Sports discrimination
AT a meeting of the directors of the Caledonian Society of Otago on Thursday night, Mr A. Begg presiding, a letter was read from Mr F. P. Bowler (principal of the Christian Brothers School) with reference to the conditions framed by the Dunedin and Suburban Head Masters Association for future schools’ sports meetings. The writer, on behalf of the Brothers, objected to clauses 2 and 4 of the conditions. These clauses are as follows:(2) ‘‘That these sports be open to State Schools under the control of the Otago Education Board, and the
Boards of Governors of the Otago Boys’ High Schools, Waitaki Boys’ High School, Gore High School, and the King Edward Technical College’’; (4) ‘‘Primary school events are open to all pupils who have not obtained proficiency certificates before the 1st of June in the year of the sports.’’ The writer, commenting on clause 2, said that the Christian Brothers’ School was under the local Education Board as far as it would permit the Brothers to place the school under it. They worked the same curriculum as the State Schools, and their classes were examined annually by the Government inspectors.
Manners slipping
A writer in the Saturday Review (may 18) complains of a ‘‘slackness in manners.‘‘ due in part, but only in part, to the war. The chief blame lies on women. For one thing, their children are illtrained. In Queen Victoria’s time children were seen and not heard; that was the accepted
formula. In King Edward’s time — the logic of which chronology one fails to perceive — children began to be both seen and heard. Every mother has an infant prodigy which was allowed to play the ‘‘enfant terrible’’. So it continues under George the Fifth. In point of manners, women themselves are on the down grade. The women of Jane Austen are of course, out of the question; even the women of Anthony Trollope are hard to find. ‘‘A woman receives from a man just that measure of politeness that she deserves’’ ;which seems a hard saying. It is what she desires, not what she deserves, that is determining fact. The man must do as he is told, and will, — a man as is a man.— Civis
Quality teachers needed
Members of the Wellington School Committees’ Association were addressed by the Minister of Education (the Hon. J. A. Hanan) on Monday. In the course of his remarks Mr Hanan said that one of the most
efficient factors in securing proper education was the teacher, and it was in the interests of all that the best intellect and talent should be secured for the training of the children, whatever inefficiency might be tolerated in craftsmanship. It was indispensable that the nation should have the brainiest men and women as teachers. He was sorry to find Government Departments were offering more inducements to boys to enter Public Service than could be given by the Education Department. He thought that was wrong. On the efficiency of the schools largely depended the efficiency of public servants. The Government Departments were attracting boys and girls to the detriment of the teaching profession. Recently an increased sum had been given by Cabinet to offer better inducements to young people to enter the profession. Subsequently an increase was given to youths to enter the Government service. — ODT, 13.7.1918