TEACHERS' SALARIES.-SEWING EXAMINATION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8526, 22 November 1889, Page 2

TEACHERS' SALARIES. -SEWING EXAMINATION.

Sir, — It was stated by a membor of the Board af Education on Tuesday that the salaries of teachers had not been reduced. 2 I beg to point out that they have beea > reduced to the same extent and in the f same manner in which the Board's school fund was reduced, viz., by payment on tbe Strict average instead of on the working average. _ I should like to say that the examination in sewiDg is becoming too severe and the requirements too exacting. It is true that in schools where the attendance i- J ' , regular the pupils succeed ; but this is at' * I the expense of an excessive amount of time and attention. Either other subjects are sacrificed or the children are forced ou, by extra time out of school hours. It seems to be forgotten that it is solely at the option of the teachers, by the Act, whether sewing is taught at all, as it is an " additional subject," Its teaching is more likely co be encouraged by making the requirements moderate. In schools where children have long distances to travel, and where the attendance is necessarily irregular, the syllabus is too extended already without being made more difficult by severe interpretation. — I am, _c, Householder. [The capitation grant received by tbo Board was reduced from £4 to £3 15s, in addition to the reduction caused by the adoption of fche "strict average."— Ed. S.B.H.]