15.—1 c.

Mr. Hill moved, and Mr. Purdie seconded, " That English and arithmetic be the compulsory subjects for all classes P, SI, and 52." Amendment negatived. Mr. Bossence moved, and Dr. Anderson seconded, " That nature-study be added to the list of compulsory subjects in P, 81, and 52." Amendment negatived. Mr. Gray moved, and Mr. Goyen seconded, " That the words ' instruction of the kind indicated in clauses 48, 49, and 50 must also be given ' be deleted." Amendment negatived, and Eegulation 28 agreed to. Mr. Strachan moved, "That the Conference report progress, and that Eegulation 28 be further considered in committee." Motion negatived. " 29. In the same classes the following shall be the additional subjects: Group I.— (1) Lessons on objects, (2) handwork, (3) geography (in S2) ; Group ll.—Needlework." Mr. Gray moved, and Mr. Bossence seconded, "That ' (1) Lessons on objects' be altered to read ' Nature-study or lessons on objects.' " Amendment negatived. Mr. Goyen moved, and Mr. Fitzgerald seconded, "That ' lessons on objects' be omitted." Amendment negatived, and regulation agreed to. " 30. All the additional subjects may be taken in any school. Subject (1) or subject (2) of Group I. must be taken by boys and girls in every school. In schools below Grade 7, two of the subjects of Group I. must be taken by boys, and, where needlework is not taught, by girls also. In schools of Grade 7 and higher grades, all the subjects of Group I. must be taken by boys, and not more than one of them may be omitted by girls." Mr. Eichardson moved, " That ' Grade 9' be substituted for ' Grade 7 ' where it occurs in section 30." Agreed to. Mr. Strachan moved, and Mr. Purdie seconded, " That the following words be inserted in line 1, after the word school: ' In schools below Grade 4 none of the additional subjects need be taken.' " Agreed to. Mr. Eichardson moved, and Mr Purdie seconded, "In schools of Grades 4 to 8 only one additional subject be required." The Conference divided. Ayes, 12 ; Noes, 15 : majority against 3. Amendment negatived. Mr. Harkness moved, " That in Grades 4, 5, and 6 only one additional subject be required." Amendment negatived. Mr. Eichardson moved, and Mr. Fitzgerald seconded, " That only one additional subject be required in schools of Grades 5, 6, and 7." The Conference divided. Ayes, 11; Noes, 17 : majority against, 6. Amendment negatived, and regulation 30 as amended agreed to. " 31. The following subjects shall be compulsory in all schools for classes S3, S4, So, and S6, viz.: (1) English, (2) arithmetic, (3) drawing, (4) singing, (5) physical instruction, (6) geography (courses A and B), (7) history (course A), including civic instruction. Instruction of the kind indicated in clauses 48, 49, and 50 shall also be given." Mr. Eichardson moved, and Mr. Fitzgerald seconded, " That ' geography (courses A and B) and ' history (course A), including civic instruction,' be omitted from clause 31." Amendment negatived. Mr. Eichardson moved the deletion of the words " Instruction of the kind indicated n clauses 48, 49, and 50 shall also be given." Amendment negatived. Mr. Fitzgerald moved the omission of the words " (courses A and B) " and " (course A)." Amendment negatived, and regulation agreed to. On the motion of Dr. Anderson, the standing orders were suspended for the purpose of discussing 40, 41, 43, 51, and 52. Agreed to. Dr. Anderson moved, and Mr. Eichardson seconded, " That some such course as geography course Abe regarded as compulsory in all schools—a programme to be drawn up by the teacher and approved by the Inspector." Agreed to. Dr. Anderson moved, " That geography course C and history course B be deleted." The Conference divided. Ayes, 21; Noes, 6: majority for, 15. Motion agreed to. Dr. Anderson moved, " That some of the more important or most useful features of geography course C be incorporated with geography course B." The Conference divided. Ayes, 14: Noes, 15 : majority against, 1. Motion negatived, and regulation agreed to, subject to the general resolution passed by the Conference. Eegulation 41 agreed to, subject to the general resolution proposed by Dr. Anderson, which had been agreed to. Eegulation 42 agreed to, subject to the general resolution which had been agreed to. Eegulation 43, " Note on Courses B and C (Standards 111.-VI.) " agreed to. Eegulation 51 agreed to. Eegulation 52 as amended agreed to. Mr. F. Propsting wrote asking if the Conference could fix a time when it would be convenient for members to witness a demonstration of the usefulness of certain school desks which were on exhibition in the meeting-room of the Conference. Letter received; the writer to be informed that the Conference could not fix such a time. A letter was received from the Chairman of the General Assembly Library Committee extending to the members of the Conference the privileges of the library during their stay in Wellington.

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