NEW EDUCATION BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13845, 3 September 1908, Page 6

NEW EDUCATION BILL.

"AN HONEST ATTEMPTS -; : $£ l'®'-¥?Hi:..:K APPROVED BY AUCKLAND BOARD. . . J, The Education Act, Amendment Bill, as : fl| ! 'recently circulated, was "the subject of ' *"//Y.-*§ special report to the Board of Education by '! ', ') its executive committee yesterday. The re-".',' -l':-*] port was as follows: — ' "j ':■■:■/■' .'''■'■''-'"',''■■ \>' V 'WiV'-' '■;'.;;.■.; , :.-' ,,: ..;.■:.■'.■■•'. . [■ 'e;. s ~ ; : 'M ;We approve 'Hie Bill generally as a dis- ,* tinct improvement upon the existing Act; '.*: '' -We recognise that the salaries of teachers i "S'-V,, are increased by the Bill, an increase which ? we consider very desirable. * 1 M ,' j We regret, however, that the computation >] /-,','} of salaries upon the basis of average attend- ' "" ance^ is still adhered to. We are of opinion •' ' '[- ■ that teaching ■skill,: academical attainments, ';-.,, -and length 1 of service should be made factors in the remuneration of every teacher. "] We recognise, however, the practical dis- '". parities'indicated by Mr. Hogben in his evidence given before ...the- committee of the §| *$ House upon the BilL We regard as absolutely necessary the •*»? powers proposed •to' be ■ conferred upon, •"' \'-3 boards'in-the. removal and transfer off -'-si teachers;;.'. • ■; • !l|;||||i ''-'The sections of the Bill which deal withfef»liftl the respective powers of boards and com- \ I M mittees in- making- appointments wc regard as eminently desirable. It is necessary for ';| the efficiency of the service that the boards * '< should possess the power' of appointment. * ! I||| We approve the provisions of the Bill in °""5,V regard to the staffing of schools, except, as regards schools .of grade 68, 7A, and '78, «' -*', } (161-300), for which we consider a more hbe-'*|;|||l ral staff-is'needed.' -• : r\ '-'-' y :'i: -".' >'■'• ..'...■■ '■' ■■ ........ ~;. In moving the adoption of the report the .':»<s§; Chairman (Mr. C. J. Parr) said the com- : .'-'- * mittee had gone very carefully into the Bill,:', ' ' and while they had come -to'; the conclusion ".,'■'■ that it was a distinct improvement en the " -'1 present Act, there -were -several points to' be drawn attention to. A general increase in the salaries of teachers was provided, and this was most satisfactory. There could be • so doubt that teachers both: in town and ' country schools were underpaid, and the . Bill, to some extent,. rectified that, and he . 'v--was pleased-to-see., that the teachers of small :,-■■ ■■ country schools hlwl beett particularly looted ;' J after. This, was probably due, to a great ' -.J; extent, to the agitation .conducted by Mr. * ': L. J. BagrjaH, the former chairman. The- ; m Board would very much have liked'to we '■ 'J that certificates and length of service had r-. weight in the matter of salaries, arid the ; committee would have made 3 straight-one .. ",'; recommendation; in ibis regard bus for the ; evidence given by Mr. Hogben, -Inspector- • -' : General, before . the Local ■ Bills .' Committee,. : i ! i'&s pointing out the practical .difficulties. The "powers of transfer were some of the -most- ! , , \ important- provisions in the, Bill, - and with' : -&j|| these powers the Board would able" to better deal with some of the back blocks schools. .. ..-'■'.■ Sir. L. XHagnall seconded - the motion,'_ ■ ■ and said there was a feature of the Bill the ■ Board;-migfat'takejiiijto.. consideration- Uade? • the Bill the Board was to take' into con-' sideration applications from other districts. '.-This. fis; optional, with .'.the Board 'before, and where qualifications in the case of ( an-, outside, teacher ' were the-' highest,-' 'he;- pre-'. '■ , tmr«fd. the Board would here to appoint" that* , '■,' teacher.- * ' ' -.Mr.-'G. «T» Gsxlarjil ««xd'it was to : ''be -re-"* J : gretted that Academical: attainment: ana l ' "-teaching; skill , were; not - -.taken .into. a-acoutjf ■ and that the basis of salary was still on at--. ; 'teadaace,;. but- 'the Bill sw an JjtyE&t a*-| . - tempfc'-to-;do\Sometlnng-''for- : the tcachnrt.-. .'; ' *'■:. Afr. E. C. Pordie, said the BUI containedso many good -- points,- -Iha-t'- the-. .Minister-. might well be cor.graudatod upon it. l%»i . great point was that the smaller -schools wcj, _ . well -recognised. - The 'great blot on the edit-* '.■ ; : cation system at preicn; was the absence «|i '. ■■ .4-promotion." scheme. -.;"■'■ .',.-:''.-.■-;'.- : '■-'■ ,- : '-. The report;was unanimously adopted. -.; . ;