EDUCATION SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 275, 15 August 1921, Page 8

EDUCATION SYSTEM

DEPARTMENT AND BOARDS LIMITATIONS OF ADMINISTRATION Extracts from the annual report of the Wellington Education Board, published in The Dominion of August 10, contained some remarks, under the heading, "Present Limitations," attributed to the hairman of the board, Mr. T. Forsyth. The Director of Education has made the following statement on the matter: "The chairman’s remarks regarding present limitations by the Department on the administrative action of the boards relate specifically io organising teachers and to temporary appointments to the staff of the Training College or Normal School. In both cases the chairman seriously misrepresents the position. The regulations regarding organising teachers state: ‘With regard to the general policy- and method of directing the work of the teachers in the schools under his supervision, the organising teacher shall in all cases' first obtain the approval of the Education Board and the senior inspector of schools, or of an inspector selected by the senior inspector of schools, and shall in all respects, so far as circumstances permit, conform in his practice to the policy and method. so approved by the Education Board and the inspector.’ "This gives all necessary freedom of action to the Education Board. The Department certainly requires that it shall be consulted regarding the necessity of placing certain groups of schools under an organising teacher. The necessity for such limitation by the Department may bo judged from the fact that some boards desired to place as many as thirty schools under an organising teacher, whereas experience shows he can effectively supervise only twelve or fifteen. Further, it has been found that, regardless of economy and efficiency, some boards have continued to keep under an organising teacher a group of schools of which two-thirds are reported by th5 r Tiispector to .be good or satisfactory. Another board, regardless of expense, which it does not have to meet from its own funds, transferred an organising teacher, at coastdenable expense to the Department, from a district where h.e was sorely needed to another area where the reports of the inspectors show that there was little need of his services. , "It may in general be stated that out of 40G schools at first supervised by organising teachers, 244 are reported as being good or satisfactory, yet Mr. Forsyth appears to resent the attitude of the Department in endeavouring to control the distribution of organising teachers and of their work.

"With regard to appointments in the training colleges and normal schools, I have to state that the only unnecessary correspondence and delay, that have been occasioned in connection with- appointments have been due to the unbusinesslike methods of the Wellington Education Board. In case* of emergency the board has power to appoint a temporary or relieving teacher with a recommendation to the Department that a certain salary bo paid. Though it is required that these reports should be promptly made, ft short time ago the Wellington Education Board was five months in arrears with respect to its recommendations regarding relieving teachers. Further unnecessary delay has been caused by the board through omitting to send with recommendations particulars which are known to be necevzary. “Recently, delay lias nlso been caused through the action the board in endeavouring to make appointments under a system of its own which makes it very difficult for a teacher from another district to apply for a position in the Wellington district. This is in direct contravention to the intention of recent legislation. “The Department has really been forced by the action of the boards or of certain boards to place restrictions on their administration. If it were permissible to publish a list of some of the extraordinary actions of education boards, the public would feel little surprise at the action of the Department in placing restrictions upon certain practices.”