EDUCATION ECONOMY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 71, 25 March 1931, Page 10

EDUCATION ECONOMY

BELIEVING TEACHERS

BOARD NOT IN FAVOUR

".Economics should, not bo made at the expense of efficiency or the children," said Mr..A. C. Blake at to-day's meeting of the Wellington Education Board, when a memorandum from the Education Department headed "Economy in Expenditure" was before the

moot ing.

The circular stated that: —

"In the case of schools of grades b" and 7 where the head teacher is not attached to a class, no relieving teacher should be sent to fill any position unless such position is to be vacant for at least one month. The head teacher should be required-to take charge of the class concerned. Should .the head teacher himself require leave of absence, no relieving teacher should be sent; the first assistant should assume tho higher responsibilities without additional remuneration.

"In the case of Grade I. schools, no relieving teacher should bo sent for a period of loss than two whole weeks, and in the crfSo of Grade 11. schools for less than one complete week. In all other cases the board should use ita discretion within the limits of Clause -IS.

"The Department -would suggest, too, that in engaging relieving touchers the board ration the work as far as possible under tlic circumstances of cutih case. Further, unless the circumstances arc quite exceptional, unccrtifieated teachers should not be appointed as relief teachers while certificated teachers are available."

Mi-. Blake said that tin; buiml, at its last meeting, had passed a resolution to ration work among relieving teachers. ;ii)(l this would reduce unemployment to a minimum. The .actual number of the board's teachers unemployed was 123. Regarding the suggestion that tho first assistant should, if the head master were absent, do tho work of the headmaster for one month, Mr. Blake asked how it would be possible for him to do that if it happened to be the busiest time of the year with examination and inspectors' visits. The assistant, had important work to do in the highest class of the school. The Department's proposals were a still more serious matter in the country schools. If no relieving teacher were sent the children would have to do without their education for that time. Their education would be stopped temporarily, and quite unnecessarily. Ho could not understand how anyone with any knowledge of our schools had come to make such proposals. It was another instance of government by rogulntion. Mr. J. J. Clark supported Mr. Blake, particularly regarding the country schools. It was inconceivable that the schools would have to be closed.

"We must have sufficient relieving teachers to carry on tho work of tho schools efficiently," said Mr. W. H. Jackson, who deplored the fact that economics should bo made to the disadvantage of the school children.

"Economy run mad" was the comment of Mr. A. Donald, who also registered a protest on behalf of the country schools.

Mr. P. Kobertson endorsed the remarks of previous speakers, and looking at the matter from the point of view of unemployment, suggested that the N.Z.E.I. should be informed of the situation.

Mr. J. Slonehousc: "It's our fight." Mr. C. H. Nicholls also protested that such a course would be infra dig, and Mr. Robertson withdrew his motion.

"A very short-sighted policy, and not one that can boar the label of economy. False economy I call it," was the chairman, Mr. T. Forsyth's, remark on the Department's proposals. The board finally agreed to enter a strong protest against the Department's proposal that relieving teachers should not be appointed to grade I and grade 11. schools unless they are to be closed for two weeks and one week respectively.