconded by Mr. Hill. —host on the voices. Mr. Bakewell moved, That this Conference record its high appreciation of the distinguished services rendered to the cause of education by Mr. Petrie, late Chief Inspector of Auckland; Mr. Goven, late Chief Inspector of Otago; Professor White, late Principal of Dunedin Training College; Messrs. 1!. D. Stewart and Grierson, of Auckland; and Mr. E. A. Scott, of Grey, and trusts that they may long live to enjoy the honourable repose to which they are so justly entitled : and, further, that this Conference can only express its regret that, in the distribution of honours so freely bestowed on other branches of the Public Service, there appears to be no recognition of the fact that men who have devoted their lives to the discharge of the highest duty of a State have also deserved well of their country. —Carried unanimously. Mr. Fleming moved, That a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to the Chairman for his able conduct of the proceedings. —Carried by acclamation. Dr. Anderson was also accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his services to the Conference. It was resolved that the Chairman be given power to confirm the minutes. The Conference concluded at 11.45 p.m.

* See page 12.

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8.-TRAINING COLLEGE CONFERENCE.

I 7th February, 1913, A Conference of representatives of the four training colleges, together with representative officers of the Education Department, was held in a room in the Parliamentary Buildings on Monday, 17th February, 1913, at 10 a.m. The following gentlemen were invited by circular to attend the Conference : Representing Auckland Training College—H. A. E. Milnes, B.Sc, G. J. Garland, E. K. Mulgan, M.A., Professor A. P. W. Thomas. Wellington Training College—J. S. Tennant, M.A., B.Sc, W. hock, Professor J. R. Brown, G. Carson, T. R. Fleming, M.A., hh.B., R. hee. Christchurch Training College— T. S. Foster, M.A., C. H. Opie, W. Brock, M.A., C. S. Howard, Dr. C. Chilton. Dunedin Training College—D. White, M.A., E. Pinder, M.A., C. R. D. Richardson, 8.A., J. Mitchell, J. Fisher. Representing Education Department—G. Hogben, M.A., F.G.S., Inspector-General of Schools; W. J. Anderson, M.A., L.L.D., Assistant Inspector-General of Schools; 'T. H. Gill, M.A., LL.B., Inspector of Secondary Schools. Mr. G. Hogben, in the absence id' the Minister of Education, opened the Conference. Apologies for non-attendance were received from the Hon. .1. Allen, the Hon. 11. I). Bell, Professor White, and Mr. G. J. Garland. Mr. T. H. Gill was elected Secretary. It was resolved that the Conference be open to the Press. Notices of motion were received and read to the Conference. It was decided to meet from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., and from 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Conference went into Committee of the Whole to consider the regulations appended hereto. Clause 1 was passed. Clause 2 : Last sentence of clause was amended to read as follows : " Any subsequent regular meeting shall be at a time to be fixed by the committee, but other meetings may at any time be called by the Chairman of the committee on his own initiative, or on the request in writing of two members of the committee, or of the Principal of the Training College." ( lause 3 approved. Clause 4 approved. Clause 5 approved. Clause 6 (3) (c) was amended to read : " Other assistants, lecturers, and instructors approved by the Minister as follows ; Two with salary of Grade 5; three with salary of Grade 4; three with salary of Grade 3." The other subclauses were passed subject to necessary consequential amendments. In clause 6 (2) " £300" was deleted and " £350 "'inserted, and "£125" was substituted for " £100," in line 5. Clause 6 (3) approved. Clauses 7, 8, and 9 approved. Clauses 10 and 11 approved In subclause 1, clause 12, it was decided to substitute IV for HI. In subclause 3, clause 12, " Division B " was deleted and " Division A " inserted. Clause 13 approved. Clause 14 approved. Clause 15.—Mr. Mitchell moved, That it is desirable that the bond entered into on behalf of students should be made with and enforceable by the Education Department.—Carried. Mr. Richardson moved, That it is desirable that some provision should be made, either by regulation or by a clause in the training-college bond, to ensure that students should, on the completion of their training-college course, return for at least one year to the education district in which they had been employed before entering the training college, if the Education Board of such district so desire.—host on the voices. Mr. Mulgan moved, That the length of time for-which a student shall be required to enter into a bond to teach after having completed a course at a training college should not, in the case of women, exceed two years : Provided that the two years in question be those immediately following the completion of the course.—Carried on division—Ayes, 10; Noes, 7. Dr. Anderson moved. That the bond for which provision is made in clause 15 of the Training College Regulations be amended so as to include service in schools in New Zealand subject to inspection under the Education Act and its amendments, or in a University College.—Carried on division—Ayes, 11; Noes, 8. Clause 15 as amended passed. Chaises 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 approved. Clause 21.—"As to clause 21 thereof, by adding thereto the following paragraph: 'The opportunities for observation of the child and of the methods of teaching referred to in paragraphs (c) and (/) shall be provided at the Normal School or in any class or classes of a school or schools within convenient distance of the training college, if the teacher or teachers of such class or classes are approved for this purpose by the Board on the recommendation of the principal and by the Minister.' " Mr. Milnes moved, That after the word "teaching" the words "and for some practice in the methods of teaching " be inserted.—Carried on the voices. Clause 21 as amended was approved.

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Clause 22.—" As to clause 22 thereof, by inserting the number ' (1) ' at the beginning of the clause, and by adding the following subclause : ' (ii.) Notwithstanding anything contained in the preceding subclause (i), students of Division A to a number not exceeding 25 in any one year may, until the Minister otherwise determines, be admitted for one year of training only.' ' Clause 22 as amended passed. Clause 23 passed. Clause 24 : The word " elementary " before " handwork " in (6) and (c) was deleted, on the motion of Dr. Anderson; in (d) the word "two hours a week being given to military drill" were struck out on the motion of Mr. Richardson. Clause 24 as amended was passed. Clause 25 passed. Clause 26 passed. Clause 27: On the motion of Dr. Anderson, it was decided to insert the word "service" before the word " age " in line 11. Clause 27 as amended was passed. Clause 28 passed. Clauses-29, 30, and 31 passed. The Chairman reported to the Conference that regulations and amendments were adopted. Clause 12 recommitted. Dr. Anderson moved, That clause 12 be amended by the insertion of the words " not less than one year and not more than two years " in lieu of the words " not less than two years."— Carried on the voices. The Chairman reported to the Conference that the regulations and amendments were adopted. Mr. Milnes moved, Mr. Mulgan seconded, That, inasmuch as the number of students at a training college has been increased from 100 to 125 students — (a.) An additional member of the staff be appointed.—Carried. (b.) A proportionate increase in the £300 incidental allowance be made. —Carried. (c.) The payment of an honorarium of £15 per annum be made to those teachers who are selected to help in training students in schools other than the Normal School. —host on division, by 10 to 7. Mr. 'Pennant moved, Mr. Fleming seconded, In view of the importance of the subject, and the large number of teachers now on the rolls of our University Colleges, this Conference considers that Education should now be made a full honours subject.—Carried. Mr. Carson moved, Mr. hock seconded, That the travelling-expenses of members of committees of advice in attending the meetings of such committees be defrayed by the Education Boards, and that the Education Department be requested to refund such expenditure to the Boards. —Carried. Dr. Anderson moved, Mr. Richardson seconded, That it be regarded as the duty of the training colleges to make provision for the assistance of uncertificated teachers by means of correspondence classes and otherwise, and that the regulations be amended accordingly to enable this work to be undertaken.—Carried. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Richardson, That the Chairman be authorized to confirm the minutes. Mr. Richardson moved, Mr. Mitchell seconded, That a hearty vote of thanks be accorded the Chairman for the able and impartial manner in which he has conducted the meeting.— Carried by acclamation. The Conference then finally adjourned.

APPENDIX.

TRAINING COLLEGE tJEGULATIONS. (ISth February, 1911, and 6th January, 1913.J Control and Organization. 1. The Education Board of any district in which any training college is situated, hereinafter called " the Board," shall have the entire control and management of such college, subject to the provisions hereinafter contained. The "university district" shall mean the university district in which the training college is situated, and the " university college " shall mean the university college in such university district. 2. For every training college there shall be a Committee of Advice, consisting of the Chairman or other member of the Board, an Inspector of the Board, a representative of the Professorial Board of the university college, and a representative of the other Education Boards (if any) in the university district, to be chosen, if there be more than one other Board, in such manner as the Minister of Education shall determine; provided that if the university district includes education districts in both Islands, a representative of other Education Boards may be chosen for each Island. The Committee of Advice shall meet at least twice in each year. The first meeting shall be called by the Chairman of the Board, and shall be held not later than the month of March. Any subsequent regular meeting shall be at a time to be fixed by the Committee, but other meetings may at any time be called on the joint request of two members of the Committee, or on the initiative of the Chairman.

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3. Every training college shall have a normal or practising school connected with it. Every such normal school shall include — (a.) A " main school," organized in the same way as a district high school, with not more than 450 children in average attendance, of which not more than 50 shall belong to the secondary department: (6.) A "model school," organized as a rural public school of Grade 111 under a sole teacher, with 35 to 40 children in average attendance. To a normal school so constituted there may, with the approval previously obtained of the Minister, be added, — (c.) A second "model school," organized — (i.) As a rural public school of Grade IV under two teachers, with 70 to 80 children in average attendance; or (ii.) As a junior school, with 35 to 40 children of classes P to S. 2 in average attendance; or (iii.) As a rural public school of Grade 111, as for (6) above. (d.) A junior kindergarten class or classes containing not more than 40 children between the ages of three and five, but children so enrolled shall not be reckoned in computing the average attendance of the normal school. 4. (1.) The organization of the normal school and the salaries of the staff shall be approved by the Minister of Education; but in no case shall the salaries be less than those payable under the Education Amendment Act, 1908, and regulations thereunder. (2.) No uncertificated teacher shall be appointed on the staff of the normal school unless he possesses special qualifications approved by the Minister. (3.) No pupil-teacher shall be employed on the staff of the normal school, nor shall any probationer be assigned thereto. . . 5 (1.) In addition to the staff of the normal school there shall be a principal ol the training college, and such other lecturers or instructors as the Minister may from time to time approve. The principal shall be appointed by tlie Board, subject to the approval of the Minister. (2 ) To the staff of the training college and normal school, as hereinafter prescribed, the note appended to the First Schedule, Part 11, of the Education Amendment Act, 1908, shall not be taken to apply. . 6. (1.) The following shall be the maximum staff and salaries lor any normal school and training college taken together: — ,„„„.,., • • , . . (a.) Principal of the training college : £500 a year, or £600 if the principal be also the Professor or hecturer on Education at the university college. (b.) Headmaster of the normal school: Salary of Grade 10, together with house allow ance as for head teacher of a public school of Grade 10. (c.) First assistant: Salary of Grade 7. (d.) Kindergarten mistress ... ■ •• ••• ) First secondary assistant ... ... t Each with a salary of Grade 6. Head teacher of model school .. J (c.) Other assistants, lecturers, and instructors approved by the Minister as follows: — 1 with salary of Grade 5; 1 '„ 4; 2 „ 3; 2 „ 2; 2 „ 1: . Provided that in lieu of two assistants, lecturers, or instructors of Grade 1, the Board may, with the approval of the Minister, appoint one assistant, lecturer, or instructor with a salary of Grade 4, or may in like manner appoint one with salary of Grade 5 in lieu of one with salary of Grade 2 and one of Grade 1, or one with salary of Grade 6 in lieu of one with salary of Grade 3 and one with salary of Grade 1 : . (/.) If there be a second model school, the maximum staff named above may, with the approval of the Minister, be increased as follows :— (i.) In the case in which such'second model school is of the type described in 3 (c) (i) above, by one teacher with a salary of Grade 5, and by one assistant, teacher with a salary of Grade 2; or (ii.) In the case in which it is of the type described in 3 (c) (n), by one assistant teacher with a salary of Grade 3; or (iii.) In the case in which it is of the type described in 3 (c) (m), by one teacher with a salary of Grade 5. (g.) If there be a junior kindergarten class or classes in the normal school, the maximum staff named herein may, with the approval of the Minister, be increased by the addition of one assistant with a salary of Grade 2. (2 ) As a further provision the Minister may in any year approve of grants amounting to £300 in all for the instruction of the students in subjects of manual instruction, in physical and military drill, in elocution, and in singing, and for the incidental expenses of the training college ' Out of such grants a part not exceeding £100 may be allocated to the incidental expenses of the training college (the library grant included), but no part of any such grants may be paid to any of the staff named above, nor may the whole of the grants under this subclause in any case exceed the total of £300. . L , '. 1M .. (3 ) If in any one year the total number of students is much less than 100, or the conjoint average attendance of the primary and secondary departments of the " main school " is much less than 450 the staff may, at the discretion of the Minister, be reduced proportionately.

3—E. 12.

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7. Every training college shall be open at all times to — (a.) Any member of the Board or of the Committee of Advice; (b.) Any Inspector of Schools employed by an Education Board in the university district; (c.) The Inspector-General of Schools or any other Inspector of the Education Department. Entrance to Training Colleges and Allowances to Students. 8. In regard to admission to any training college, no distinction shall be made between applicants residing within the education district in which such training college is situated and applicants residing outside such district. 9. Subject to these regulations, students may be admitted as holders of studentships in Division A, or in Division B, or in Division C or D. Studentships. — Division A. 10. Except as hereinafter provided, to be admitted in Division A a student must satisfy all of the following conditions—namely, he must — (a.) Have within two years and six months immediately preceding completed hiß course as a pupil-teacher or a probationer in some education district in accordance with regulations and to the satisfaction of the Education Board of that district : (b.) Have passed the Matriculation Examination of the University of New Zealand, or have gained a hower heaving Certificate, or have passed the first section of the Class D Certificate Examination, including therein Groups I and II and two optional subjects as prescribed for that examination,* or are qualified under the regulations previously in force : (c.) Give satisfactory evidence of his ability to teach, as by a certificate to that effect signed by an Inspector of Schools : (d.) Give satisfactory evidence as to moral character, and produce a satisfactory certificate of health from a medical officer approved by the Board : (c.) Make a declaration of his intention to become a teacher, and enter into a bond as prescribed in clause 15 hereof. The allowances payable to a student in Division A shall be at the rate of £30 a year, together with tin- fees of the university-college classes attended by the student with the approval of the principal, with the further addition at the rate of toll a year in the case of any student who is obliged to live away from home to attend a training college, or of the actual costs of travelling (not exceeding £10 per annum) in the case of a student who lives at home but is obliged to travel more than four miles daily each way to attend the training college. Studentships. — Divisiou li. 11. To be admitted in Division B a student must satisfy all of the following conditions — namely, he must,- — (a.) Being not less than seventeen years of age, have passed the Matriculation Examination of the University of New Zealand, or obtained a Higher heaving Certificate: (b.) Comply within six months of the date of admission with such conditions as to probation in teaching as the principal of the training college with the approval of the Board may require : (c.) Satisfy conditions (d) and (c) as for students in Division A. The allowances payable to a student in Division l> shall be at the rate of £10 a year, together with the fees of the university-college classes attended by the student with the approval of the principal, with the further addition at the rate of £30 a year in the case of any student who is obliged to live away from home to attend the training college, or of the actual cost of travelling (not exceeding £10 per annum) in the ease of a student who lives at home but who is obliged to travel more than four miles daily each way to attend the training college. Studentships. —Divisions C and I). 12. The Board may admit as a student in Division C any teacher who for- not less than two years immediately preceding has been regularly employed in teaching in a school or schools of a grade not higher than Grade 111, and who satisfies conditions (c) and (d) as for Division A. In regard to such of these students as have not satisfied condition (b) of Division A, the principal may, with the approval of the Board, arrange for their- attendance at continuation classes or elsewhere in the non-professional subjects required for Class D. No allowances shall be payable to students in Division C except in such cases (not more than five of those admitted to any college in any year) as may be approved by the Minister, hut in no case shall the allowances exceed those payable to students in Division B. 13. Notwithstanding anything in the above provisions, the Board may admit to the training college, for such period (not exceeding two years) as it may determine, any teacher of a public school or of a secondary school who, on the certificate of an Inspector of Schools or the recommendation of the Board of Governors of such secondary school respectively, may be deemed worthy of further training in professional work. Such students may be termed " students of Division D." No allowances shall be payable in such cases.

* Amendment of 1911 (gazetted as Order in Council of 13th February, 1912).

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General. 14. Notwithstanding anything contained in clause 10 above, University graduates or persona who as matriculated students have satisfactorily completed an approved course of not less than two years at a recognized agricultural college may be admitted, to a number not exceeding five in any year, as students of Division A for one year of training with corresponding allowances; provided that they satisfy conditions (d) and (e) of the clause as for ordinary students of Division A, and trive such evidence of teaching ability or promise as the Board may require. Allowances for such students shall not be payable in any case for a longer period than one year, nor shall any such student be admitted except with an undertaking to devote his whole attention during the period to subjects of professional study and practice under the direction of the principal. 15. Every student to or for whom any of the allowances above mentioned are payable shall enter by his parent or guardian, or by some other person approved by the Board and the Minister, into a bond to return the amount paid in allowances in case he shall fail to complete his course, or be dismissed on the grounds named in clause 29 hereof, or fail to complete within the time prescribed such term of service as may be prescribed in a public primary, secondary, or technical school, or in any endowed school, in New Zealand. The bond shall be on the form supplied by the Department. No allowances shall be paid to or for any student until the said bond has been executed. 16. (I.) A studentship shall not be tenable with a Junior Scholarship of the University, or a Senior National Scholarship, or any other scholarship, if the value of any such scholarship, added to that of the studentship, exceeds .£60 per annum in any one year. (2.) None of the allowances named in clauses 10 to 14 hereof shall be payable in the case of any student for a greater period than two years; nor shall any allowance be payable to a student for any period during which he has been in receipt of salary as a teacher or pupil-teacher, or of allowance as probationer. 17. The allowances to any student shall not include university-college fees in respect of any classes at which the student's attendances and progress have not been satisfactory, or, if such fees have been paid, the amount shall be deducted from any allowances due to him, or be otherwise recoverable from him by the Board. 18. In no case shall fche number of students admitted in any year under Divisions B, ('. and D conjointly be so great as thereby to make the total number of all students in attendance at the training college more than 125. 19. All allowances to students shall, subject to the restrictions named in these regulations, be paid monthly, save that the first payment of a student's allowance may be a quarterly pavment. Curriculum. 20. The curriculum of each training college shall provide for a two-years course of training, and shall be subject to the approval of the Minister of Education. 21. Every training college shall make provision for the following: — (a.) Instruction in the principles and history of education (including elementary psychology), in school and personal hygiene (inclusive of ambulance work), and in methods of teaching. (b.) Courses in elementary practical science as suited to the requirements of public schools —namely,— (i.) Elementary physical measurements; (li.) Elementary practical agriculture, including the management of school gardens; (iii.) Domestic science; (iv.) Nature-study; and, if possible, (v.) Dairy-work. (c.) Courses in kindergarten work and in other branches of elementary handwork, especially modelling in plasticine or clay, paper-work, and bricklaying, and courses in elementary woodwork. (d) Courses in physical instruction (including swimming and life-saving), singing, drawing, military drill and rifle shooting (for men), needlework (for women). (e..) Opportunities for observation of the child and of the methods of teaching and schoolmanagement. (/.) Sufficient, regular, and co-ordinated practice in teaching. The opportunities for observation of the child and of the methods of teaching referred to in paragraph (e) shall be provided at the normal school or in any class or classes of a school or schools within convenient distance of the training coMege, if the teacher or teachers of such class or classes are approved for this purpose by the Board, on the recommendation of tin- principal and by the Minister. 22. (1.) Students receiving allowances shall in general be admitted to a training college under an obligation to complete a two-years course of training, but. for University graduates and others qualified for admission under clause 14 hereof, and for those who before admission have become qualified in all respects to obtain or have actually obtained a. teacher's certificate, a course of one year shall be deemed sufficient. (2.) Notwithstanding anything contained in the preceding subclause (1). students of Division A to a number not exceeding 25 in any one year may, until the Minister otherwise determines, be admitted for one year of training only. 23. In the arrangement of the curriculum special regard shall be paid to tin opportunities of instruction presented by the lectures jriven at the university college, and, where possible, the general education of the student shall in the main be so continued; but no student shall be permitted to take University classes that are in the judgment of the principal inconsistent with

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the. requirements of his professional course, nor shall a student be permitted to take classes forming a recognized step towards a University degree unless his capacities and attainments are of a character to fit him therefor without detriment to the interests of his training as a teacher. 24. With the limitations and exceptions hereinafter mentioned, no course of training for any student shall be deemed complete that does not include attendance at a course of lectures in English at the university college, together with the following :— (a.) The subjects named in paragraph (a) of clause 21 hereof. (6) and (c). Courses of elementary science and elementary handwork occupying not less than four hours a week throughout the two years of training, of which at hast two hours a week shall be devoted to practical elementary science. (d.) The subjects named in paragraph (d) of the clause, two hours a week being given to military drill. (c) and (/). Observation of the child and of methods of teaching and practice in teaching as presoi ibed in paragraphs (c) and (/) of the clause, the time devoted to observation and practice being, in general, not less than 250 hours a year or 500 hours in all. It is important that the observation should be such as to form a basis for the work in elementary psychology and the principles of education, and that the practice should be regular and co-ordinated. 25. (1.) Students who are University graduates or who have satisfactorily completed an approved course of not less than two years at an agricultural college, or who have already satisfied the requirements of the examination for Class C, may be excused from attendance at University lectures; such students, together with those who have already passed in the subject for Class D or for Class C, may also be excused from needlework. Further exemption from attendance at science may also be granted in the case of graduates who have taken a science subject in their degree course, and of students who have completed an approved course of two years at an agricultural college. (2.) A student who is taking a science course at the university college may be exempted from attendance at a science class at the training college during the year in which he is so attending. (3.) Students having no ear for music may be excused from attendance at singing and musical theory if an approved equivalent therefor is taken as an extra subject or subjects, selected from amongst those named in paragraphs (b) and (c) of clause 21 above, and occupying not less than two hours a week throughout the period of training, the total requirement under these paragraphs being thus raised to six hours a week in all. 26. The observation of methods of teaching for which provision is made shall include in especial observation of the methods of teaching English, arithmetic, drawing, singing, natureknowledge, geography, civics, as prescribed for public elementary schools. It shall also include either (a) methods of teaching as specially adapted to the requirements of infant classes; or (b) the methods of teaching the following subjects in secondary classes —English, elementary mathematics, and the elementary stages of a foreign language; or (c) the methods adopted in teaching two or more branches of elementary science and handwork as suited to the requirements of the higher primary classes. The practice in teaching shall correspond thereto. 27. At the close of their period of training, students duly admitted under these regulations as students- of Division A or Division B who have satisfactorily completed the prescribed course of work during the two years of their attendance at the training college, or, in the case of graduates or previously certificated students, during a period of not less than one year's attendance, and who are favourably reported upon in respect both of professional promise and of educational progress, may, on the recommendation of the principal of the college and with the concurrence of the Inspector-General of Schools, receive without further examination, subject to compliance with the necessary conditions of age and health, as prescribed by the Regulations for the Examination and Clasification of Teachers, a Trained Teachers' Certificate, which shall rank in respect of attainment with certificates of Class C or with certificates of Class D, as may in each case be determined. 28. (1.) Subject to the general control and management of the Board, the principal shall have full control of the staff of the normal school and training college and of the students; he shall also have power to arrange for the several courses of instruction in accordance with the requirements named above, to allot to himself and the other members of the staff such subjects of instruction as he may find convenient and the Board may approve, to choose text-books, and to determine the course of study and training of each student. (2.) A statement shall be furnished to the Professorial Board giving the names of all trainingcollege students in attendance at the university college, and the classes approved by the principal for each student, in order that the Professorial Board may be in a position to report to the principal on the progress made by the students. 29. The Board may at any time, on the receipt of a report from the principal, dismiss a student or direct him to cease attendance at the training college, on the ground of repeated neglect of duty or gross misbehaviour, and all allowances to such student shall thereupon cease. 30. The principal shall make an annual report to the Board of the work of the training college, and the Board shall forward that report, with such other report as it may desire to make, to the Minister of Education before the 31st January in each year. 31. The Inspector-General of Schools shall inspect each training college from time to time,. and shall report annually to the Minister.

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