SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11060, 11 May 1899, Page 7

SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

o. Tl . to THE editor. iw' i 13 well to ro,,oat from time to timo hat education depends entirely on the certain S * iTi •' 2 • Ulst lmve knowledge and a certain skill in imparting this knowledge; ami it 18 also well to remember that both the knowledge and tho skill take years to acquire. Therefore the essential to success m public education is tnat the best teachers procurable should bo selected. Now the peat responsibility of selecting the best teachers we con for upon a body of men who, as a rule, know nothing individually or collootively of the knowledge or tho skill required in a teache;. The men, no doubt, may bo admirablo for knowledge and skill m their own particular occupations: but of caching they know nothing. This, however, they find no obstacle, for they appoint of jneir number a selection committee, and on these rests the responsibility of supplying the schools with teachers. Well, of course'they choose badly, even with the assistance of the ocal seven, but tho inspectors must confirm the selection or there is a bad time awaiting the inspectors. Examples of this are not rare. But an advocate of this absurd state of things may say, "The Board is elected by the people'. No doubt the Board is elected by the school committees, and tho school committee? have practically become each an invariable wen for a district, with a perpetual chairman for each. These seven local lights do not well know how or why they hold such an important posit ion—excopt, perhaps, one. or two who know tho why and the how. So that from invariable committees, we get a Board differing little in personnel from year to year, and the whole forms the worst form of oligarchy, at a cost to the country of over £12,000 pei annum. It is important to a.*k where do the teachers coino from? Well, the school inspector sometimes hold an examination— a difficult examination, but as high as the sixth standardand from the result. of tins the supply comes. There is no training school, so that tho appointed have to go up for examination year after year, during their holidays, in the very hottest peason of the year. The pay for this is from 8s to 9s a week. Aflei many —during which time they carry on tho most part of the toaching so far as numbers are concerned theso improvers, if successful, get an 10 certificate. Now here is a point worth observing. If a fully-qualified candidate, so far as knowledge is concerned, applies to the Board for employment, she (foi he is of rare occurrence) is informed thai tliero are many applicants, but that information will be given in due course when there is a vacancy. This would be tho proper course if the object was to select tho very worst material out of which to make, teachers. In every other occupation that, we wish to promote, we choose the best applicant and reward and encourage I lie best employees; but in education the directors do not choose the best, and what is worse, they are not responsible for their conduct. No matter what tho system of education, the teachers ought to bo the first consideration. Get good teachers and the present system is good enough; but thero is no use talking of c system of education, if, as a part of it, oj l>or or a girl at Is a (lay lias to pay out a string of names to a large class nnd call tho process a lesson on history or geography or anything olse. At present there is no one responsible, The oligarchy to which we have entrusted education must be got rid of, and thus freo £12,000 a year for tho purposes of education.—l am, etc., B.N.S.