STATE & SCHOOL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 92, 15 October 1914, Page 3

STATE & SCHOOL

MEASURE OF REFORM IMPROVING THE LOT OP THE TEACHER IMPORTANT NEW PRINCIPLE ESTABLISHED SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF MARRIED MEN. EDUCATION BILL BEFORE PARLIAMENT. The relation of the State to the School ■was the subject of debate in Parliament last evening over the Education Bill of the- Hon. James Allen, Minister of Education, who brought up the' measure considerably amended by the efforts of the Education Committee The main items of the legislative proposals were set forth several weeks ago when the Bill was first introduced, but since then important new matter has been introduced and the Bill considerably amended. In the course of a long and interesting speech the Minister traversed the field of State education and showed that the influences of the past few weeks have warmed his sympathies for the teaching profession. A principle fraught with momentous consequences was laid down by Mr. Allen in a declaration that State servants who were married men should receive special preferential treatment by the State. This, he said, should apply specially to teachers, whom it was the duty of the State to encourage to marry. Various other concessions in the shape» of increased salaries were included in the amendments and the extra cost of these was estimated at £106.000. The total increases under the Bill would amount to £190,000.' The BUI was well received by the House. ADVISORY AND DISTRICT COUNCILS. The Minister (Hon. James Allen), In moving that the Bill be committed, said he did not propose to recapitulate the arguments he had used in introducing th« Bill. He would, however, take the main points. First was the proposal to set up a Council of Education. He be lieved the time was ripe for the estab* lishment^ of an organised tody to advise the Minister on questions relating to all the_ branches and grades of education which would be represented in the coun cil. < It was essential also to have the advice of women, and they, too, were represented in the measure for the setting np of the council. Then there were the District Councils to deal with local matters. These < bodies would be called together from time to time to advise on matters of local mtwest. This council marked a variation in the programme in regard to education, and would be farreaching. The principle seemed to have 1 been recognised throughout the country as sound, and he felt sure it would be to the cause of education. GRADING AND CLASSIFICATION. Next, the Minister turned to what he called the Vexed question of classification and grading, and in this should be mentioned the centralisation of the inspectorate. Though the inspectors would be brought into more direct touch with the Minister, they would still remain the" advisers of the Education Boards as in the past. Closer touch was more necessary with the Minister for the better management and control ' of technical schools and other departments of education, -which he felt had been neglected somewhat in the past. Again he hoped that a woman inspector would be appointed to deal particularly with the questions concerned specially with the interests of the education of girls In the sime connection, the Minister drew attention to the need for conferences of inspectors for the purpose of facilitating grading and classification. SIMPLIFYING THE PROBLEM. Clause 157 provided that a list of all teachers holding certificates under the Act, classified and graded according to regulation, should be published on the 30th June ever? year. He trusted that this and other provisions of the Bill would facilitate a satisfactory settlement of the problem of classification. At the same time it was difficult to grade all the qualifications of teachers. By next June, however, he' hoped to have all teachers throughout the Dominion classified and graded. As years went by the system woulct be gradually perfected. Grades represented the standard of work according to size of school, and if they had a proper classification list it would be a simple matter for teachers to be chosen by inspectors and boards to fill positions suitable to their qualifications. The teachers would be so classified and graded as to be open to appointment throughout the Dominion and not belong to one board alone; Thus they would get away from some of the narrowing influences of local limitations existing to-day. He attached, therefore, more importance to clause 157 than to schedule, as giving to the teacher who had ambition the opportunity of advancement and promotion — a career open to teaching talent. FEWER EDUCATION BOARDS. Turning next to the proposal to divide up education districts, the Minister emphasised the difficulty of coming to any conclusion. This had been felt by the Committee, which had struck out the^ clause, fixed the divisions and boundaries, and ( referred the question to a Royal Commission. ' He hoped that small education districts would be gradually reduced into larger 'districts and fewer, which would present far greater chances for aspiring teachers to rise to the level of their merits. Small districts created financial and other difficulties with regard to, limiting the scope of opportunity for promotion of teachers. The only limitation should not 'be a boundary, but ability and qualifications. If the House, desired to decrease the number of districts to eight or nine, personally he would have no objection. It might be desirable to divide up New Zealand into four districts, but he doubted whether the time was yet ripe for that. There were' very good arguments for the proposal. They had four educacational districts _ for University education, and this might prove suitable for every branch of education also. Certainly it might bring the different branches and stages of education into closer touch, At the present moment it would probably suffice to divide the districts into eight or nine instead of thirteen, as at present. He felt firmly that the proposal was in the best interests of education in the Dominion. SUMMARY OF MAIN POINTS. The main points of the Bill then were : — ' Tho establishment VP a Council of Education ; The classification of teachers ; The centralisation of the inspectorate ; The decrease in the number of education districts to furnish greater scope for the activities of teachers. BETTER SALARIES ALL ROUND. 1 The main prinoiples of the Bill would, he believed, prove more beneficial to •teachers than a rise in salaiy. As regards salaries, however, the Committee tad mafle eonae *iteratioas tg the whe>

dules of the Bill. In the sixth schedule an alteration had been made in the grading of salaries of assistants in the larger of mixed schools, and the effect would be that second assistants in Grades 1 7A and 7B would receive a better salary, the minimum and maximum being £190 and £220 per annum, as against £150 to £180 in the original Bill. With regard to the schedule which dealt with separate I girls' schools there" had been rather an important alteration made with regard to tlie grade and salary of the head teacher. Under the Bill the head teacher of a school with an average attendance of 241 to 280 was placed in Grade UA with the salary of Grade 3. It was i now proposed to move the head teacher in such a school up to Grade IV. of salary, which meant an alteration of salary from £200 (minimum) and £250 (maximum) to £260 and £310 respectively. A similar alteration had been made in respect of schools in Grades 6A | and 68, where the salary of head teachers had been raised to £320 (minimum) to £360 (maximum). In the same schedule it was proposed by Governor's Message (to make an alteration by which first ; assistants in Grade 5A would be raised from Grade 3 of salary to Grade IV. A deputation had waited on him and pointed out an injustice in respect to i salary. This would be removed, and the salary increased from £150 (mini mum) and £180 (maximum) to £190 and £220 respectively. INSPECTORS AND HIGH SCHOOLS. An alteration had also been made in the salaries of inspectors/ the increases proposed being as follow : — Chief inspector £565 (minimum) and £625 (maximum) to £600 and £650 respectively ; senior inspector from £490 and £550 to £550 and £575 ; inspector from £440 and £485 to £500 and £525 ; and assistant inspector from £365 and £425 to £420 and £480. In regard to District High Schools, it was difficult to ascertain what was the proper balance to maintain between the claims of tpachers and ( claims of thu State. Secondary school' assistants had complained that they were not «o tVeJI treated as teachers in secondary departments oF District High Schools, and District High School teachers complained that they were not treated well enough. Probably the Bill would strike the happy mea-n. A new provision wae for extra payment for "vocational courses in District High Schools, and he hoped this would meet the aspirations of teachers in these schools. Tfie Minister then referred to the improved scale of payments of grants in aid to school committees for a number of small schools. To these it was proposed to pay 10a per head of average attendance wheii that ranged from 1 to 20: from 21 to 35 the amount was £10 with 8s a head for average attendance over 20; £16, with 5s pei head for average attendance over 35; £38. with 4s per head for average attendance over 120, and £94, with 3s per head for average attendance over 400. ' LEVELLING-UP WITH LIVING WAGE. , "I 'a3mit." said the Minister, proceeding, "that there were injustices and inequalities in the profession which" one ought, if possible, to remove. I was a good deai influenced by what a deputation of Wellington teachers had to say to me yesterday. The Bill provided for a, minimum salary of £100 a year, raised from, £90 previously. Anyone who had come closely in touch with the educational system in the country districts must realise the serious handicaps to those teachers who had to work especially as sole teachers in small country schools. I believe it is sound policy to do all we possibly can for these teachers in 6uch circumstances. (Hear, hear.) One hundred pounds a year is not very much to begin with, and there are certain inequalities which I should be very glad to remove. Therefore. I propose to ask the House to make an alteration in the schedule dealing with salaries of head teachers and assistants, where the minimum i% fixed at £100 and the maximum at £140. I propose to ask the Committee to amend the schedule — (hear henr) — and raise the minimum to £110. (Oh ') I hope tne House will agree to it. I think the expenditure is justified. COST OF TEACHERS' TRANSFERS. The Minister then dealt with the question of transfers. The deputation to which he had referred had assured him that the most urgent question before the profession now was that of the transfer" of assistant teachers. This question of the payment of transfer ex pe'ise3 vas a very difficult one, because the Education Department did not ap point the teacher, but would be asked to supply money for the transfer. Thu education boards arranged the appointment and the transfer. The danger was that some education boards might abuse the privilege of transfer if the Depart ment had to foot the bill. The Government would consider the question and endeavour to make aome satisfactory arrangement. Then there was the im portant question of house allowance for assistant teachers. Head teachers received either a house allowance or a house, but nothing was done for the assistant teacher. "I have consulted my colleagues," said the Minister, " and I propose to ask the House to agree to an amendment and do something for the assistant married teacher in regard to house , allowance. The clause is to this effect, and I don't want the grant to be considered as a house allowance. I propose to provide an increase in the amount of pay to assistant teachers who are married." (Hear, hear.) ENCOURAGING MATRIMONY. " May I say here," declared Mr. Allen, with more than customary emphasis, "that I am not at all sure the time has not arrived when the principle should be more effectively recognised than it is to-day, that a married man deserves special consideration , that a married man in the Public Service and the teaching service with a wife and family does require more to keep him than a single man. The principle is thoroughly sound, .though it would require a good deal of reorganisation in the aervice if accepted in its entirety. I propose to ask this House to adopt this new principle— (hear, hear)— the new principle that it is right for the country to recognise, especially in regard to the teaching profession, that the married man has a claim on the community—(hear, hear)— a claim which the country cannot ignore. The principle has also this bearing ; that it is desirable | to encourage a man to marry and not place a burden upon him in not providing sufficient salary for him to live on as a married man. I therfore propose, in addition to' the salaries laid down in the schedule, that there shall be paid by way of increase of salary the sum of £20 annually to' every assistant who is married. If both husband and wife are in the teaching profession, then the husband alone shall receive the amount, and not both. This proposal was not put befoie the Education Committee, because at that time I had not heard all about the facts of the case." (Applause.) The cost of these proposals, said the Minister, would be some £11,600 per annum, though this would not become effective at once, THE POSITION OF WOMEN. A great deal had been done for women teachers in the Bill, went on Mr. Allen Almost everything they had aeked for had been given. They had asked, that the principle should be adopted of equal pay for equal worK of the two sexes, that the lugher grades should be open to women with equality of talary — in fact, thut they (should bo on cawiutly the (Same footing u§ meg. He was bouild to '

say there was a good deal of logic in th© claim, but he had come to the conclusion that men did deseTve more consideration than did women. This Avas in no disparagement of women and women's work. But man was the breadwinner, and he believed that some pro* vision should be made for men teachers to enable them to live as married men, and keep a wife and children at least decently at any rate. These were the eolid facts of the case. Women were allowed to retire earlier on superannuation. Women did not as a rule take up teaching as a life work. When it came to that, most women left the eervi.ee, and-had a right to leave it to take up a more important service open to them than teaching ; they became wives, and " I hope,' J said Mr. Allen, " mothers or a strong, healthy, und vigorous race." (Hear, hear.) The duty of men is to look after women and. therefore, a better provision is made for men than women in salary and opportunities. HOW MUCH THE BILL? How much would the increases cost was the next question answered by the Minister. The total amount paid in salaries under „ the 1908 Act was £677,000. Under the present Bill it would be increased to £783,000, an increase of £106,000. When the Bill came into full operation as an Act, the total increases would amount to £163,000. So far as the present Bill was concerned, it was intended to come into operation on let January, 1915. There was some fear' that owing to the abnormal circumstances existing that the proposals would have to be delayed. He saw no reason why these increases should be delayed, and should not be granted from January, 1915. (Hear hear.) The statutory increases in the Public Service would have to be given, and there was no reason why the teaching profession should not enjoy increases at the earliest possible date. (Hear hear.) He, therefore, proposed to ask the House to agree to make provision in the Supplementary Estimates for the amount required for three months from January to March, 1915, to complete the financial year. The total increases ultimately would amount to £190,000. PBOGRESSIVE RISES. The Minister gave some interesting details as to average salaries paid during the period from 1900 to 1913 and what would be paid after the new proposals came into operation. The average salary, including house allowance, for male teachers in 1900 was £163 12s Bd. Up to 1913 that average had increased to about £227. In 1915 the rise would be Up to £251. The percentage increase from 1900 to 1915 was 53 per cent. Competent judges estimated that the increase in .the cost of living had been something like 16 per cent.. With regard to women, the average salary in 1900 was £85 12s 6d ; up to 1913 that had risen to £128 ; and in 1915 the average would be £156. The percentage increase from 1900 to 1915 was 82 per cent. Taking men and women teachers together, the average salary had increased from £121 13s 7d in 1900 to £169 in 1913, and to £190 in 1915, or a peicentnge increase of 56 per cent, including house allowance. He did not mean to say that the salaries provided for in the Bill were all that could be desired for the teachers in this country, but he would claim that during the past fifteen jears a great deal had been done to make better provision for the teachers. He would like to see increases made during the next fifteen years to the extent they should be. It was not to be expected that all would be satisfied with ithe proposals in the Bill, but he hoped that teachers and the country would realise that a great deal, at any rate, had been done to put the teacher on a better footing. TRIBUTE TO INSPECTOR-GENERAL. The Minister acknowledged the good work done by- the Parliamentary Committee on the Bill., and mentioned that th#y had considered it from a non-party view. There had not been a party division, in the Committee. (Hear, hear.) He expressed regret that the time had come when the Inspector-General desired to retire. Mr. Hogben had put valuable wofk into our educational system, and his services represented a lifework (Hear, hear.) The Minister acknowledged the aid he had received from the Inspector-General, and expressed the hope that Mr. Hogben's 'interest in eduction would, after retirement, still be exercised. THE DJSCUSSIOtf. Mr. Sidey said the main reason put forwatd for the changes proposed by the Bill was the interests of the people. If that was so, he contended that the interests of the people had not b.ean fully considered. He legarded the Bill as an important step towards centralisation. He was greatly- in favour of the School Committee system, which was calculated to foster local interest in the education system, but he believed that it would be a retrograde step to do anything that tended towards, the amalgamation of committees in the large centres. Mr. Sidey was almost inaudible during a considerable portion of his speech, partly owing to the hum of conversation that wen' on in the House. He was understood, however, to express strong approval of compulsory continuation schools, of which he was one of the first promoters. He contended that it was the duty of the State to look after the education of the boys and girls who left school after reaching the fifth and sixth standards. As to teachers' salaries he expressed general approval,, though he pointed out certain anomalies in the schedule. He understood the Minister was going to deal with the question of transfer expenses. The Minister . I said I would make some proposal in Committee. Mr. Sidey urged that the advance proposed by the Bill had been rendered possible by the work that had been done by the Liberal Government, which had effected many valuable reforms. In conclusion, he endorsed the Minister's commendation of the Inspector-General (Mr G. Hogben), who, he pointed out, was a nominee of the Liberal Government. / TEACHERS' APPROVAL. Mr. G. M. Thomson regretted that Mr. Sidey had made any reference to party in his criticism of the Bill Education nad been helped along by men who held all sorts of opinions politically, and politics had not entered into the efforts that had been made to improve the system. He read correspondence from teachers to show that 'they generally approve highly of the Mill, which, he considered, had been greatly improved by the Education Committee. Under the Bill the salaries of the teachers had been raised to an enormous extent, and he believed that in, the conree of time they would be raised still higher, because he thought that the teaching profession should be the most highly honoured, and should, therefore, be one of the mo«t highly miid. The profession should be made so attractive that -it would secure the best of the young people who come out of the public schools every year, and that the Public ( Service should not get the'nvmouoly of the services of such young people.' He went on to urge the advisabletiess of establishing a. system of exchange between the "teachers of New Zealand and these of other countries. Another point he made was that inspectors should undergo a, course of special training for the position, and that in time to come it would be found necessary to have smaller classes. AGAINST DISTRICT COUNCILS. Mr. Poland deprecate*} tho sugsontioft that lull. Sidey had. igtrgdu.cc<i "flirty" I

into his speech. There was no member of the House, he said, who introduced le» "party" into his work in the Committee or in the House than Mr. Sidey, but he did point out the tremendous advance that had been made m connection with education during tho last fifteen years. He expressed strong disapproval of the proposal to set up District Councils, •which would merely tend to belittle the Education Boards, and he also expressed himself in favour of w^ ducing the number of education distrH* to a minimum — ho would be in favour of reducing them to four or five Ac to salaries, he said that the Minister had made great improvementsr but in doing so he had created anomalies far more glaring than previously existed. In particular, a great injustice had been done to the assistant masters of secondary schools. PRESERVE LOCAL ENTHUSIASM. Mr. Guthrie contended that if the Education Board districts Were made too large they would lose that local enthusiasm which was such an extremely valuablt Tjctor in the administration of the system. He considered that District Councils were abeolutely unnecessary — they were a fifth wheel to the coach — and he also expressed doubts as to the value of any system of grading of teachers. It was impossible to classify teachers without the centralisation of the whole system. He also doubted the efficiency of the proposal to centralise the inspectors. At present an inspector was an officer of the board ,' under tho proposed scheme he would be an officer of the ' Department and not of the board, and, therefore, might not be in full touch w'th the board. He contend* ed that greater attention should be paid to instruction in agriculture in the primary schools j only by such a system could the mass of the younger portion of the population be reached. Mr. M'Callum protested against th© proposal in the Bill to deprive five districts of the right of self-government as far as education waa concerned, A PROGRESSIVE MEASURE. Sir Joseph Ward credited the Education Committee with a considerable imprevement in the Bill, which, taken as a whole, was a very progressive measure in the direction of democratising education and bringing our system into line with , that of the more advanced systems of the older countries. The average rate of increase for the 3759 teachere, if the total increase was introduced in one year, would amount to £29 4s per head. If spread out over three years it would then be the somewhat paltry sum of rathpr more than £8 per head The Minister: 1 don't flay that the increase will amount to £106,000 next year. Sir Joseph Ward : I don't see any dilficulty in bringing in the wholu mcreaso in one year. He urged that the maximum of the^-Jowest grade should be increased from £140 to £150, in harmony with the raising of the minimum from £100 to £110. Even then he considered the inducement to young people to enter the profession was inadequate. The prospect offered by the Civil Service ivas more attractive. The women also were deserving of further recognition than they got under the Bill. He object ( ed to the appointment of a Commission to delimit boundaries and with power to act. J. 'M'Combs said that the prospects of 78 per cent, of the female teachers would not be advanced by tne provisioi under the BUI. AN EX-MINISTER'S COMMENT.. Mr. J_ A. Hanan urged that moro power should be given to the National Council of Education, which was now merely a nominal body with hardly any administrative authority at all. He would like to see the allowance to email schools increased and for larger schools an increase for each additional room. Some alteration shotiM be made in the Bill to meet the claims of women teachers There was no rt>&rot< why they should employ cheap labour for girl?. The sexes should be placed on a similar footing. He thought it desirable to re'luce th» number of Education Boards in the country, but it should be done steadily, not drastically. The establishment of an Education Commission with full powers to determine boundaries of districts would not, in his opinion, meet with general approval. He would like to see something done in the way of consolidating small schools. The ques tion of teachers' salaries was not settled by the Bill, as there was no indication given of the basis on which salaries were determined. Mr. T M. Wilford said he was disappointed with the Bill. The Government had failed to seize the grand opportunity of laying down on broad, secure foundation*) a thoroughly sound system of education. The debate was continued into the small hours of the morning in a dull and^ dreary way, most of the members obviously talking for record purposes. Several times the quorum lapsed, and the bell had to be rung to thicken the "thin" House. Sir James Carroll, Mr. J. A. Young, Mr. J. B. Hine, Mr. T. W. Rhodes, and Mr, J Payne all spoke with liberal use of their time, and mild criticism or warm praise, according to attitude. There was nothing illuminating in the debate. THE MINISTER IN REPLY. At five minutes to 4 in the morning the Minister rose to reply, denouncing the tactics of the Opposition in uselessly prolonging the debate and endangering the existence of the Bill, and therefore the prospective _ benefits accruing from it. Several points were explained by the Minister in rebuttal of the criticism of opponents. In regard to secondary school teachers, he hoped when the Bill got into Committee to propose a clause^ to effect further improvements. As for transfer expenses, provision would be made in the Bill for the payment of transfer expenses in the case of teachers who had to seek transfer through a rise or fall in grade of the school. He would also make provision to allow education boards to pay transfer costs. The pupilteacher system referred to by one member would probably not last a very long time. The actual cost of the increase in salaries for 1915 would be about £76,000. After briefly elucidating other points, the Minister concluded his reply at 4.20. The Bill was then committed, and piogress reported. By Governor's Message, amendments were introduced in the direction already outlined by the Minister, providing for the transfer expenses of teachers. The expenses must be reasonable expenses. The amendments were passed by the Committee, and reported. The House rose at 4.37 a.m. until 2.30 p.m. to-day.