1924 - Annual Convention Report

              T E N T H A N N U A L C O N V E N T I ON ;-; r>
T h e committees' a c t i o n i n the r e v i s e d course of studies for A l b e r t a , and M r .
F e g u s o n ' s p l a n i n O n t a r i o is a r e a c t i o n f r om the present r i g i d s y s t em a n d a s w i ng
b a c k t o the more i d e a l s y s t e m . M r . A b e r h a r t i n d e s c r i b i n g t h e new s y s t em said
t h e systems of c r e d i t s h a d been successfully i n t r o d u c e d i n G r a d e I X . Next year
G r a d e X a n d the f o l l o w i n g year's Grades X I a n d X I I w o u l d t a k e up the system,
t w e n t y - o n e c r e d i t s b e i n g r e q u i r e d for m a t r i c u l a t i o n .
T h i s is not i n t e n d e d t o be a c r i t i c i sm of t h e more c e n t r a l i z e d s y s t em i n the
different provinces. L i t t l e else c o u l d be done. Our teachers for the most part
m a y be d e v o t e d and w e l l i n t e n t i o n e d b u t o n l y a s m a l l percentage of t h e m have
h a d a n y experience. T h e y k n o w l i t t l e of t h e w o r l d or w o r l d p r o b l e m s . The aver­age
teacher r e m a i n s i n t h e profession o n l y a few years, o n l y a s m a l l n u m b e r , a s m a ll
percentage have a n y t h o u g h t of m a k i n g i t a life profession. Under s u c h c i r c u m ­stances,
w i t h u n t r a i n e d a n d i n e x p e r i e n c e d teachers, the department cannot safely
do m u c h else t h a n have a v e r y r i g i d a n d d i r e c t i n g h a n d i n t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of
t h e schools. That is t h e reason the d e p a r t m e n t is forced to h a v e the r i g i d course
of studies, the r e g u l a r e x a m i n a t i o n s a n d the unchangeable p r o g r am i n general.
T h e secret of progress i n t h e sehools is not so m u c h i n a n y change of studies,
or a n y s y s t em of e d u c a t i o n , b u t i n t h e i m p r o v e m e n t of t h e teacher. When we have
b e t t e r t r a i n e d teachers, w i t h longer experience, t h e n we s h a l l h a v e b e t t e r c o n d i t i o n s,
w i t h greater v a r i e t y a n d less i r o n and r e a c t i o n a r y u n i f o r m i t y.
N O R M A L SCHOOL.
I n t h i s c o n n e c t i o n the department deserves m i l d censure for i t s t e n d e n c y to
pass a l o n g teachers who h a v e f a i l e d i n t h e N o r m a l S c h o o l . Pupils who f a i l i n one
or more subjects are p e r m i t t e d to go to N o r m a l S c h o o l . They f a i l there a n d t h en
are p e r m i t t e d b y s p e c i a l a c t i o n of t h e d e p a r t m e n t to proceed to teach.
I t is t r u e t h a t these p u p i l s are not g i v e n certificates, but they are p e r m i t t ed
t o t e a c h i n o u r schools, w h i c h is n o t as i t s h o u l d be, p a r t i c u l a r l y n ow t h a t the s u p p ly
of teachers is b e c o m i n g adequate.
W h e n q u e s t i o n e d i n the house, the M i n i s t e r of E d u c a t i o n , r e p l i e d t h a t the
a c t i o n was t a k e n up b y t h e d e p a r t m e n t to p r o t e c t the loans w h i c h the department
made to t h e s t u d e n t s w h o were g o i n g t h r o u g h N o r m a l S c h o o l . If t h e p o l i c y of loans
t o s t u d e n t s has t h a t effect, s u r e l y t h e w i s d om o f m a i n t a i n i n g i t , is o p e n t o question.
M u c h has been s a i d b y people not i n t e r e s t e d i n e d u c a t i o n about the increase
i n t h e cost of e d u c a t i o n i n t h i s P r o v i n c e . M o r e money has been spent on e d u c a t i o n,
it is true, b u t that is because of increase i n the number of c h i l d r e n . In the year
1913, the average cost of t e a c h i n g a c h i l d per d a y i n t h i s p r o v i n c e w a s t h i r t y - n i n e a nd
a f r a c t i o n cents. The d o l l a r i n 1913 corresponds a c c o r d i n g t o t h e F e d e r a l G o v e r n ­m
e n t ' s official s t a t e m e n t to about SI. 54 at present. In other words t h i r t y nine
cents i n 1913 were w o r t h s i x t y cents t o d a y . The cost of t r a i n i n g a c h i l d i n the
P r o v i n c e of A l b e r t a at present per d a y i n t h e schools i s 48.8 cents a day. This cost
of e d u c a t i o n is t h e d a r k s h a d ow o n the future, but S i r M i c h a e l Sadler says, " We
must make up our m i n d s to s p e n d w h a t needs t o be spent upon e d u c a t i o n as part
of the f o u n d a t i o n of h u m a n welfare. A r e - v a l u a t i o n of t h e c o m p a r a t i v e i m p o r t a n ce
of different heads of p u b l i c e x p e n d i t u r e is c a l l e d for a n d seems g r a d u a l l y to find
w i d e r acceptance. We cannot afford the e d u c a t i o n we need unless we s p e n d less
o n d r i n k a n d less o n w a r ."
I n p a s s i n g we m a y note t h a t d u r i n g t h e last financial year, w h e n r i g i d economy
a n d d r a s t i c r e d u c t i o n of e x p e n d i t u r e were the order of t h e day, the amount spent
o n e d u c a t i o n was the greatest i n the D o m i n i o n of N e w Z e a l a n d b y a p p r o x i m a t e ly
S i , 7 0 0 , 0 0 0 . The general feeling i s t h a t we cannot afford not to spend a sufficient
s u m on e d u c a t i o n . As the m i n i s t e r argued, roads and bridges w h i c h cannot be
b u i l t now, m a y be b u i l t i n t h e f u t u r e b u t if a c h i l d loses a year of his s c h o o l l i f e , he
c a n never r e c o v e r i t.
I n the D o m i n i o n of C a n a d a i n o u r school o r g a n i z a t i o n w e h a v e always f o l l o w ed
t h e p o l i c y of l o c a l a u t o n o m y w i t h c o m p a r a t i v e l y f u l l c o n t r o l b y the local school
b o a r d . In some of t h e p r o v i n c e s t h i s has been superseded b y m u n i c i p a l o r g a n i z a t i o n ,
b u t not w i t h a n y conspicuous success. In t h e o r y t h e p l a n seems to be r i g h t , but
t h e r e is a q u e s t i o n i f i n a d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r y , w i t h such an a l a r m i n g d i s p a r i t y in
c o n d i t i o n s , i f i t gives i n a l l cases t h e v e r y best results.
I n the t w o l a s t issues of the Queens U n i v e r s i t y Q u a r t e r l y t h e r e are two v e ry
e x c e l l e n t a r t i c l e s c o n t r a s t i n g the s y s t em of e d u c a t i o n i n N e w Z e a l a n d a n d i n the
p r o v i n c e s of C a n a d a . E v e r y member s h o u l d r e a d i t.
I n N e w Z e a l a n d there is a central o r g a n i z a t i o n , w i t h o u t local boards. In
t h e o r y we m i g h t t h i n k t h a t was v e r y wrong, a n d t h a t i t w o u l d be c o n t r a r y t o our
ideas of self- government a n d democracy. But there is m u c h t h a t can be s a i d for