EDUCATION BILL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 23, 27 July 1914, Page 8

EDUCATION BILL

AND THE TEACHERS' INSTITUTE WAIRARAPA DECISIONS. (SY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL TOIHB POST.) [ MASTERTON, This Day. r At a largely attended meeting on Saturday of the Wairarapa Teachers' Institute, convened for the purpose of discussing the Education Bill, the following resolutions were carried:— Appreciation.—That this meeting appreciates the pains and ability bestowed on the Bill, but is of opinion that to give luting satisfaction the salaries attached to' the responsible positions must be substantially increased.

Council of Education.—That the president of the ■ New Zealand Educational Institute should, be a member of the General Council, in addition to the number provided for ig the Bill. District Council.—That the teacher to be appointed to the District Council — clause 11 (d) —should be a teacher in the district concerned.

Transfer of Teachers.—(l) That expenses of transfer shonld be paid in all cases to teachers as they are*now paid to.Native school teachers and to other branches of the Public Service. (The diffeYonce, of salary between the old and the new positions of some promoted teachers is so small that it takes two or three years to make good the cost of their transfer.) ,(2) That expenses of transfer should invariably be paid in the cases of teachers transferred without promotion through no fault of their, own. Appointment of Teachers.—(l) That this institute is of opinion that the board and inspectors, should absolutely and solely make the appointments. (2) That the subdivision in clause 67, which reads, " Provided, further, that no appointment of an assistant teacher to the position of head teacher in the. samo school shall be made under this subsection," should be ,deleted. ' (As appointments are made by the education boards and not by the school committees, the retention of this subdivision might lead to in justice, to some assistant teachers.) (3} That in clause 67, subclause (5), ''senior inspector" should read "inspectors."' (4) That clause 68 (1) be deleted, and the following substituted : " That the committee may recommend the suspension or dismissal of any teacher, and that no suspension or dismissal shall take place until the committee has been first consulted*"

Medical Inspection of Children.—That the Minister be recommended to add a sub-clauso to clause 131 making provision for the necessary surgical, medical, or dental treatment of .children reported upon by the medical inspectors, but whoso parents cannot afford to obtain such treatment. •.

Salaries.'—(l) That this institute is strongly of the opinion that what are essentially married men's positions should have the minimum and maximum salaries proposed in, this Bill substantially increased. (2), That the Minister be strongly urged, to make provision, in the new Bill for the payriient of a liberal house allowance on an equitable basis io "all" married male teachers. (3) That pupil-teachers and probationers should be put on the same footing with regard to salaries as cadets in the professional division of the ' Civil Service. (4) That the minimum salary of any certificated teacher in charge of a school should be at least £l3O. ■ (5) That grade 11. ,be subdivided : (a) attendance 21-28 ; (b) .29-35. ' (6) That the salary for a grade I school (9-20) be £l3O-£150; that .for grade 11., subdivided, it should bo (21-28) £l6O-£200; (29-35) -£2OO-£220. (7) That this,branch of the N.Z.E.I. respectively wishes to draw the attention of the Minister for Education to the unfair and' unjust treatment of first/ assistants in schools with' an average attendance Of 201-280, where in the proposed scale they are paid a salary only equal to the salary of a grade 11. school. The minimum and maximum salary for this position should he from £230-£250; and in the case of district high schools of the same grade the remuneration of the first assistant should not be lower than that paid to the assistant in the secondary department. (8) That this institute makes emphatic protest against the proposed absorption of the present grades 5 and 7a by lower grades, and the consequent disrating of head teachers and assistant teachers holding such appointments. (9) That secondary assistants of district high schools should receive the same treatment with regard to salaries as do the high school assistants. .Basis of Payment.—That this' institute views with dissatisfaction the fact that the old basis for the computation of salaries has been retained,, whereas teachers unanimously desire a scheme of salary and promotion.based on'efficiency arid service.

In view Of the Education Bill brought down by the Minister of Education, a lecture on the leading principles of educational reform that will be delivered in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on Thursday next by Professor Findlay comes at an opportune time. Professor. Findlay is Professor of Education at the Victoria College, Manchester, and an eminent educationist. His works on education are well known to all studente of pedagogy, and in addition to having held high and important positions im England, !he was a member of the, Royal Commission that toured the United States to report on secondary education. Professor Findlay has been invited to speak in Wellington, and the lecture will be one of those known as "Library Lectures" under the auspices of the. council.

A new power for marine engines has made its appearance in the form of suction gas, and the Cambridge producer plant is an invention for ths use of.the suction gas that will, to all appearances, make a remarkable reduction in the cost of running vessels. A7O h.-p. machine of this typo was installed into the auxiliary schooner Isabella de Fraine, at Onehunga, and coupled with the two sets of 30 h.-p. benzine engines with which she was originally fitted. The trials exceeded expectations, and the power developed with Taupiri coal as fuel equalled the best power obtained when,using benzine, and exceeded the power obtained with_ kerosene or the lower grades of benzine. The cost of running the" Isabella de Fraine on benzine was 12s 6d per hour. With the same engines, to which no alterations whatever have been made, the cost of running on suction gas has been reduced to Is per, hour,, which means a saving of 1250' per cent, on fuel. Some months ago, Mr. John Endean, of Auckland, installed a 50 h.-p. Cambridge producer in his large launch Clematis, with which severe tests were carried out; the results being eminently satisfactory, the speed having been increased by % of a knot. When using benzine this .vessel cost 8s 6d per hour to run; now that she is fitted with suction gas the cost per hour is under 4d. The inventor is Mfi Allan Cambridge, a brother of Captain Cambridge, manager of the Eastbourne ferry service. Trials were made at Home, but these are the two first installations of the system that have been made south of the line. ■ The meeting to be held in the . Coneorfc Chamber, Town Hall, on Wcdnes* day evening next for the purpose of forming a Moderate League to protect tho. interests of the general public _iu regard to the liquor question in creating much ' interest. A, largo attendance is anticipated, and aeate arc reserved for' ladies and their etcort* t