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DEVELOPING CmZENSHIP.
School Inspectors in Conference.
Address by Mr. F. Tate.
School inspectors from the whole
of the States in the Commonwealth,
including oue lady inspector, Miss M.
Miller (N.S.W.), are at present in Mel-
bourne sitting in conference, and discuss
ing the many problems of education and
school supervision that are part of then-
duties. Sitting in conjunction with the
Jubilee Exhibition, which is at present
beng held, the conference has an impor
tant bearing on educational questions.
The conference, which is being attended
fay delegates from the School Inspectors'
guilds and associations, was commenced
yesterday afternoon, the president of the
Victorian Inspectors' Association, Mr. J.
T. Saxton, M.A., being in the chair.
Prior to the opening of the conference
by the Minister of Education, Sir A.
Peacock, the Lord Mayor extended a
civic welcome to the delegates. In doing
so he said no conference could be
of more importance. The delegates from
Victoria and New South Wales alone re
presented 550,000 children. The object of
the conference was to put education on a
higher plane. It was going to oe a big
job, because State education was alrcady
on a high plane That spoke volumes for
the application of the men who controlled
the system. He hoped the conference
would he of great benefit to the different
States.
Sir A. Peacock, proposing the toast ot
Mr. Tate, Director of Education, said the
appointment of Mr. Tate to that position
bad been one of the best steps he had
ever taken.
Mr. Tate said the teachers in the de
partment—from the Murray to the sea—
hud thrown their whole energies into the
Jublice Exhibition. He was proud that
education in Victoria was a live question.
In proposing a vote, of thanks to the
Lord Mayor, Mr. J. Finney (N.S.W.) said
the slogan of the conference should be
citizenship.
The Minister of . Education opened the
conference, wliiyn will Bit three days next
week, and will diacuaS such questions as the
establishment of a Federal Bureau of Edu
cation and the raising of the compulsory
school age. He hoped the keynote of the
conference would be to try to teach the
risiqg generation the duties of citizenship.
He was confident they could do . nothing
better, and felt rare that the people of
Australia were willing and anxious to see
that everything was done to give the
children a chance in the battle of life.
The work done during the war had had a
wondarful influence on education. He was
sure that further good would accrue from
the deliberations of the conference.
Mr. -M'Kenzie (Q.|, in moving a vote
of thanks to the Minister, said one
of the objects of the conference was to
introduce an Australian national spiiit
The ccnitrence was only in its infancy, but
it was a lusty youth, and it would de
velop, and react moat favorably on the
education of the Coamiouweult.li.
Mp. Tate, in delivering an address,
struck the same keynote — that of de
veloping the wiirit - of. good citizen
ship in the children. He looked favor
ably on the suggestion to establish
a Federal Bureau of Education, _ for
the purpose of collecting and systematising
information from the various States and
other countries, but he was opposed to
the oft-made suggestion that the educa
tion systems of the Commonwealth should
be unified. Education was far too im
portant to unify under a central adminis
tration. He would rather sec the various
States work out. their own destinies, under
their own administrations; .especially if
the present inter-communication between
the teachers and staffs continued. Vic
toria took pride at being the introducer of
the compulsory education system. The fault
he- had to find with the men of former days
was that their vision was too narrow. They
did not sec the possibility of education de
veloping citizens; but were content in try
ing to see that everyone should have a
smattering of -the "three R's." To-day, no
one bad such a narrow vision. Tliey were
insisting that before long the State edu
cation system should include all of tne
complex duties of citizenship in the
twentieth century. As time went on they
would find the schools ministering to Tiic
supply of strong men and women lor each
-and every activity of modern citizgnslup.
People who had visited the exhibition had
sqid. "What wonderful work the children
have done." To that he would say— what
wonderful children we have ! Anything
could be made out of the line material in
Australia. (Applause,) -
The President, in an address, said all
lipnoj:. was due to New South Wales for
instituting the Inspectors' Conference
movement. The effect of the work could
not help but be of great value. Dealing
with the promblcms of modern education,
and its great factor of training the indi
vidual, he said the- teacher played an im
portant part in influencing the child, as
aid the inspector. Conferences amongst
inspcotorB would, from the discussions, pro
vide. such a standard that it would be
necessary for a higher and still higher stan
dard of professional achievement m those
who. would come after the present inspec
tors.'
The delegates will to-day visit Sassafras,
and will resume their conference at the
Town Hall on Monday, at 10 a.m.
The Chief Commissioner of Forests (Mr.
O. Jones) will lecture at the Exhibition
Building at 10 a.m. to-day on Our
Forests; How Tliey Concern You. The
Director of Education will preside, and a
scheme for the establishment of a league
of tree lovers will be explained by Dr. C.
S. Sutton. The admission fee to tlie
exhibition will cover entry to the lecture.
$