DOMINION EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1234, 16 September 1911, Page 10

DOMINION EDUCATION.

IMPRESSIONS OF THE YEAR. FROM THE MINISTER'S ANNUAL REPORT. The impressions of a year of Dominion education, as furnished in tho pages of tho annual report of tho Minister for Education for tho year 1910, presented to Parliament last week, aro of more thnn sufficient interest to warrant tho disposal of tho entire space allotted to the School World, for tho reproduction of some of tho more important items. These arc appended:— Tho number of teachers employed in primary-school work in Dccembsr, 1910, was 93 more than in December, 1909. Of tho total, 2CC3 were certificated, while 1015, or 28.1 per cent., had either not yet completed tho necessary qualification or possessed no recognised examination status whatever. Tho corresponding percentage for 1909 was 28.2. '.'lt is satisfactory to note," statos thc'Minister, "that thn total increase in the number of certificated teachers is entirely due to the increase in tho numbei- of certificates of the three higher classes, A, B, C." ■ Tho increase' in the proportion of women employed in the profession in 1909 and 1910 over tho number for 1908 is fully accounted for by tho number of assistant mistresses appointed in 1903 to schools having 36 to 40 in averago attendance. If theso are omitted, it will be found that the proportion of men to women, in 1909 was slightly higher than that in 1908, and that the proportion in 1910 was considorably higher. Out of a total of 4G75 i>ersons engaged in tho various branches of tho teaching profession, there were, in 1910, 1327 men and 2818 women. During tho year no Native schools were 'handed over to the . Education Boards, and .tho attendanco has, partly on this account, remained practically stationary —44G7 as against 1131 in 1909. Tho policy is steadily followed of handing over Nαtivo schools to tho Education Boards as Boon as the pupils havo become, educationally at least, so far European in character that they can be conveniently taught with European children. This point is, reached when tho Maori can uso English fluently in his ordinary conversation. "It is part of tho same policy," explains the Minister, "to assimilate the programme of work in Native schools as nearly as possiblo to that in public schools, and to make no distinction in point of salary between teachers in the two classes oi i schools."

Although tho Education Amendment Act, 1008, improved the staffing of the public schools very considerably, a comparison with somo of the countries most advanced in matters of education will show that tho staffing of our larger schoolsis not yet. as good as it might be (comments the Minister).-;'ln some coses , -tho comparison made in tho following tablo is not a fair one, as in New Zealand only the larger schools are taken into consideration, whereas in England, Wales, Scotland, and Switzerland all schools' aro counted. -It must, however, be remembered that tli!> rural echool as known in New Zealand is a very different thin? from tlie in these other countries; in the latter cases a school is called a rural school which in N«w Zealand- would rank at least equal to. a suburban school.

Otago again leads the Dominion'.district average attendanco lists with tlio excellent percentage, of !)0.5, with MarlIw'Tough second with 89.2, Wellington (SS.9J being the highest for the North Island. Under Section 9 of the Education Amendment Act, 1910, which came into force on January 1, 1911, all children aro Tpquired to attend tho school whenever it is open, so it may bo confidently anticipated that tho percentage of attendance in future years will fihow a still further increase.. "Leaving, out. Switzerland (whore the percentage of. regularity, if we omit those who vrero absent by permission, reaches the- .remarkable figure of 99.7), New Zealand docs not compare unfavourably with much older and infinitely more closely settled countries, a result which must bo considered highly satisfactory wh«n it is remembered that New Zealand is essentially a rural country, and th.it the conditions obtaining in many of the backblocks districts are such that anvthing like regularity of attendance is well-nigh impossible," comments tho Minister. .

For every 100 boys on the Dominion school roll there aro 01 girls. Last year (190!)) it was pointed out that according to the census of 1006 thero were, in NCw Zealand, between the ages of fivo and fifteen, 97 girls for every 100 boys. Deducting the number of scholars over fifteen years of age, wo find that in NonZealand schools there aro only 90 girls for every 100 boys. Using tho same tests as were used in last year's report, wo find that the proportion in tho caso of children between' fivo and seven ij 90 to 100. It would therefore appear that tho discrepancy is evenly distributed over tho ivhole school age, and that it arises chiefly from tho fact that thero aro a certain number of parents who think that it is not so necessary for a girl to receive as sound an education u a boy. "Some ten years ago," relates the Minister, "tho system obtaining in - the Chatham Island schools was reorganised oo as to placo them on tho 'same basis as tho public schools in New Zealand. It is interesting to note tliat sincc the reorganisation several of tho ex-pupils have been very successful in the outside world. Two have almost completed the courso for the teachers' D certificate; of those who gained tho Chatham Island Scholarship on® is completing his university coursc in arts, and another in mcdicino; another youth, also a scholarship-holder, took a high place iu the Civil Servico Junior Examination, and is now in tho Govern.nient service; another is studying at Lincoln College; while yet another holds a good position in a remote part of the Empire. This record is very encouraging to the Department, and bears direct testimony to tho ability of the vonng people of tho Islands and to the success of tho present scheme." SCHOOL IN THE BACK-BLOCKS. CONVEYING THE CHILDREN. "In cases where children live <it a considerable distance from any school, grants are mado to Education Hoards under Section il of the Act for their conveyance to school." Thus an explanatory note in the Minister's report. "No payment is mado in the case of children under ton unless they livo more than three miles away from the school by tho nearest road, and in the case of children over ten unless they live more than four miles away. Riding-horses and bicycles are excluded from the moans of conveyance on account of which the allowance is made. The .amount allowed is Cd for each return trip—that is, the conveyance of ono child to and from school oil one day. Tho 'J'aranaki, Grey, and "West la ml Boards did not arrange for conveyance. In tho North Canterbury, South Canterbury, 01 ago, and Southland districts this plan for conveyance of children was very much more widely adopted than in any of'the more northern district's. Tho total amount paid in 1910 to ten education boards for conveyance by road and water amounted to ,E:j:i22, as against ,£2750 in 1909. The total amount paid for conveyance of pupils iu 1910 was therefore .Ci 5,755, as against JJ 15,911 for 1909. In some cases it happens that, through local conditions such as, for instance, tho absence of roads or tho distance from tho nearest school, it is found impossible to convey children to and from school daily. In such cases an allowance of 2s. Gd. per week is made, on the approval of the Minister, in aid of the board of any child who has to live away from home in order to attend a public school. In 1910, .£209 was paid for tho board of school-children, as against .£133 in 1809."-

FINANCES OF THE BOARDS,

AT LEAST .£33,000 DIVERTED. "As pointed out in last year's report," (states the Minister), "the boards liave been informed that in accordanco with the recommendation of tho Education Committee sums amounting in flic aggregate to not more than 7 per cent, of the buildings maintenance grants might, be 6]xmt on 'additions and alterations,' but the circular conveying that information further stated in clear terms the condition under which any part of the grants could be used for additions and alterations—namely, only after due provision had been mado by the boards for maintenance and rebuilding. During the six years 1905-10 the total maintenance grants liavo amounted to •£333,S!iU, and if, oven on the most liberal interpretation, tho boards had expended 7 per cent, of this amount on 'additions and alterations,' the sum so expended would have amounted to only .£23,370. It would appenr then that, since tlio issue of the circular in 1905 referred to above, tlio boards have diverted at least some .033,000 from the purpose for which it was originally granted. It is pleasing to now that this amount lias neon reduced in one year by -C 15.000, as there call be no room for doubt that in the next few years tlio boards will have to expond a very large sum on the replacement of worn-out and dilapidated schools. As already pointed out, some relief might be obtained by transferring to the maintenance account part of the credit balances in hand on the general administration account, as provided by paragraph (b) of' Section 52 of' tho Education Act, 190 S. The above calculations have been made on the total of the buildings accounts of all beards taken together. ,It must not bo inferred by any means that these remarks refer to a,ny bond in particular. DISTRICT IMPRESSIONS. COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD'S REPORT. "Schoolmasters are notoriously narrow and pedantic," considers the principal of the Teachers' Training College, Auckland, "and one way to remove this is to mix with men in other walks of life and to visit them at their work. To this end visits of observation were, paid during the year to the following places:— I The gasworks, Plummer's . hat factory, Bvcroft's biscuit factory, the ostrich farm, tho city abattoirs, tho Blind School, etc. Accounts of tho visits are written out in special note-books, and I am sure these jaunts do much: to remove the feeling students are apt to get that they are the ou!y_ flowers in the garden." "Now tint tho Defence Department has taken over control of the military training of our boys, it may be assumed that the board's responsibility- in tlio matter ceases," comments tho Wanganui Board, curiously astray in its conception of tho character of tho new Defence scheme (tho Education. Department still retains control of the public school cadet system, now designated junior, cadets). "It is, however, reasonable to cxpcct that tho board, through its officials, will bo inrido cognisant of what is being done. To make this possible all cadet orders should 1m forwarded to tho inspectors, as well a-s to tho teachers, else the former will be entirely in tho dark ' regarding tho nature of tho training given, and of tlio .demands made on tho teachers' time." Tho Wanganui Board is gratified with tho progress made by so many pupils in swimming' and life-saving, Tlio schools are Affiliated with important life-saving Eoeieties. Baths havo befn built on the school grounds at Eltham, Wanganui District High School, and Sedsebrook. The Hairera, Queen's Park, and Feilding -pupils attend, at tho town baths, and .it is expected that bathing . facilities will presently bo provided for tho children of tlio Marton, Taihape, and Palmcrston 'schools. Full advantage is taken of the .instruction' and facilities thus afforded, and tho number of certificates of proficiency issued is gratifying. "It has been repeatedly stated that tho Department is about to take this matter in hand," runs a paragraph in the Wanganui Board's report, on the subject of medical inspection of school cliild- ■ ren. "Ap f trt frpm/;• the spasmodifiiix"animations of tho children's teeth by tlio local dentistr nothing has yet been done. •The board believes that a system of State medical inspection, backed' by a reasonable probability of securing tlio carryiug-ont of the doctor's recommendations, would bo of great and imin<xliato benefit to the health of tho children."

iThe North Canterbury Board had occasion to protost against tho notion of the Education Department in formulating and putting new regulations into operation -without due notice. This had reference to tho regulations for etaffs and salaries, ■ gazetted on December 22, 1909, and put into immediate operation. The &Wl6 circumstance, tho board regrets to note, has again'been in evidence, though on a. more extended scale. New regulations affecting staffs, manual and technical instruction, and training colleges havo been issued at perhaps tho most inconveniont time of the year, and without any previous notice whatever. In tho opinion of tho board it would greatly conduce to the emooth working of tho Act, so far as its administration by Education Boards is concerned, if nil alterations in the regulations affecting the working of public or technical schools were gazetted not less than throe months Iwfore being required to bo put into operation;