PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 28, 2 February 1907, Page 4

PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.

One of the most serious Refects in our education system is the want o* some equitable scheme of promotion for public school teachers. While in nearly nil the branches of tho Civil Service there is in operation a systematic scheme for the classification and J promotion of Civil servants, whereby their abilities and length of service are rewarded by a proportionate rate of | progression with respect to their appointments and salary, the teachers of our public schools are* suffering from the lack of one important essential to tho properly constituted conditions of their profession — a regular system of promotion. Their literary attainments are defined by examination, their professional abilities are estimated by the inspectors, and their salaries are based upon the average attendance of their particular schools. Thus far their conditions appear to be perfectly equitable, and the methods of classification, wheroby tlje sum total of tho teacher's literary attainments) professional capacity and length of service ire indicated by his position in a particular grade, would seem to be essentially sound, whatever dissatisfied individuals might argue to the contrary. But, and herein lies the defect of the system, the attainment of a certain grade does not imply a consequent advanced in professional status and emolument. The system of promotion at present in vogue has every appearance of being fundamentally sound and just, but an examination of Its method reveals certain elements of weakness, oSering such, facilities for abuse as to condemn it at once and forever. Where a vacancy occurs, the position is advertised, sometimes generally, oftener locally, and any teacher who desires promotion is at liberty 16 apply. From the number of applications sent in, the Education Board 01 the district selects certain candidates, who, in the opinion of its advisors, possess the highest qualifications. This list is forwarded to the School Committee concerned, the 1 Board's nominee being placed first, 'the committee, whose discretionary powers have been considerably enlarged by recent Igislation, makas the final selection. Theoretically, by this process 1 , the appointment would be conferred upon the most applicant. In actual practice it is alleged, however, Btich is not always tho case. The provisions of the System can be quite easily evaded. Let us have» fdr erfaniple, the case of A and B, who art), .with others, candidates foil a p>r-

ticular school. Ais selected by the Board, while B occupies the second place. B, however, has the inside running with the < committee, and, through no fault of his own or of the Board's, A loses the position for which he was selected. Again, X has the highest qualifications for the appointment, but comes from an outside district; he is beaten by V-, a local man, with inferior credentials. As an authoritative of the extreme dissatisfaction with which the present working of the present system is viewed, we quote from the" proceedings of the annual conference of teachers held at Christchurch recently. "Another question having a significant bearing upon the centralising of the inspectors was the scheme for a system of _ colonial promotion of teachers. Certain boards have in the past evinced a tendency to become close corporations in the matter of conferring appointments. This practice has reacted to the detriment of deserving men in smaller districts, and it is with a view of obviating this injustice that tho institute has taken the matter up. At the conference of 1906 the whole subject was referred to the AucMand Committee, which was instructed to bring down a report at the ensuing conference. The result was an exhaustive report upon tho question, and during the year the district institutes wul bo asked to consider this scheme, which will be definitely dealt with at the next annual meeting." The institute is to be congratulated for having interested itself in the task of remedying a palpable injustice, and we sincerely hope that during the coming year the district institutes wilJ successtully grapple with the question of evolving some workable scheme of colonial promotion for teachers.