EDUCATION COMMISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 129, 1 June 1901, Page 3

EDUCATION COMMISSION.

COLONIAL SCALE OF TEACHERS

STAFFS AND SALARIES,

A UCKLAND TEACHERS' KVIDENCI

The Commission appointed by the Government to enquire into a colonial scale of school teachers' salaries and stalling of schools opened iU session ill Auckland this morning at the Board of Education's olliccs, Victoria Arcade. The Commission has already travelled through the South bland, hearing evidence at the various centres of education, and is now commencing its tour of the North Island, opening i" this city. The members of the Commission are Messrs A. W. Hogg, M.H.li. (chairman) T.'MeKenzk', W. Davidson, K. I). Stuart, S. Luke, M. Gil fodder, M.IU!., F. J. Lethbrldge, M.U.K.. T. S. Weston, Jl. Uill (Inspector of .Schools of Ilawke'a Bay), and J. .Smith (inspector of schools for Mar I borough). Mr A. Hogben, ln-spet'tor-Genernl of Schools, and Secretary for Education, is also travelling with the Commission. The duties of secretary arc. carried out by Mr A. J. Morton,'lnspector of Schools for Westland, and Messrs X, 0. Thomson (Hansaid staff) and G. V. McGirr arc the shorthand reporters. The Auckland session commenced at ten a.m. to-day, when all the members were present except. Messrs Hogg, Hill and Smith. In the temporary absence of the chairman Mr S. Luke was voted to the chair.

T. I. Wells, president of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute, and head master of the Richmond.Koad .school, was the first wit ness culled. He urged the institution of a colonial scale of stud's and salaries. It was the unanimous wish of the Auckland teachers I hat there should be silch a scale. Teachers fully recognised the difficulties met by the Board in opening small schools in scattered districts, and these difficulties were doubtless largely responsible for the anomalies which prevailed. These anomalies and the frequent changes in the scale of salaries created v feeling of unrest. The teachers here wanted a scale on the principal of equal pay for equal work. In Australia and adjacent colonies they had a uniform system, and in our own colony the various departments of the Government were paid uniformly. With regard to Mr Hogbon's colonial scale and the supplementary scale since issued, he had been asked by a number of country teachers to suggest to the Commission that country' teachers were asked to do too much in teaching a school unaided until the attendance reached forty. They suggested that when the attendance reached IJS a third year pupil teacher should assist the teacher until the roll increased to fifty, when an assistant might be put in. The Institute hoped that the salaries for country teachers would bo as liberal as possible, so that these teachers would not be so anxious for change and removal as at present. With regard to our larger schools, he was asked by the Institute to urge that an high a maximum as possible be fixed, i'Or upon the value of the prizes of the profession would largely depend the calibre of the teaching staffs. The Institute felt that the rate of pay for women teachers should not be equal to that of men, but that there should not be any great difference in the rate of salary. Auckland teachers regarded very favourably indeed Mr Hogben's proposals re the staffing of schools..

To Mr McKenzie: Since he had been at Richmond Road school he had not had one boy pupil teacher, although girls entered the profession every year. He thought assistants when appointed should have a living wage, and should be able to look forward to a steady increase in pay. He knew lady teachers who managed the higher standards excellently, though they might be an exception. A superannuation allowance for teachers was, in his opinion, a highly necessary provision. In Mr Hogben's scale he noticed no provision for sick. p*iy.

To Mr Davidson: The best class of boys were not entering the teaching profession, simply because the- inducements were not good enough for a clever boy. A uniform scale of salaries and staffing^ would, in his opinion, do much to remove the feeling of um'est that prevailed among the teachers of the colony. With regard to the supplementary scale that had been drafted, he approved of the capitation allowance of £5 per head where the attendance was under fourteen, and also of the addition to salary by unit. He thought it was asking too much of a teacher to teach a country school of forty pupils without assistance.