SCHOOL COMMITTEES' ASSOCIATION.

Evening Star, Issue 18140, 2 December 1922, Page 2

SCHOOL COMMITTEES' ASSOCIATION.

QUARTERLY MEETING. MALE AND FEMALE SALARIES. Tho quarterly mooting of the Otago School Committee's Association was hold last evening. Mr T. Tomkins presided over an attendance of about twenty delegates. Mr David M‘OaH, secretary of the WaiJcoikod School Committee, wrote stating that his committee did not desire to have any iurtiher connection with the association, an it bad been found impossible for ,a-ny of the members to attend the association's quarterly meetings.—Received, and withdrawal accepted. “PEN AND INK" MONEY.

Mr J. Sainsbury, secretary of the Momington School Committee, wrote starting that at tho last meeting of his committee tho question of collecting “pen and ink” money from the ■children, had been brought forward, and after a good deal of discussion tho following motion had been carried ;■ —“ That we bring the matter before the quarterly meeting of the School Committees* Association, and ask thjjn to get a ■ ruling from tho Education Board on the matter ias to whether it is legal or otherwise.” Mr J. W. Patton said that some of' tho echbols had been collecting “pen and Ink” money from the oh lid ran. Tho jHomington School Committee had been informed) by toe Education Board that tho practice was illegal, and if it was illegal for Mornington School, then it should be fEogal for every other school. (Ho moved a motion iu accordance with tho terms of tho letter.

Mr M. Stevenson, in supporting 'the motion, said he thought it was qu.irto wrong for echoed committees to collect such money from the children. Another delegate said that the Education Board had to close its eyes to a let. and he added that money hud to be collected somehow. Bo trusted that the (board would leave things as they were. A further speaker said thalt if the .practice was illegal it should bo stopped. After further discussion the motion was carried. THE SCHOOL SPOUTS. The Secretary of the Mornln.gton School Committee wrote enclosing a letter received by the committee from the school iports master (Mr W. J. Bennett). The letter stated that the Public Schools’ (Sports Association had this year made a profit of about £6O on its meeting on November 11. Tho letter rn\ntioned that it was planned to send a team next season to the interprovincial contest at Tiinaru. Last year the Schools’ Sports Association had given its secretary an honorarium of £2O. This year it had given him £3O, the writer’s amendment that tho amount remain as it was lapsing for want of a seconder. The letter claimed that the work of the association is roallv done by several committees of school teachers and others. It was also stated that the secretaries of other sports bodies running a number of meetings every year received an honorarium of £5 ss; while Mr Divers, who ran only ono meeting, received £3O. “Is your committee content,” the letter concluded, “to put subscriptions into an association which squanders its funds thus?” This matter was brought up by Mr Patton, who explained that Mr Bennett, the sports master at the Mornington School, considered that the Otago Public Schools’ Sports Association’s secretary had been paid more than he had earned.

Mr W. H. Steele said that at the meeting of the Sports Association all the teachers, with the exception of Mr Bennett, had been in favor of the proposal to pay the secretary an honorarium of £3O. Mr Divers was a professional secretary, and, being such, was in a position different from that of the other gentlemen mentioned in Mr Bennett’s letter. The speaker said Hut Mr Divers was tho finest secretary that ho had ever had to deal with. When the association had not been too strong financially the secretary had declined to accept payment for hi.s services, and last year he had donated a gold medal. Mr L. Sanderson endorsed Mr f? tee Vs remarks, and paid a high -tribute to Mr Divers’s ability as a secretary. Ho thought, personally, that Mr Divers had earned his money. Mr M. Stevenson moved that tho association take, *io action in the matter. Mr Steele here stated that lie was surprised at Mr Bennett's action. It had been entirely out of place. The motion, on being put to the meeting. was carried. Air ,T. J. Bardsley asked why some of the children had been asked to pay 6d to gain admission to the sports, instead of 3d. He stated that the children had been informed that 3d was the price of admission.

Mr Sanderson explained that the children taking part' in the massed display had paid 3d, and that competitors in events had paid their entry fees, others being charged fid. Mr Bteelc said that tho blame"for the mistake rested with the representative of Mr Bardsley’s school, who had not attended the meetings when' the arrangements were made. Mr Rardeley remarked' that out of seventy-two North-east Valley School children in tho massed display fourteen boys had taken fid and all the rest 3d. Tho latter had not been allowed in lo the sports. The matter then dropped. SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

Tho Chairman brought up the matter of school holidays. It was stated that the association had drawn up a list of holidays, and had asked the varyws school committees to agree to it. Tho list had provided for additional holidays at various limes throughout the year. Now somo of the schools wanted a few extra days, and if they took them the holidays would total more than the fifty-one allowed tor in the Education Board’s regulation. Tho desirability of all schools taking up on, or as near as possible to, the same date was emphasised. Mr W. H. Steele said l that the .question had been a troublesome one year in and year out, and the regulations had been broken time and again. The Education Board or tho department' would have to fake a hand in the mutter. He moved that the association support the executive in the stand it had taken in deciding Lo adhere lo the original programme. Mr Patton seconded the motion, which was carried, only two delegates recording their votes against it. - QUARTERLY REPORT.

Tho following are the principal clauses of tho quarterly report:—The past quarter has not been a very active one in regard to matters of importance considered by the association. At present the elections seem to be occupying the attention of all. Members would do well to make sure that candidates are found on the question of education, and that their sympatliisß are in tho direction of a vigorous jwlicy being pursued in connection with fame. A series of leaflets issued by the Educational Institute and sanctioned by tho Education Board is being distributed through the schools. These have direct i bearing on tbo question of education, and are mainly directed towards fostering a keener interest in educational .matters by parents generally and an endeavor to educate the public to see that tho amount spent on education is not cut down, but, on the contrary, increased. Tits latest experiment in education in New Zealand—the Junior high school—has been successfully launched, and members will watch with interest the results accruing therefrom. If the system is the success that those in its favor anticipate, it will mean the recasting of our system of education, and there is no doubt but that all* our chief primary schools will be altered in grade. There is still a good deal of sickness among the pupils of several of the city schools, measles and influenza colds being Lie principal causes of trouble. These have adversely affected the attendance, and several schools are likely to lose teachers through tho attendance falling below the average at winch their services can be retained. This is to be regretted. The Chairman moved the adoption of

Mr A. T. MTndoe said that Ws school was losing b good teacher because the attendance average had been lowered by sickness among the pupils. The Chairman mentioned that last year the Green Island School had lost a teacher because the average attendance was one-half of a point below the necessary number. Mr Sanderson asked Mr M'ln doe whether the roll number had decreased or whether the smaller attendance was entirely due to sickness. Mr M'lndoe replied that there were not so many names on the roll as there were last year. Mr J. Wallace explained that if at the end of the year it was found that through sickness the school was going down a grade in attendance it might not lose them tho services of a teacher. If by the elimination of the quarter during which the sickness was prevalent tho average was found to be the same as the previous year’s, then tho teacher could bo retained. The motion for the adoption of the report was carried. TEACHERS’ SALARIES. Mr W. Jacobsen brought forward the following remits from the Musselburgh School Committee:— (1) That as all male teachers take up the teaching profession as a life work, they bo given extra salary over female teachers equal in grading. (2) That male teachers should receive a larger salary than female teachers in equal grading, as 80 per cent, of tho female teachers get married, and their services are thus lost to the State, at a time when they have acquired the experience so necessary to the teaching profession.

(3) That as females are entering the teaching profession at tho rate of three to one, it clearly shows that sufficient inducement is not being given to males to enter tho profession: and, further, it shows that the teaching profession is underpaid compared to other professions. (4) That while wo recognise that the married male teachers get £4O house allowance above the ordinary salary, we do not consider this sufficient to keep a wife and bring up a family. (5) That male teachers give a great deal of their time , after school hours in the encouragement of games among the children, while on the other hand female teachers give little or no time to that object. Mr M. Stevenson said he thought there was a good deal more in the remit, than met the eye. The idea that teachers were not well enough paid did not appeal to him as a commercial man. The salaries wore quite sufficient, for the work done. He moved n.n amendment that consideration of the remit be put off until flic next meeting, a copy of it being sent to the committees and delegates in the meantime. The amendment was seconded. Mr Wallace said he did not think that the male teachers were overpaid 'one penny, while tho females very often received more than they earned. Mr Stevenson remarked that he did not say that the male teachers were overpaid. Ho added that they were paid salaries equal to those earned by members of other professions. Tho motion was carried. SCHOOL BOOKS. A further remit from the Musselburgh School Committee read as follow’s:— “ That while this association heartily approves of the standardisation of school books, it considers that there is great need for revision of the same.” Mr Stevenson said lie knew that there were several books that needed revising. Mr J. 11. said that the matter had been brought up about six months before. A committee had been appointed to go into the matter, and it had come to the conclusion that it would be useless to draw up a schedule of the books to be used if the department did not intend to use those books. The committee had written to the department asking whether, if a schedule was prepared, it would bo adopted, and the answer had been in the negative.

After further discussion it was decided to bring the matter before the notice of the Education Board.