830 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION I. 



a very modest salary, and the miserable pittance that is 

 sometimes offered di-ives university men to other occupa- 

 tions. And if all teachers had to be graduates there would 

 be less hope of promotion lo induce eniversity men to 

 become schoolmasters. Hence unless the emoluments of 

 the profession become largely increased, such a regulation 

 would break down of itself. (3) Yet, on the other hand, it 

 would be a worse mistake to undervalue academic training 

 and to pay honour merely to the art of brain-develojnnent. 

 The higher the scholarship of the staff is, the higher will be 

 the intellectual tone of the school. If the power of imparting 

 is emphasised to the undue depreciation of intellectual culture 

 and store of knowledge, the standard of teaching will 

 inevitably fall, and the knowledge actually imparted will 

 dwindle to its minimum. In any scheme of reform, there- 

 fore, the first need to be supplied is a knowledge by teachers 

 of the science and art of their profession. 



(«.) To speak first of those means of improvement that 

 lie within the reach of teachers themselves, headmasters and 

 headmistresses have it in their power to superintend and to 

 aid the efforts of their staff in self-improvement. An occa- 

 sional lesson given by the assistant in presence of the head, 

 or vice versa, would lead the way to numberless suggestions 

 for amendment, besides providing a stimulus that is often 

 wholly wanting. Further, in engaging an assistant, the 

 principal might very well require a knowledge of educational 

 theory ; failing this, he might make it understood that the 

 assistant, if he wished to retain his post, must within six or 

 twelve months pass an examination on set books. 



(b.) Again, the combination of teachers for technical and 

 professional purposes would be an immense gain to the cause 

 of education. If each colony had its own association — not 

 divided into separate chcjues of heads and assistants, but 

 united in common effort as a body of educationists — much 

 investigation might be carried on which is not now dreamt 

 of except by isolated enthusiasts. The aims of such associa- 

 tions should be to increase the professional efficiency of their 

 meiiibers, to secure to them the status and privileges of a 

 learned profession, and by influencing public opinion to 

 prepare the way for those reforms which can only be effected 

 from without. Their methods should include frequent dis- 

 cussions of questions bearing on education, lectures (both 

 public and private) by competent authorities, and annual 

 (perhaps intercolonial) conferences. 



