THE EDUCATION BILL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2216, 31 July 1914, Page 4

THE EDUCATION BILL

"" '' .♦ .'.V.. ' •DISCUSSED BY THE* TEACHERS' ; ] INSTITUTE VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS The Conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute was' continued; yesterday. Mr. A. ■ Erskino presided.: v.. The Education Bill was considered, and . ■ tho following resolutions passed.'coil- , 'coining the measure:— 1 , "That the N.Z.E.I, would urge; strongly that in urban areas as well, as in urban districts the members of education boards should be elected ona municipal franchise; and that, as' early as possible, some wider franchise - - than, at present in force should be' reintroduced in rural areas." \ •"That the Minister should be re-' quested to make provision that;- in , ■addition to the mombers already desig-!. , hated, there should be one member of the board elected by the. certificated' teachers within the district." "That .the' conference notes with pleasure the provision for affording as. sistanco to school libraries." "That pending the establishment of a ; '? scheme of grading and ap- ' portionment 'of teachers, in 110 case shall .the namo of, more , than' one. ' : ■teacher be submitted to a committee' for consideration.'' "When a-school' rises in grade, au.- . tomaticypromotion of the present' teacher, or teachers, shall not bo made 1 if the board considers there are other,. teachers more entitled' to promotion.. This'is toMie subject to the provision that r no teacher'should be reduced m : salary through rearrangement of 'iho staff." . ■'..'.■ • It was also Tesolved M urge the Gow ernment that there should be'not more" than five 1 education board district's', pre-J .• ferably four. The conference favouredfour, whoso boundaries should be identical with those of the four University districts. , . . , . The conference will ,be resumed at j : 9.3oithis morning, i. ' . ■ '••"'V THE BILL, AND THE BOARDS. 'K • OTAGO'S .CRITICISM. (By : Telegraph—Press Association.) , , Dunedln,' July 30. • . " The Otago Education Board lias, ia part considered the Education Bill, and. --submits the following points , for the., consideration of the Minister and tho. Education Committee School 'Houses—"Specific exclusion of ' 1 > teachors' residences and glebes from" 1 tho definition of the 'schoolhouse' ex-_ poses these residences and the lands? attached thereto to local rating, and", will necessarily, entail a very materialincrease in the expenditure 'of the boards; Section 176 of tlje present Act.. 1 which exempts from rates schools and: , i lands used for,school purpose's, has not , been incorporated in. tho Bill." . 1 (t Council of Education.—"That if a : ■" General Cpuncil is to be sot up, its con-_ > stitutioiy should_.be somewhat altered in ' . . .the following dirwtions(i)-.by|'giving';' education boards more adequate ropre-; ' sentation; (b) by reducing the represent, . tation of 1 departments; (c) by, providing • for the ; election of the chairman by >the' • council itself." District Councils—"This board can see no reason for the setting up of district councils, the existence, of . which would in its opinion'be more likely 'to . lead to friction tlian to' harmonious' . working." , ' : Education Districts.—"The Board is : ; strongly of opinion that tho severance . . iof 'Clutlm County from the Otago dis- • ;trict would bo inimical to-the'best in-. ' 'terests of education in that county, and contrary to the wishes of the people';': ; .further, that education in that county •can be better administered from Dun- • edin than from "any other centre." . Constitution of Boards.—"ln* the ;opinion of. the board, the alteration in^ ' itno method,of election of members re- j . urban aieas is a retrograde. '.step,- and would tond.to destroy the iii- ' terest now taken by school committees, in their schools, and,restrict them in exercising their present rights in the' election of members of the board." Election of' School Committees. —"The principle of oral nomination at house-' holders' meetings should be restored, at' all 'events, in the 'case of school districts outside, the urban areas or boroughs ; as the Bill stands it would lead to a largely: increased failure to elect committees." '_ . , J Establishment of Public Schools.-? "The board, being familiar with tha local conditions, is better able than ;tlie Council possibly could-be to deterimino. the practicability: of- conveying 'children to school, and'to decido as to ' the necessity for opening or closing schools; it is recommended therefore that' all referenco to the Council in Sec-. "tio'n 51 of the Bill bo struck out." /.Staffs of Schools.—"Tho board' •expresses disappointment with, the proposed new scalo of staffing for schools, nioro particularly as it affects .tho . schools—Grade 6A and upwards; it'is pointed out that so far as Grade 7C.is concerned, an actual reduction in the staff is proposed." ' • Inspectors of Schools. —"The board is satisfied that the transference of inspectors to the control of the central department will not be in the best in-: terests of education, and that it is essential if they are.to. continue to be. the 'advisors of the. boards, that* they should'be officers of tho boards and available for the investigation of the special matters upon which the boards desire information." , it is the board's intention to con-' tinue reviow of the Bill on Monday evening. SCHOOL' CpJIMITTEES' VIEWS. (By Telegraph,—Special Correspondent.) Wanganui, July 30. - The Wanganui Schools' Committees' Association to-night discussed the Education Bill, and passed resolutions _to ' the following, effect, protesting against tho proposal to centralise the control ■ of tho inspectors in. tho Education Department, as the association is con- ' vinced from experience-that the inspectors'should \be in direct touch with and be' appointed by tho boards, and be absolutely independent of tho central , Department; that the duties of commit. tees should: bo more fully defined; that tho reports of the medical' inspectors should be communicated to committees as quickly as possible, and that on tho medical inspectors reporting that a child required medical or dental attention, such services should be rendered at the cost of the State, if it be shown that the parent is unable to afford the expense ; that a protest be mado against the proposal that committees should provide school stationery; that tho proposal ro the nomination of committees is impracticable;, that, the increases m salaries be approved, but that teachers of separate infant schools should receive a substantial increase; and that-protest be made against tho proposed prepond- / er'ance of teachers and Departmental rei presentatives oil the Coiidcil o! Ediioar tion. ' : ;•■