PROMOTION OF SCHOOL TEACHERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13455, 6 April 1907, Page 6

PROMOTION OF SCHOOL TEACHERS.

A SCHEME SUGGESTED

The principles of a promotion scheme were laid before the meeting of tho Educational Institute yesterday by Mr. Cousins. Tho first principle was that efficiency of service should lie the first consideration in the appointment of teachers. Mr. Cousins, in presenting the principles, stated that schools were established for tho good of the country, to train the children— for the teachers. It followed that if the money spent annually on education wore to be used to its best effect, then the most efficient teachers should be placed in the most important schools. The other principles were : (2) Therefore, in tho grading of teachers for promotion, tho efficiency of the teacher must be the first consideration, and literary and other considerations must bo subordinated to that principle; (3) that the efiicie.i>cy of the teacher can be gauged only by experts: (4) provision must bo made for appointments on merits; (5) provision must bo made for the grading of teachers in a few woll-defin-ed grades; (6) other things l>eing considered equal, seniority of service should be the determining factor; (7) each teacher's prospects of promotion should bo shown as definitely as possible on promotion lists, which should be revised at periods not longer than on© year; (8) the necessity for guarantee against reduction of salary, except on proof of loss of efficiency ; (9) the salary should bo fixed by scalo for each grade; 110) that as many of tho teachers, no matter how efficient, can have no opportunity of holding the higher positions, tho sal».ri«e should bo adjusted so that tho majority should be liberally paid. Those recommendations were unanimously adopted.