EDUCATION BOARD

Evening Star, Issue 11658, 19 September 1901, Page 4

EDUCATION BOARD

The Board met this morning at ten o’clock-—an hour earlier than usual—in order to give time to consider the report" of the Teachers’ Salaries Commission. There were present: Mr P. B. Fraser (chairman) and Messrs D. Borrie, d- Mitchell, W. Snow, J. Sim, W. Nicolson, A. Marshall, and R. Peattie. teachers’ salaries. The report of the Commission was considered in committee, the deliberations lasting until shortly after twelve o’clock, when the Board resumed. The Chairman moved—“ That the report of the Committee of the Board be adopted, and that a copy be sent to all members of both Houses of Parliament.” The report was as follows: A Certificates.—The Board emphatically protest against the recommendation of the Commission that only two grades of certilicates of competency bo issued by the department, and against the proposed nonrecogumon of University degrees. The Board view this last recommendation as being a retrograde step, and unworthy of a Royal Commission on Teachers’ Salaries. And the Board are of opinion that if there is to be reduction in the number .of classes of certificates such reduction should begin at the lowest. Male and Female Teachers.—Regarding the employment of men and women teachers under the scale, the Board view with alarm the curtailment of inducements to boys and men to enter into and continue in the service, at a time when there is a marked and serious faliing-oif in the number of male teachers, who as a rule make the service a life employment, and an abundance of female teachers, the majority of whom do not continue in rthe service. The Board give as samples of the inducements to male teachers to enter tho profession the following instances of this tendency;— The salary of a male pupil-teacher is the same as that of a female pupil-teacher, while the applicants for such position are in tho ratjp of 1 to 16; and the junior male assistant’s salary of £llO under the Board is reduced to £BO by the scale. Further, in the case of an assistant male teacher of considerable length of service, the Commission’s scale reduces the Board’s salary from £IBO to £130; thus further crushing the hopes for men to enter into and continue in the service. On this point it may be added that the scale provides that the work of instructing pupil-teachers—hitherto the proper duty of the head-master, for which Ins salary is the remuneration—may be imposed on tho assistant teachers “without extra payment” —a proposal the Board protest against as being manifestly unjust. Tho Board with confidence express the opinion that the pursuance of the policy recommended by the Commission, as hero indicated, must inevitably lead to the teaching profession being uliimately handed over to women, or to Board’s being under the necessity of looking abroad for a supply of male teachers. With salaries alike for pupiltcachcrs, and for all positions lower those of hea<s-teachers and first assistants, reduced below those prevailing in all other avenues of skilled employment, it cannot be hoped that boys and young men will adopt the teaching profession, especially in view of ihe fact that tho opportunities for advancement to tho higher grades of the profession are uncertain and of comparatively rare occurrence. Re Small Schools.—This Board protest in the strongest rnanvor agiibist the proposed payment of teachers in sc!>o :h under 20. The Board's minimum in salary for their small unclassified schools is £7O, which the small (and in the Board's opinion inadequate) is at least certain, while the proposed capitation basis of £5 per pupil makes the teachers’ salary as uncertain as the weather, while it may be reduced to a vanishing points. There are 490 schools in this class and 6,314 children, and the Board think that, in view of the largo expenditure for high schools and technical education at the centres of population, little or nothing of which expendture reaches settlers in tho outlying districts, that the treatment meted out to the hardiest of colonists is most unjust, calculated to arrest education in country districts, and permanently reduce the children of pioneer settlers to the position of the drudges of the more favored portion of the communities in and near centres of population. In moving the adoption of the report and that it be sent to the Minister of Education and members of the Legislature, the Chairman said ; I am within the mark when I say that every member of the Board is strongly of opinion that the proposals of the Commission, whilst increasing very largely the cost of education, are harmful to the education of this province.—(Mr Borrie: “Hear, hear.”) I believe I am safe in saying that if the Government had granted this Board the sum of money which (his Commission propose to expend, the Board would have produced better results and given greater satisfaction to the province and tho teaching profession in it, especially as the Board would have provided for outlying districts and been able to meet certain special cases on their merits. Mr Nicolson seconded the motion. Mr Mitchell thought it better to let the report speak for itself, without making speeches upon it. He would remark, however, that the Board ought to have figured out whether the proposed allowance for the cost of administration by hoards, committees, etc.—namely, a capitation of 11s 3d on the total average attendance—was sufficient, and he would suggest that (ho staff should figure it out. The motion was put and carried without further comment. GENERAL. The resignations accepted were of Albert H. White, head ...Jier, Katea, and John Reid, second a sistant. Union street. The appointments were as follow:—John Reid, head teacher, Duntroon, vice Morris, left the serv.ee: Albert H. White, head teacher, Heriot, vice Foster, deceased; John Bea'.tie, head teacher, Waikoikoi, vice Mackio, promoted; George Menzies,’head teacher, Blacks, vice Crow, promoted; Wilhelmina Harlow, fifth assistant, George street, vice Sherriff, promoted. Accounts amounting to £7,055 5s 2d were pas ed for payment. Wairuna having failed to elect a Committee, Messrs J. Gonnack and J. Roy were appointed commissioners. Messrs Fraser, Sim, and Snow, who #ero appointed to visit certain districts to report, reported to the Board. They were of op’nion that the Board should not establish a new school at Warepa railway station ; that the Kaihiku school buildings, if suitable, for shifting, <hould be shifted to a site near Moa Hill; that the Board should make further inquiry about the reopening of the Ketnoana School; and that something ought to be done to meet the school requirements of Ahuriri Flat.—The report was adopted. Inspectors Goyen and Fitzgerald reported recommending that Messrs Simmonds and Wall be engaged to teach modelling in cardboard anti plasticene; that Miss Hooper and Miss Landells be appointed to teach kindergarten work, the latter to take tho work in the Training College and the former to take it in the Dunedin and Oamaru classes for teachers; and that the courses of lessons be begun in Dunedin at once and in Oamaru os soon as the Dunedin courses are completed.—The report was adopted. It litas resolved, on the motion of Mr Peattie, that a conference of head-masters of secoudaiy schools with the inspectors bo

held with a view to securing uniformity cf instruction in district high schools. The Board decided, on the motion of tbs Chairman, that it be referred to the Reports Committee to consult with the inspectors and report as to esl dishing dosses for teaching cookery, laundry work, dressmaking, woodwork, agricultural chemistry, and such other subjects as the Manual and Technical Instruction Act provides for at the chief centres throughout the province. The same Comnwee were also asked t# inquire as_ to the possibility of making better provision for teaching class X pupils in Dunedin and Oamaru.