DISTRICT SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 255, 22 July 1920, Page 5

DISTRICT SCHOOLS

" EDUCATION BOARD BUSINESS AT MONTHLY MEETING Messrs. T. Forsyth (chairman), W. H. Field, G. London, B. P. Eißhworth, T. Mobs, J. P. Shand, R. H'Cttllum. J. Clark, E. H. Penny, and O. I. Harkness were present at the monthly meeting of tho Education Board yesterday.

The financial statement showed that the payments made since last meeting on account of teachers' salaries, house allowances, Training College students' allowance, and cost of living bonuacß, amount"d to £20,020 7s. Ed. The general payments totalled £S27J Bs. Government grants due amounted to £11,542 19s. lOd. No advice had been received from the Government as to tho maintenance of buildings. Tho expenditure to date for tho current year amounted to £7514 os. 6d.; and the estimated cost of works authorised up to June 25 (not yet completed) was £4560 7s. 3d. Travelling Allowances. The Education Department wrote that it could not agree to Increase the allowance to ipupil teachers and probationer# to cover increased travelling expenses. The chairman said that the amount was not large, but he had thought that the Department should pay it. However, it had refused, and he proposed that the amount should be paid out of the ordinary fund. Mr. Shand said that the action of the Department did not look as though it was out to make tho profession attractive. The chairman said thero was inconsistency' somewhere. The Government was talking about sending teachers to other countries, when it would not help tho teachors to get to the centreß. Mr. London moved that the board protost against the action of the Department. Mr. K. M'Callum seconded the motion, which was carried. Not a Living Salary. A letter was received from tbe Department indicating why the salaries of relieving teachers could not ho increased (as had been suggested by the boivrd). The aßßistaut-secretary (Mr. Hylton) explained that the salary of a relieving teacher for country schoolß wis £120 a rear, with a boarding allowance of £50 per year, payable only for throo months. This was not a living wage, and they were finding a very great difficulty in getting teachers to undertake tho work. Mr. ltishworth said that they were working under a wrong system. There should be a definite salary, with ordinary increments. Instead of that, they placed theso relieving teachers at a disadvantage, and they were deliberately forcing them out of the service simply because the Department was not providing them with a living wago. Jlr. 6hand: "It's a wonder to me that tho Teachers' Institute has not taken the mattei up." The chairman: "Oh, it does not touch the higher-paid teacher. You'll find that they rarely take up the oase of the lower-paid teacher."

Mr. Penny moved that the secretary draw up a list of inequitable oaBCB. Ur. Ilarknesß pointed out that the system whereby the lodging ullowanco of £50 could only be paid for a term of three months, meant that in places dependent on relieving teachers, there must of neccaeity bo four changes in the year. Mr. London said that such frequent changes in teachers affected the efflciencjt 1 of the teaching. Finally, Mr. Penny agreed to leave tho matter to the discretion of the executive. Crants Sanotloned. Notification was received from the Government of grants made for additional class rooms at Lamdowne side school lie Ore Ore), and additions to the Bchoola at Mvritai and Eketahuna. On the motion of- Mr. Moes it "was . deoided to 'protest to the Department agamat She cutting out of tho shelter sued at Eketahuna.

Teacfwrs' Hostel for Wellington, A loiter -wftfi rocflived from the Education Department statin? that it wiib at present unablo to consider a grant for a hostel for women tcnchers In TFolHnpton. The chairman said that thci- migtit, have noticed in tho papers that Palmoreton North had received a very substantinl grant for a hoßtel. If Palraerston was considered'* «o favourably, why not Wellington? In the past.they had made the mistako of approaching, the ment from a city point of view, but this was not a, city matter nt all—it was a matter of a hostel for teachers from all part* of tho district. Mr Penny siud thiit they in M&xl* boroiitrh wore in the same position. They had wanted a hostel, but could not get ° Tho chuirman said that tho Marlborough teachers -would have tho u«e of the Wellington hostel. , , „ It -was decided to protest a«ainet the refußal of a grant for tho proposed hostel.