MALE OR FEMALE TEACHERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 302, 18 December 1912, Page 5

MALE OR FEMALE TEACHERS.

IKE METHOD OF SELECTION.

PROPOSAL TO WIDEN POWERS OF

SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

A proposal in the direction of S l ™? school committees more power than they liave at present in the appointment of tfcaciiers was under discission at the meeting of the Education Board to-day, when Mr. E. C. Bank 3 moved: "That, in the case of all appointments, only one name, viz.. that of the teacher or applicant standing highest on the graded list, be submitted to the school committee concerned, with the exception that, whenever the appointment ie open to both sexes, the name of the highest female and the name of the highest male on their respective graded lists be submitted to the school committee concerned." Mr. Banke stated that at present there were 104 more female than male teachers in the Board's employ. He contended that every school should be controlled by a man. There were 542 schools in the province, and consequently there ehould be 542 males in charge of those schools. In 201 schools there should be assistant lady teachers. If hie suggestion were carried out, it would nisan that they would have 341 more mnles in their employ thau female teachers. One reason that there were not more male teachers was that the Board had given preference to lady teachers to take charge of schools, at from £120 to £2TO per annum. For these vacancies both male and female teachers ehould be eligible. Wlsere a man wae in charge the discipline was better, and he would be able to instruct the children in drill and agriculture. Further, the carrying of his proposal would give the country school committees much more power than at present, which wae much to be dceired. Mr. J. D. McKenzie seconded the motion, contending ttsat it was detrimental to take away from the committees the sense of responsibility in connection with the selection of teachers. Mr. G. Edgacumbe said that if they adupced Mr. Banks' suggestion, it would mean that they would practically have to do away with their present system of grading. Mr. Murray said that teaching was essentially a woman's work, and it -.vas theoretical to suggest that they should have a man in charge of every school. The thing was impossible. Efficiency was what was necessary, no matter whether the candidate was a man or a woman. The Board's policy was to get only the most efiicient female teachers. Mr. H. J. Greenslade supported the motion on the ground that more s?ope should be given to school committees instead of appointments being made solely on the recommendation of the inspectorial staff. Mr. C. T. Barriball contended that the present system was the best they had ever had, although he was emphatically of opinion that the committees were in the best position to say whether a male or iemale teacher should be appointed in their particular district. Mr. A. R. Harris advocated equal pay for equal work. He moved as ait amendment that the discussion be deferred unj til a notice of motion by himself, ooverI ing much of the same ground as Mr. Banks's motion had been brought forward. Mr. E. K. Mulgan, Chief Inspector, defended the inspectorial staff,-stating thr.t they always had done, and always would do, their duty fearlessly.—There' was not the slightest suspicion of patronage as had been alleged. The amendment wae seconded and carried, and the matter was held over until a further meeting. CASE FOR THE INSPECTORS. MR. E. K. MULGAN'S OPINION. In the course of an interview with a " Star" reporter, dealing with the proposal, the Chief Inspector (Mr. E. K. I Mulgan) stated that in the great major- , sty of eases the positions in question car- | ried relatively small salaries. For these positions, experience, both here and el.-ewhere, had shown that the more efiicient type of teacher was more likely to appear amongst the female applicants, the small salary failing to attract more efficient male teacher. The majority of pupils in small schools (these being'the ones for which the sexee more frequently compete) were in nearly all cases found in the lower classes. In addition there were the girls in the small schools whoso intorosts must be considered, the net result of all this being that in most of of the small schools there were only a few older boys who might possibly he bettor for tho presence of a male toaeher. For these, speaking generally, the. female teacher was to bo I preferred. The Inspector-General, in I his report on Training Colleges for 1911, ! speaking of the percentages of male an<i j female students in the training colleges, I said: " It will thus be seen that the proportion of men to women is gradually increasing, and in view of the fact that men on the average remain very much longer in the service than women, it is considered that the relative number of the sexes within the training colleges is sucii as fully to secure an adequate pro- • portion of men on the teaching staffs of the schools." The Board's resolution of August 31st. 1910, continued Mr. Mulgan, decided that in all cases only one name, viz., that of ' the teacher standing highest on the graded list, be submitted to the school committee concerned. Teachers in this district had been led to believe that thre ' method of making appointments would : not be appreciably altered. All certifi- " cated teachers had been graded on the " same basis, and at the same time—no ' difference being made in the standard applied to males and females. In other ' words, there was only one graded list of : teachers. If, therefore, two names wen • submitted, as proposed, it might happen •> that those would be separated from each other by a considerable number of marks, 1 and hence of places on the graded list '> Such casc3 would not be of rare occur- " rence, and would imply: — (1) That two 1 teachers unequal in efficiency and hence 1 having unequal claims for promotion. - would be considered equally deserving of advancement. (2) That "the opinion - of the committee as to the most deserv--8 ing and efficient applicant would overi ride that of the Board and its esperi f and responsible advisers. si ' t!