The Press. FRIDAY, JULY 17. 1914 The Education Bill.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15022, 17 July 1914, Page 6

The Press. FRIDAY, JULY 17. 1914 The Education Bill.

The big Education Bill which the Hon. Mr Allen brought down in the House of Representatives last night is so important, and is so wide in its scope, that we must defer for the present anything like a full di_cti.-ion of its provisions. 3l r Allen has reason to be satisfied with tho chorus of approval which followed his explanation of tho measure, and thero seems to bo every reason to believe "that ho can count upon the rational co-operation of the Opposition in passing the Bill into law in the best possible shape. Tho number of education districts, which has long been recognised as excessive, is to bo reduced to nine, an improvement which -Hil'make for efficiency in administration at tho same time as it wdl enlarge tho horizon of the individual teacher. In other directions tho Bill pro.'ides for a far greater measure of that uniformity and efficiency in which our education system has been lacking in many important particulars. A general Council of Education, consisting of seventeen members-, including women, and thoroughly representative of every educational interest, is to be established to assist the Department hy furnishing r__orts upon educational methods and

desirable development*. The plan ot this Council appears to Do exceedingly good, and it will be surprising if it does not keep active the new current of life and interest which Mr Allen's largo and important scheme will set up in our education system. To the average person, and certainly to the average politician, the education question has for some time aoocared to begin aud end with tho question of teachers' salaries. This i<- .f course, only one. and not tho most important, aspect of what is one of the largest of our national problems. But Mr Allen has looked at this aspect of tho problem with a generous and sympathetic eye Tbo number of grades is to be reduced from ten (or. with sub-grade-, thirteen) to seven, and a general increase of salaries is to be provided, coupled with a system of Dominion grading for which all good teachers will bo grateful. When the Government took office the salaries of teachers ranged from £90 (tho minimum of Grade 1) to £400 Ctho maximum of Grade 10). The new *cale provides salaries ranging from £100 to £1-10. The reduction of the number of grades will materially enhance the benefit., of the hi.h. r salaries. For example, every teacher in tho lowest *_rade. who at present i. limited to £10.j, will be 'able to lookforward to _ regular advance to £140 without rising in grade. The provisions of the Bill in respect of salaries will perhaps still leave somo teachers unsatisfied, but the profession as a whole will hardly be inclined to deny that a very substantial improvement in thc-ir fortunes has been arranged for. What requires chiefly to be noted is that tho Bill is not an ordinary •'•'amending" Bill, but a wide and deep re-construction of the whole system of administration siicb as has been many years overdue. Mr Allen would bo tbo firs-t to repudiate the idea that the Bill is perfect. Ho will desire, and we trust that he will receive, all the criticism and co-operation of which honest students of our education system aro capable.