TEACHERS' SALARIES COMMISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 132, 5 June 1901, Page 5

TEACHERS' SALARIES COMMISSION.

At the Teachers' Salaries Commission yesterday afternoon Mr J. L. Baglnall, ehairma'n of the Board of Education, was examined. He made no opening statement, l>ut was examined by members. To Mr McKenzie, Mr Bagnall saw no objection to a colonial scale, but thought the payment Should be left, to the. Board. The present system of appointment was not entirely satisfactory. By Mr Davidson: In his opinio-n teachers were not satisfied with their present salaries, though plenty of applicants came in for vacancies. First mule assistants were overpaid, but second assistants did not receive enough. The proposed scale was not generous enough for small, schools,, especially for mule teachers. By Mr Stewart: The proposed scale, was preferable on the whole to the present scale of the Auckland Board. The capitation system was unfair to the Auckland district, and in that sense a colonial scale would assist the Board. By Mr Gilfedder: A colonial scale would have more stability than any scale of the 13 Boards. Country schools should be supplied with efficient teachers, as the people were unable to give their children secondary education. lie thought that the legislature should | clearly define the positions of Boards and School Committees. A serious ! drain was put on the Board's finances by the establishment of small schools, and he thought an extra allowance should be made on that account. By Mr Hill: There would be a closer approximation of salaries between assistant teachers. The iJoard should hiive the power to adapt the staffing of schools to their respective needs. By the Chairman: Larger numbers of applications came in for town schools than for country positions. He did not think there was much unrest among Auckland schools. Mr J). Petrie. chief inspector, thought the scale did not provide sufficient remuneration to head teachers of larger schools, and the salaries of these should be largely increased. The salaries proposed to be paid to first assistants was out of proportion to the work they did, as compared with other teachers on the staff. A teacher of a school of between thirty - five and 100 had far more exacting work than a first assistant of a school of 600. Ho considered that the salaries of lower assistant teachers should be made more equal than the scale proposed. He thought schools of from 35 to 50 formed the best training ground for pupil teachers, and would prefer to see a pupil teacher in those schools to an assistant. Regarding infant teachers, he thought it a mistake for them to have separate authority over other teachers. He thought the staff, unnecessarily liberal in some of the larger schools. The salaries proposed i for female teachers were above, what the community could pay. He thought £150 quite sufficient for any work a woman could do in a school. He condemned* as unjust the proposal to subtract from the head teachers of schools of from 19 to 35 to pay sewing teachers. A rent allowance should form a supplement to a salary scheme. Three-fourths of the schools in the colony had dwellings, and he thought that all should be so provided, and that in the meantime rent allowances should be provided.

By Mr McKenzie: There was a divergence in the promotions given in different districts, but this was an ineradicable evil. Half-time schools in this district worked satisfactorily.

By Mr Davidson: He was of opinion that if possible assistance should be given in schools above 35. He did.not think that the first assistant should be looked upon as a deputy headmaster. The second assistant had work very little inferior to that of the first. They did not find the best class of boys becoming- pupil teachers. His objection to the staffs proposed for schools above 300 was that it would in some cases necessitate reconstruction, in order to prevent clashing.

By Mr Stewart: He did not think there was undue multiplication of schools in the Auckland province. He thought that they would have to look to 12 new schools being provided each year for some time.

By Mr Weston: Too many pupil teachers were employed throughout the colony, to their own and the children's detriment. Pupil teachers were overworked rather than underpaid. He advocated the establishment of training colleges.

To the Chairman: The average man was a better teacher than the average woman, and men did not break down so often as women. The,classification of teachers' Rinks needed revision.

As the Commission could not sit another day in Auckland, evidence was taken after" 5 o'clock. Mr Hobbs stated that, the continual introduction of various scales of salaries by different members of the Board had caused a great deal of unrest amongst teachers. Had the Government grant asked for been given, many of the contingencies might have been met. He thought a colonial scale would be very desirable for the whole colony. If there was a direction in which we should be liberal 'it was in that of education. A colonial scale would be improper unless the head-teachers had a house allowance. As to pupil-teachers, he thought a comparison should be made with their salaries and those of cadets entering other Government Departments, and it woxild be ascertained why so few entered the teacliino- profession.

Mr D. O'Donog-hue, headmaster of Mount Koskill, handed in a written statement* In his opinion the proposed scale did not sufficiently or adequately recognise length of service, efficiency, or attainments of teachers. The rates of salary were not based, as he thought they should be, on the foregoing grounds, and on no other. These factors were taken into account hi other Departmets of the Govern: ment, and he thought they should be in the Educational Department. A central authority should have power to transfer teachers to positions wherein their special excellences would be most serviceable. For the sake of public morals it was desirable that teachers should owe their appointments to nothing but their merits, and he thought the proposed scheme could not produce or lead to that result. He also considered that as the merits of teachers could not be fairly gauged by school committees, it was impolitic to give such a duty to these bodies.

Mr Hill proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the Board of Education and its officers for their kindness to the Commission. In supporting the motion, which was carried by acclamation, the chairman expressed his pleasure at the amount of information obtained in Auckland. He was particularly plea«-

e<3 with the way teachers had met them. This concluded the Auckland sitting.

The members of the Teachers' Commission were taken for a trip round t..ha harbour this morning by Mr A. Kidd, Chairman of the Harbour Board, in the Harbour Board's launch Kuaka. The members of the Commission present were Messrs A. W. Hogg. M.H.R. (chairman), Messrs W. Davidson, S. Luke, H. Hill, M. Gilfedder, M.H.R., F. Y. Lethbridge, M.H.H., and T. McKenzie, M.H.R. There were also present Messrs W. J. Napier and C. Fowlds, M.H.R.'s, the Hon. T. Thompson, Malcolm Xiccol and V. E. Rice, secretary of the Education Board.

The party were taken down the harbour as far as the lighthouse and then hack to the Calliope Dock, where the party landed and were shown over the dock and machinery by Mr Kidd and the engineer in charge. The members of the Commission were greatly impressed by the size of the dock, and even more so by the machinery now being fitted up in the workshops. A course was then shaped up the harbour past Chelsea, and the party returned to the wharf about, one o'clock after n most enjoyable trip.

During the trip refreshments were served in the saloon. Mr A. W. Hogg, M.H.R., Chairman of the Commission, proposed the health of •'The Chairman and Officers of the Auckland Harbour Board," and thanked Mr Kidd for his hospitality. The trip had been most enjoyable and the Commission had boon greatly impressed by what they had seen. Mr Kidd, Mr W. J. Napier, M.H.R., and Mr Malcolm Niccol responded briefly, the latter expressing the opinion that the members of Parliament on the Commission would now see that Auckland had been neglected in the past and that they would go away with a better idea of her resources. Mr Xapier

regretted that the Commission could not stay longer in order to see Auckland thoroughly.

Tlie Commission left for New Plymouth by the Ngapuhi this afternoon.