THE INSPECTORS’ CONFERENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2741, 21 February 1910, Page 2

THE INSPECTORS’ CONFERENCE.

IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS

rPEit Pit ess Association. | WELLINGTON, Fob. 19. An adverse recommendation was received from the Regulations Committee of the Inspectors’ Conference in regard to .a proposal for raising the age of school exemption to fifteen. The committee considered a motion by Air. H. Hill: “That all children lie required to attend school up to the age of 15 years, irrespective of the school qualifications gained,” and reported that under the present conditions the committee could not see its way to recommend t.his proposal. It was explained by the till airman that although everyone on the committee hoped to seethe school life of the cliilTL prolonged, they did not wish to compel children to remain for a long period under the instruction of uncertified teachers in some country schools, where the instruction would not be regarded by an expert as sufficient.

Another interesting motion by Air. JI ill submitted to the committee read: “That the leakage in the school attendance of pupils between standard 4 and standard 6 is one of the weakest spots in the scheme of free education, and calls for the serious attention of the Government.” The committee came to the conclusion: “That the compulsory attendance, clauses of the Act already in existence should he sufficient, if efficiently administered, to greatly minimise the leakage referred to.” This was agreed to. .Motions adopted included the following :That the minimum requirements for a standard G certificate of competency he more explicitly stated ; that capitation on elementary handiwork be granted to the Boards, not by class, but by a grant based upon the number of pupils taking the work as shown in the quarterly returns ;that the time has come for co-ordinating the work of the primary, secondary, and technical day schools.

The Scholarships Committee reported regarding free places at secondary and district .high schools, that it was desirable that all pupils qualified to hold free places should he supplied with

n clear statement as to the avenues of further education open to them. Immediately after a name of a pupil in standard 5 and standard 6 has been removed frern the roll of a primary school, the headmaster sihal] forward to the director of the local technical school the name of the pupil, and the name and address of the parent or guardian. These motions were adopted. It was resolved that the provisions contained in regulation 2G, C certificate examination, which enables a candidate to take the examination in two sections, be allowed in the ease of tlie examination.

The report of the sub-committee concerning two years’ training in a training college being regarded as satisfying the requirements of class C certificate, the committee recommended that the proposal bo approved, subject to the following conditions: (1) That tbo student must have duly qualified for admission in division A or division B : (2) that there be a scheme of two years’ work for each student, the scheme to ho. approved by the department ; the work done by the student to be reported on by tbo principal, his report to be based on the results of progress examination; (3) that the principal’s report may be deemed suffi_ eient in itself, or if not regarded as satis factor v the Department should' have the right to hold an examination on the lines of the approved course.

THE “SCHOOL JOURNAL” APPROVED. It was decided to express appreciation of the work of the “School Journal” as furnishing pupils with interesting aud instructive matter of a suitable character. During the discussion of the syllabus high praise was given by a munlicr of speakers to the “School Journal” for the capable way in which that publication was conducted. It was suggested that if the programme for the year was outlined in advance the “Journal’s” articles could be utilised to better advantage, but the. difficulty of carrying out continuous programmes and simultaneously attending to topical matters were explained. A motion in favor of rigidly adhering to a programme in geography was withdrawn. Air. YVyllie (Southland) remarked that criticism was heard from people not in the schools, and this was liable to mislead members of Parliament anti others, so that the committee thought it desirable to draw the attention of the public to the fact that a body of experts considered the expendi_ ture upon the “School Journal” to be most useful. (Applause.)

SYLLABUS AND SUPERANNUATION.

The conclusions of the conference in regard to the school syllabus were as follows: That though the use of suitable books for the purpose of teaching geography and history should be encouraged, especially .in the upper classes, no course of instruction in these subjects be considered complete which does not provide for a full share of mixed personal teaching; that from standards 3 to 4, courses A, B, and the alternative course, geography be fused into one complete compulsory course, and that instruction in the subject be continuous throughout in the classes standard 3 to standard 4: that the. course in history and civics be amended as was suggested in the matter of geography ; that a redistribution of the woi J k in arithmetic is desirable with a view to an increase of the portion set

down for standard 3; that tho arithmetic now prescribed for standard 5 be made less extensive in scope. In regard to teachers’ superannuation, the following remits were accepted. That legislation should be introduced to provide that contributors to the teachers’ superannuation fund, wiho retired prior to October lQtli, 1908, and whose allowances are lower than those provided under the Act of 1908, shall, as from the passing of an amending Act, receive allowances calculated as under the amending Act of 1908; that it is desirable that legislation should be introduced to enable those teachers who have hitherto found themselves unable to take advantage of tho provisions of the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Amendment Act to be_ come, within six months, subscribers under suitable conditions and entitled to the privileges of original members. The conference placed upon record its appreciation of the long and; arduous services to education, of Mr. W. S. Fitzgerald, late inspector of Otago, and its good wishes upon his retirement.