EDUCATION BOARD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 130, 3 June 1891, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

The Board met at 10 o'olook this morniuff. S"« el i fc: J he Hon J.. Shephard, Messra falbot Tarrant, Phillips, Clayden, and Hurathouae. •■• -' • The ohair was taken by the Seoretary, and the Board proceeded to elect a Chairman, j f* r Shephard, who had been appointed acting Chairman, said that he regretted very muoh that his health wotild not permit of' hia continuing to/ocodpy thtf position ofi? ; .Chairman* . \. * v-. .. *\ &jr Mr Phillips moved, and Mr Clayden seconded, that Mr Tarrant be eleoted Chairman, both of them expressing their einoere regret th^t Mr Shephard s state of health was auoh as to prevent bis Occupying the poßition, and Bpeaking in high terms of the manner iu whioh he had oonduoted the buai. nesa when iu the ohair. Mr Tarrant aaid it would give him great pleaaure to aooept the poaition provided that it was the unanimous wish of the members . of the Board./ That a Chairman -must be firm in the conduct of the business he kfle^ that all the .members felt, and he nas certain that he should receive the support ot the »? 0 2£* , fl f, BhouW like to add that if, on Mr Shephard's return from Wellington, ' he found his health permitted of his reaum' ; mg the duties of Chairman, he would moßt ; williugly resign in his favour. He had !' ka »* a J A i r Sbephard for a number of years, r and had fully recognise^ his ability and -the ; manner in whioh he had oonduoted the prb^ ; , ceedings with owdit to Junjaelf ,and advan.me to. the Boajd.: Ne^r indeed had they ' been more satisfactorily carried on than 1 under hia preaideuoy. Mr Shephard feated tbere waa no proapeot r of suoh a Ohangein^his health aa would permit him to; resume; thd ohair, stiil, bb it ; was the unanimous wish of the Board, he was 6 ; willing to allow the matter to rest under the ; oondittoua named by Mr Tarrant. He I thanked tham ail very muoh lor their kind i expressions towards himself, '' It naa then resolved that Me Tarrant be^ 1 appointed Ohairman, and that gentleman took the ohair, and thanked the Board for the i hign position to which tney hid elected him. He repeated thai it would give him the » greatest pleaaure to resign ia Mr Shepherd's , lavour ahould his health improve, for nomf • waa more competent than he to ail thab position, " „ M fn sne P hard fl aid he was very glad to see • Mr Tarrant in the ohair, for he had full* • appreciated the many excellent qualities he \ had displayed when he had occasional* > ocoupied that position before. Leave of absenoewas granted during tha I Parliamentary flession lo the Hon. J. htZ * 1 hard and Mr Harkness, M.H.R -■■■•■ , l lAiTJL 8 . Bo 2- d of ,?« min «« reportel'ai follows :-Five' applications lor the teaoherahtp at Waignaro were considered,' and it waa (recommended that the names of r Misses 3* , Aioßworih, lloae Olifford, and Maud Warm* be given in alphabetical order as belt eligible, but that the Board's resolution as tS I preference being given to probationers ih ita , «ervio« be forwarded to the Waingaro Com! t mittee, and that its attention be oalled t thereto.-Seven applications for the assistant f waoherahip at Sarau were oonaidered, , Miss . Elizabeth Carter and Ada Deaaunaia were , recommended, their names being given* in . order of eligibility,, the resolution of tha , Board as to the preference to be given to i probationers to be. forwarded to the Sarau : Committee. r ' A communication was reoeived from the [ Town Committee reapeofcing certain proposed » "f^ements regarding the eohools. >^ i ihe luspeotor read the following • memorandum on the. reorganisation ofi , several of the town aohools :- » The Chairman of tbe Nelson Eduoatwa 1 Boardi ' va-M^TT"' ? ith tffo «n«baia of the Town Schools Committee, (one ol whom waa the Ohairman), I visited, on May 7th and Bih,«,oh of the- Town aShools aSeemsdto require reorganisation, either in respect of the number of aoholars in attendant tfi numbers and composition of the tetthln* staff, or the allocation of ths workAN? addition to the number, or alteration in tha , status oi ths Town teaohers, S, in Sy i 1889, the total average attendance in ' the £own aohools was 1086. The staff at that time oonaiated of ;27 teaohers, including 7 probationera, giving an average af 40 aoholars to each teacher, In,April,lß9l, the tottf average attendance for the two pwesSna quarters was 1024, the staff conaisting T 28 teachers, including 7 probationers, giving au average of 365 aoholars to eaoh teioher. No oaae seems to bave been made ont for tha promotion of any Town probationer to an assistant teaoherflhip, Bye law 23 states expressly "that tha term of service of probationersi shall cease at. the end of three years," bye-law 22 providing "thai pro■swan airsEdtos were to be promoted to an assistant teaaher* Bhip, the oarefully devised, and fifi successful B,ohemeof probitioheHhipToSld •pwdMy oome to. an end, OWhgHiJ probationers *ho have served ; tffi \hi£ CS ter * OT a L^ fc month y"SSu country or aided schools." Thosef theiSS, S^tf? ".^oonteat with thTemohffi f £? d . yearß! Probationers haKe option of bettering themselves, if they do ™^»k fcom kh ! P"aumerhariaiii^ . of country life, though accompanied by higher Htatvn""*,* e «oWavisW>S ioi toi Valley, where there were aix teachers* with a roll number of 267 (taking the last two quartera), and an average attendance of 218, giving an average of 36 scholars to eaoh teacher. This staff, under a proper distribu. tion of the work, iB obviously numericaUy equal to fche work requited of it. i'or several reasons, however, I recommend tbat Miaa Amy Johnson, at present employed as probationer in the junior diviaiouVof ' Bridira street, be transferred to the obarge of fcha 4fch standard girls at Toi Toi ' "Sto 'S present being taught by Miss Sheph^'tfX ! . vacated by Miss John&n. A'toortlftirS««li.» 6th standard girls might i&t^&St tage, be pat uuder the oharge of SSa^Sffi standard olaaa, thus relieving jfi£ KsSl who is eomewhat overbKid-Wft number of the seventh tuad^frJ? *"?■'■'- ea teaoheks two of whom areph)b?tSs) This gives ad average of 89 JttMwSS V" i £n°£ er ' . Tho wboolroome. thoS^r%JS; • -- It would, hotvet^r, AM all (jhe^ffi >: : if ;* ww $ girlU^oottid^lSdraped to so»e o^f^}^^- A not so ful 1,. are^heari^SH'SS^: homes of save^l : $fcls; ''A 0f 145 for the list stUm^tSmmW % r',:' aoholars to eaoh t&bhet-"fOTiaJl°&^ * '■ taut were, at those on the rol ), r^i^iiMmmnm^liA : :3 ; heing, inthtf upper rdoihMffdP«S?V% : t 0 Recharge ofW®m^®Sfel^i the aaaiaA'a '&gg : Offlßßffi»Sffil#^ f?:^he:4^^a«M|^^^Q

viable todiseeter— and the retention of the 7th standard, boys Jn tbaw^JW w*o have hlthefto been ianuallf , frs*»f erred td Bridge At, wot® to time,: remove tW anomajprtferoftd, . # ttfh* > Tam, *o,»„ «„,""' ' W. 0. Hodgson. Hr Dencker said be had read the report of tbe last meeting of the Town OoniJnitJal, and he agreed with what had fallen from one of the Committee with regard to the discrepancy in the salaries. It was resolved that the appointments be made as recommended by the Committee. •JMr Clayden said he felt that the aotion of the Committee (as reported in our Ibbuo of Thursday l"t) completely cut the ground from under his feet with regard to the central sohool. He had great confidence in the Committee, but felt that they had made a very great error in deoiding against it, and he thought it would bo better to postpone the consideration of the matter for six months. '. He i/as strongly in favour of a good central sohool on a good site, and would ke to wait- until the people of Nelson had expressed their opinion. At present it waß a disgraoe to* Nelson tbat its boys were eaten atthe examinations by those from the country districts and Marlborough, Thiß would-be remedied if they had a thoroughly good <$ntfal 'sohool. The consideration was deferred for six months. The Board then went into Committee to consider tbe appointment of a teaoher to the Addison's Flat school, Aftpteome discussion ft was resolved that the name of Mr Eugene Denoker be submitted to the Addison's Flat Committee as the only eligible candidate. A letter was read from the Rockville Committer relative to ceriain xnatteiß complained of bjr Inspector,— Resolved tbat the Committee's letter bears out the Inspector's report, but the Board accepts their explanation. Tbe boundaries of the Qranity Creek district were approved by tha Board. Correspondence relative to tbe eleotion of the CapeFoulwind Committee was read at some length. It was resolved on the motion of Mr Shephard, tbat tbe Board sees no reason for interfering witb the eleotion. The report of the Salaries Committee was bronght op and read as follows :— 1. All attendances to be calculated on the Btriot average. 2, All teaohers of sohools noe exceeding 20 to be paid 44 per bead. 8. All fixed salaries to be one fifth less for female teaflbers than for male. 4, In the following scale the salaries are understood to be for male teaohers, 6. All schools above 60 are expected to be wholly self supporting, 6. The ihereases made last year by way of bonus A w^re specifically limited to the year, and were not to be considered as permanent additions to salaries, 7. Existing salaries, if higher than proposed soale, to remain until a obange of teaoher takes plaoe, and all salaries below the proposed soile to be rahed in accordance with it. 8. If the results of teaching are very unsatisfactory in auy particular sohool, the Board will not adhere to the proposed soale, but will zeduoe suoh salary as it thinks proper. Scale -.—From 21 to 26, £100 ; 26 to 80, 4120 ; 81 to 86, £126 ; 86 to 40, 4130 j 41 to 60, 4186 and one probationer ; 61 to 66,4140 aud one probationer ; 66 to 60, £146 and one probationer ; 61 to 70, 4160 and twp probationers, or one assistant, as Board njay. decide} 71 to 85, 4160 and two probationers, or one assistant, aB Board may deoide; 86 to 100, £170 and two probationers, or one assistant as Board may deoide j 101 to 126, £189 ahd one assistant and one probationer ; 126 to 160, £200 and one assistant and one probationer i 161 to 200, £226 and two assistants, or one assistant and two probationers; 201 .tp '2so, £250 and two assistants, or one assistant and two probationers, . Above 260, an addition of £6 for eaoh 10 pupils. Maximum for second teaoher, attendance not being lqas tban 160, £10uj exceeding 200, 4160. . . The question of house or allowance in lieu thereof , to be considered and. dealt within eaoh case according to the judgment of the Board. < The adjustment of the above soale shall be fixed half-yearly. Mr Tarrant pbicoted to tbe difference between the salaries of male and female teapherfl, If one did the work as well as the other wby should she not be as well paid ? Mr Shephard said that as a rule a female teaohtii had uot a husband and family to provide for, It Was a general custom, and there was as little difference as possible in this distriot. Mr Phillips said tbat a male teaoher was no doubt, if not already married, looking forward to being so, and to having a family to provide for, and therefore ought to be better pfiid.than a female. Mr Glaydeh' agreed with the last speaker's remarks.., Thete was a great movement throughout- the world in tbe direction of placing women and men ou an equal footing, It was a plank in tho Radical plat" form, but not one of whioh. he approved, To his mind woman's great charm' was hei effeminaoy. - If there was one thing he disliked more than ' another, it was a masculine woman. He thought teaohing was' an excellent employment for women, but none of them went into the business with' a view of remaining in it throughout her life, bnt she looked forward to leaving it and being married. The Ohairman expressed bis opinion tbat there should not be suoh. a discrepancy between the salaries of the two sexes, and he moved as an amendment that men and women teaohers' talaries be the Bame, , Mr Denoker siid that in all other lines of lite women were not paid as well as men. The Committee had looked over ail the scales in the colony, and they bad adopted the most liberal one, Women had not the eame responsibilities, as men, nor were they so well able to oontrol a large school, especially where there were many boys, Li Mr Clayden said that if the amendment were carried it wonld necessitate the repastdpg of the whole soale, ' |ir Tarrant was fully aware of that, but the difficulty might be met by Blightly reduoing the men's salaries and increasing those of fche women. '. 'A T£? 'amendment was then put and lost, Messrs Tarrant aud Hursthouse only voting font. ;..;;■ . . '„Mr' Talbot would have preferred tb see a .eystem^f bonuses. At present in some of tae largest country sohoola the salary waa 'only about 420 more than in the small ones, $e shoqld like to see a higher salary in s^me bf the larger sohools, so that the promotion from the smaller might be considerable, Mr Denoker thought there waß a good deal of reason in this, but he could not yet see his way. to vote for it. In the course of time it might be found possible to make the proposed alteration. The report was tben adopted, Resolved that Miss Drummond be appointed teaoher of the household school at Awaroa subject to the approval of the Inspector ou his first examination of the scholars, It was resolved that Mr Talbot and tha Secretary open the nomination papers of candidates for the Board on the 17th inat. ' '.'Mr Clayden moved that the by law for.bidding the expenditure of Committee mOiey on prlzee.be exoieed. Mr Shephard said it would remain all the same,'as it was part of the Aot , ; |£r Clayden said tbat there would be no harm io rescinding it. The Aot provided for .scbplsrsbips wbioh ran on all foura with prizes. However, be maintained that it would uot be against tbe spirit of the Aot. He bad been obarged with reversing his whole polioy, fconth after month there came a wail from the Inspector oomplaininß of ths poor attendance at tbe sohools. It had b«6n ssid, wby not introduce the oompulc ory . clauses, but in the oountry diatriots they were praotleally obsolete. Take suoh a little .Villey as bis. It was difficult to get seven , mon to aot on tbe Committee, and if tbey did, . they* were, as a rule, the parents of nine tenths of the soholars, and was it likely tbej would enforce tbe oompulsory olauaes. Whj to. attempt to do it would be to oreate t perfeoJ pandemonium, whereas they liked tc get on well and smoothly together. [Mi Shephard ; An Agspemone in fact,] Wel! as bear it as possible. II then tbey could ( not get at tbe parenta, let tbem try and IndooS the ohildren by offering good prizes Thfcy granted oertain money to the Com. •mlttees. and why not let them spend it ai 'they pleased? What did tbey want witb Government auditors coming and inteif erin{ < jf itb'f'lUtle village Committees? Theat a&dibfrs be regarded sa a eooial nuiaanoe. Mr Hursthoose was in favour of thii motion because he was opposed to all by laws, bujt he feared that if they authoriset the Committees' to spend the money on prize there would be muoh larger demands upoi the Board for. maintenance money. Bu notwithstanding that he thought they couli afford to abolish the by law. In his distrio J rises bad invariably been given, and yel e blushed to say it, it was the worat at tenjfad sohool ia the whole of tbe Nclbo district simply because the parents did no oara to jln^iet on their qhlldren going. ■Jlr Sh^pbard Bald that the bylaw ha been adopted In the first plaoe as a warnin rocher tb*» a heoeßßity. If they abolishe it w 'thought tbat one of theie daystfc auditor* WO&ld come down upon the Con 'mittee, and they would suddenly find thi the* w» oaUs op™ to pay, Phillipih would like to see a prh "MM to ®* ojass. He saad in son „"• ■; j»®' eyeraiMW J^ fc * P/iwout of tl >':^&tt*aligWftn9ft. VW9 *» 9&« «?hoo

The motion that the hy law he excised was,then put and lost, Messra Clayden and Jdursthouse alone voting for it. Certain residents at Capleston mote complainin&of the conduct ofthe master in calling thefr daughters liars, and applying nicknames to a number of the children. ~A letter was also received from certain r&idents complaining that a letter had been sujjprejfssed.— Resolved tbat the Secretary write to the Secretary of the Capleston Committee asking for an explanation. A letter waa received from the Lyell Committee asking for an increaso in the teacher's salary.— Resolved that thu Committee be referred to the scale of salaries adopted this day. A letter wae received from Mr E. Jessop -stating that he had at hia own expense •built a schoolroom in Wairoa Valley and asking the Board for assistance as there wore 13 scholars ready to attend. — Resolved that Mr Dencker be requested to enquire into the case and report at next meeting of the Board. The Finance Committee reported among other matters;— That the applioation of tho Baton Committee for a grant for the sohool ground not being accompanied by a state* ment of the Committee's funds be postponed to next month; That, as requested by the Stoke Committee, the Board undertake the ereotion of the addition to the sohool, and that Mr Ellis be instructed to prepare the neoesaary plana and supervise the work; That the two applications received from the Waimangaroa Committee be postponed for consideration after the visit of the Committe of Inspection; That the applioation of tho East Takaka Committee for a grant for lining, ko., be poetponed for further information; That aa tbe Inspector reports that the Foxhill aohool is only slightly overorowded, the Committee's applioation for the enlargement of the building stand over for the present, The Board a aooounta show that the building fund ia over voted by £62. The oredit balance on general account is £2184, subject to the paymenta of the day £1325.