SOME LOCAL OPINIONS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15023, 18 July 1914, Page 12

SOME LOCAL OPINIONS.

PROPOSALS FAVOURABLY RECEIVED. Several gentlemen directly or indirectly interested in education were seen yesterday by representatives of 'The Press," and asked* for their opinions on the Education Bill introduced in the House on Thursday by the Hon. James Allen, Minister of Education. In most instances, those interviewed qualified their expressions of opinion regarding the proposals of the Bill by stating that they had only had a hurried glance ut the telegraphed summary, and that before giving their considered judgment on some of the proposals they would first like to see the entire Bill. Generally, however, those interviewed approved of the principal proposals ot tne Bill.. • A MEMBER OF THE BOARD. Mr John Jamieson, a member of the North Canterbury Education Board, expressed himself in favour of the extended boundaries of the Canterbury 1/ducation District, of the election ot members of the Board by the School Committee, of the Council of Education, and of the district councils. Referring to the subject of paries, Mr Jamieson said that he was strongly in favour of primary school teachers receiving higher "salaries and salaries even higher than those paid teachers m secondary and technical schools. reason for* that opinion was that he believed that the primary school teachers di<l the real liard' work. AN EX-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. Mr Matthew Dalziel was .1 member of*the Board for fourteen years and a half (though not at present a member) and who has been twice chairman ot the Board, was able to epeak interestingly on a number of the proposals or the Bill, and his'long experience in edu- • rational inattere gives his opinions sonio ' weight. ,ti. 1 1 Af far as he had gathered from read- ■ in« the summary of the Bill published, - 1 Mr Dalziel said, the formation of the • Council of Education was one pf the ' most important changes proposed. *Le thought it would be very much m the > interests of education that a number or gentlemen should be associated with the* 1 Minister of Education in the mattor. • It might or might not happen that the 1 Minister for tho time being was an • educational expert—there had been i Ministers of Education in the past who were not experts in education. "he constitution of the Council appeared to have been very carefully thought out, and as a result of their work lie • thought there would be a greater co--1 relation between primary and secondary education —a state of affairs that ■ he 1 had always wished to see. He would 1 have preferred to have seen provision 1 made for the election of members of 1 boards on tho Parliamentary franchise. As to the proposed increase in salaries, Mr Dalziel said that they would bo raised to a level .that did not leave room for much complaint. There were only a few plums in the profession, and naturally there would always be some who would be disappointed at not getting them. THE SOLE CHARGE SCHOOL. "There is one great difficulty in connexion with our education system,'' Mr Dalziel continued, "and it is due to the scattered nature of the country districts: - The difficulty I refer to is that of making satisfactory arrangements for teaching at sole-charge schools. Because there are more young women teachers than young men teachers, these small country schools are usually placed 1 ii charge of young women, and it is often most difficult for them to get suit--1 able accommodation. Occasionally it happens t v at they do not got the 1 sympathetic assistance of the committees —and they really require such assistance, for many of them are starting in life, and are littlo more than children. I do not say that this condition of things applies to the case of all solo-charge schools, but in some instance's the lot of the teachers sent to, these small schools is not very satisfactory." "Altogether I think the proposals of tho Bill, as outlined, will operate for the good of education," Mr Dalziel said «in concluding. LOCAL INSPECTORS' VIEWS. A "Press" reporter was fortunate enough to see all tho four inspectors of the North Canterbury Education Board at the office yesterday morning, and he invited them to deliver their opinions of the Bill. Messrs W. Brock.. C. D. Hardio, S. C Owen, and J. B. Mayne chatted .freely, though they confessed that they would have liked'more time to consider such an important question. "The first thing that strikes you," said Mr Brock, "is the reduction of the number of Boards, and that ought certainly to tend to economy and efficiency of administration, and at the same time improve the opportunities of teachers for promotion. Under the old regime a man was pretty well confined to his own particular districf. and naturally he had less opportunity of promotion than if a wider field had been offered to him. Probably the benefits would. not bo felt quite so much in North Canterbury as in other : districts, for hero we have always considered a case on its merits and not been influenced by petty sentiments, at any rate.as far as possible. Another important point in the Bill, so far its' inspectors are concerned, is the placing of them under the central department. This -will certainly tend, in my opinion, to increased efficiency in * education and - uniform standards for proficiency and compe-tency-certificates. As-far as we in North. Canterbury lire- concerned, our distric*t,is/a. good" one for travelling in, and the largeness of the proposed new ! education district should not be 'felt very much-. ' I doubt if it will be felt at all, because it will be rather easier to get to South Canterbury than to Kai- ■ koura, where we have to go at present, 1 but which will bo cut out under the 1 new regulations. I

It was thought that the scale of salaries laid down for the inspectors in the Bill was somewhat insufficient. It was pointed out that icceived £440 P« r annum, and a house allowance of £W, whereas an inspectorstarted at £440, with no house allowance. However, before discussing this proposition, it was thought advisable to wait for fuller particulars, as it was possible that provision had been mafic for a hoiii>o allowance for inspectors after all. , , The effect, on tho inspectors of the new scheme would bo. to make theni feel responsible for tho expenditure ot the funds of the central department, and for the time being, they would have tho custody of the public purso to a certain extent. This was not to be taken as a reflection on the management of the North Canterbury location Board by any means, for tnis body. if it had erred at all: it was in tho "direction of not asking ior enough. Taking tho whole Bill, tnoßoard s inspectors thought it would decidedly make the profession more attractive; the wages were brought more into lino with other branches ot the Civil Service, and the Bill should do a great deal towards setting tho education system on a sounder and more progressive Mr Lane, secretary of the North Canterbury Education Board, stated that ho would prefer not to discuss the Bill at present, for tho simple, reason that he had not studied it with sufhcieut care. HEADMASTER'S VIEWS. . Air C T. Aschman, headmaster of tho Normal school, was in somewhat the same predicament as Mr Lane, and could only say tha t so lar as he had seen of the new propositions they wero a distinct advance on tho present conditions of affairs. Mr J. Causey, of West Christchurch school, who has taken a very prominent position in educational affairs, said that in his opinion tho provision making it possible to set up a General Council of Education was the most important part of the whole BiU, and he' anticipated good from that enactment alone than from the detail changes which were mentioned later on iv the Bill. It was very satisfactory indeed that the Council had been constituted, for he was convinced that it would lead to a really systematic courso of education for the first time. It seemed wise to him to make the Council advisory, but no doubt it would be administrative m tho future. It was also satisfactory to find that the i.vspectors wero now to be put under the control of a central body; this, he thought, would decidedly tend to more general efficiency, and more uniformity with regard to the interpretation of tho syllabus. The speaker considered that tho advance in salaries which had bern uv-- ! was x'erv welcome, and brought the teaching profession better into line with the other branches of the Civil Service, although they would have to go a long way yet before they were actually on a par.