EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE

Evening Star, Issue 17329, 17 April 1920, Page 8

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE

DEPUTATION -TO MINISTER ABOUT GRADING OP TEACHERS, ETC. This morning a deputation from the Otago Educational Institute, consisting of Mr H. C. Jones (president), Mr T. Bcwg (secretary) Miss M/Kenzie, Mr G. IV. C. Macdonald, and Mr W. Eiidey, interviewed the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education. Mr € ; E. Statham, M.P., introduced. tho deputation. Mr Jones conveyed the heartiest congratulations of the institute to Mr Parr on his assumption of the portfolio of Education. They believed that he would be a very energetic and fighting Minister. Tho duty assigned to him (Mr Jones) was to bring before the Minister some fact® about the grading system. The marks awarded to teachers, and upon which their grading depended, were partly automatic and partly upon the personal opinions of the inspectors, and the inspectors had not a uniform standard on which to award their marks. The Otago inspectons appeared to have adopted a very high standard, and the inspectors in other places,’particularly Auckland, had apparently adopted a lower standard. In Auckland 10 out of 25 in the highest grade had been given full marks; in Otago two out of 13. In Grade. V. schools tho discrepancy was very glaring. Four out of 14 Auckland teachers received full marks, and none out of nine in Otago. (Here Mr Jones handed the Minister a complete sot of figures on the subject.) The institute considered that, the standard throughout the Dominion should bo uniform. Another question was with re-card to the grading of teachers. The Otago branch were in favor of a Dominion -grading scheme, but they objected to it as a promotion scheme. As to the teachers who went, to the war, some Otago men found on returning that their grade had been advanced on an average two or perhaps thrc tt mark®, whereas in oilier districts the soldier teachers had been advanced on an average nr seven marks. Minister; You admit, I suppose, the impossibility of getting an absolutely uniform grading "scheme. Inspectors, ail unite honest, may vary in their estimating. IVhat do yon suggest as to that? Mr Jones; One way' would be to arrange for the inspectors in each district to decide who were the best men in a particular grade and 1 allot to them a certain number of marks, subsfnntially the came number. Mr Macdonald remarked that he asked Mr Caughloy whether the senior inspectors bad tried, to arrive at uniformity, and Mr Caughley replied that thsy had met but ho did not know whether they had dealt with that matter. *

Dr Anderson, Director-General of Education, said that one of the first duties *bf the department was to see that the grading system was made as nearly uniform as was possible, but there were difficulties in the 'way. The man who was giving tho marks was the only man who really knew the teacher. The department would attempt by every device in its power to remove that persona! equation. Tho Minister asked whether the institute were satisfied' with the method adopted for ihe quota marks. Mr Jones replied that they believed it worked satisfactorily in the establishing of the scheme, but he did not know that there was a general opinion that it should now be retained.

The Minister said that he was strongly in favor of promotion by a grading scheme. Ho cid not_ know, in introducing this, that ho was laying up a peck of trouble. He strongly endorsed Dr Anderson’s view, that we must stick to the grading scheme, and try to make it as perfect as possible. He was aware that in Auckland and other places the teachers were not quite satisfied with the results, and he could see that unless we got a fairly uniform system jnjust'cc might be worked. It was the duly of the department to go into the question with tho view of arriving at. some satisfactory result. Ho had not had an opportunity of discussing with Dr Anderson as to what they might do, but personally he thought it would tend to clear the air and gel rid of the dissatisfaction amongst teachers if tho inspectors could he got together. It would bo a good thinej to get the senior inspectors together, and wiser still, he thought, to get together all those men and see if the personal equation could not be equalised n littlo more. The figures handed to him were significant. He' had .u!I belief in the competency of tho Auckland teachers, but there was'no reason why tnere should not be as experienced and capable head masters iir Otago as in Auckland. He would certainly take some step at nil early date. What that step would ■ “ 1. fl . nofc say—maybe it would bo in the Ciiroct'on of a conterenc?, or perhaps getting an expert committee to advise him. He would rake some step with a view cf preventing discrepancies. SALARIES, ETC. ..? r F, W - drew tho attention of tho Minister to the question of teachers’ salaries, and quoted to show they were not p l ' los - in other branches of the luhljc Service- . Mr Macdonald said it had been recmdlv eccidrd by tho Solicitor-General that training college service should not. count superannuation. They thought th : s anomaly sboind not. exist, and that teachers shoidd be put in the same position an <,.tber tranches, where cadet service did count. They also asked that- tho method of the anpoirhmant of teachers in Otago should bo improved. Ho further drew attention to the umatisfaclory shape of school buildings in Otago, there being too many long oblong rooms with ono fireplace. The tuuo had come when all school building in OtV<m should be of brick. The present buildings were splendid receptacles for dust, and f n Ids opinion were seminaries for epidemics. The heating of tho schools also required attention in this cool climate. The Minister said ’ho could assure them that the department wished that- tcarhc'-s should bo at least- ns well paid as persons in any other branch of i'bo Public Pervice, and ho would be pleased to v 0 into tho question of salaries, but. would "require a great deal mors information befoie lie acted. Ho recognised that the increased Cost of Living must have made it difficult for some teachers to make ends moot Ho hoped to effect some early improvement'It might be better during these unsettled times to have a system off be rinses than a very drastic change. Mr Parr added that ho would look into the other matters and pln--e them before Cabinet.