BOARD OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14953, 28 March 1912, Page 5

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

NORMAL SCHOOL TEACHERS

AN ANOMALY IN SALARIES.

The Auckland Board of Education met yesterday. Present: Messrs'. G. J. Garland (chairman), 11. J. Greens-lade, C. T. Barriball, J. D. McKenzio, G. Edgecumbe, A. R. Harris, and G. W. Murray. The Chairman drew the attention of the Board to the fact that assistants' in the Normal School and the Technical College were paid on the same scale as assistants in primary schools. The anomaly in this respect was particularly obvious in the case of the Normal School assistants, who were presumed to possess ability and qualifications that made them examples for the students receiving training. . These assistants were specialists, and it was the duty of the Board to inform the Department that it considered their remuneration was not in proportion to their positions. The secretary stated that on February 7 the Board passed a resolution, which had been communicated to the Department, proposing that such assistants should receive salaries not lower than grade 3. Mr. Murray remarked that tho preparation of reports upon the students involved a heavy and grave responsibility upon the teachers. The Board decided to remind the Department of its previous resolution.

BACK BLOCK SCHOOLS.

HIGHER SALARIES PROPOSED. Proposals for the improvement of grade 0 schools were made by the sub-commit-teo (Messrs. Garland, McKenzie, and Murray), appointed to report on the matter. It submitted resolutions emphasising the claim of settlers in isolates places for the best possible education for their children, and expressing the opinion that the salaries for grade O schools were not sufficient to induce persons of even moderate teaching experience or qualification to take the work where settlement was scattered, and living arrangements most primitive. The committee proposed the following scale of salaries :—Attendance : Four £50, six £60, and eight £70 per annum. The Chairman explained that, the salary fixed for a teacher in charge of a grade 0 school (one with four children in attendance) was £24 per annum. It was proposed that the salary should bo increased to £50, which was little enough, since settlers in the back blocks had little opportunity for education for their children other than grade 0 schools. The report was adopted, and it was decided that it should be submitted to the consideration of the Minister for Education. Mr. Harris' commended th© action taken in the matter, and on his motion a vote of thanks was accorded to the sub-com-mittee.

TEACHERS' APPOINTMENTS.

RESIGNATIONS AND TRANSFERS. The following resignations of teachers were reported:— Miss R. F. Lowe, assistant, Waitekauri; Mr. E. H. Edmonds, teacher, Nihoniho; Miss R. E. Avery, secondary assitant, Te Aroha; Miss A. E. G. Thomas, pupilteacher, Matamata; Mre. E. M. M. Thomas, teacher, Puketawai; Miss J. A. M. Sinclair, assistant, Okauia; Miss B. E. Sergeant, assistant, Patumahoe; Miss O. J. Gruar, pupil-teacher, Remuera; Mr. E. P. Cook, pupil-teacher, Avondale; Mr„ W. J. Bishop, teacher, Whangaripo; Mr. W. H. Lorking, teacher, Gordon. The following appointments were authorised :— Mr. M. McGreal, Upper Waiwera school; Miss M. F. Egan, lady assistant, Grafton school; Miss A. A. Crum, Waimiha. ''household" school; Miss C. Stretton, relieving teacher, Mount Albert school Miss E. D. Macdonald, pupil-teacher, Beresford-street school; Mr. J. V. K. Taylor, pupil-teacher, Avondale school; Miss Athol Anderson, pupil-teacher, Beresfordstreet school; Mr. W. R. McGregor, pupilteacher, Warkworth school; Miss M. Ogden, pupil-teacher, Dargaville school. The following temporary appointments were made — Mr. 0. Le Gallais, teacher, Kirikopuni school; Mr. H. E. Stanton, teacher, Gordon school; Miss G. C. Leech, teacher, Whangaripo school; Mies G. A. W. Thomas, teacher, Puketawai school; Mr. A. B. Mossman, teacher, Nihoniho school; Mr. J. J. Stevens, teacher, Awaroa school ; Miss D. Christmas, teacher, Manawahe school; Miss A. C. Fooks, assistant, Matamata school; Miss M. B. Sutton, assistant, Hikurangi school; Miss E. E. Savage, assistant, Waitekauri school; Miss R. M. May, assistant, Patumahoe school; Miss C. Mclsaac, assistant, Hikutaia, school; Miss J. G. Coo-Smith, assistant, Panmure school; Miss F. N. Mahony, assistant, Puriri school. The Teachers' Selection Committee reported that school committees had been consulted regarding the following proposed appointments:— Karangahake, assistant, Miss L. Hay Grafton, assistant, Miss A. G. Moodie' Birkdale, assistant, Miss N. A. BellMangere Bridge, assistant, Miss N. Sadler; Edendale, assistant, Miss V. M. Foley; Richmond Road, assistant, Miss R. C. Daldy; Mayfield, assistant, Miss M. L.' Oliver. It was resolved that the staffs of the Dargavillo and Warkworth schools should be reduced in accordance with the ruling of the Minister. °

GENERAL MATTERS

AN ESSAY COMPETITION. The copper plaques awarded to successful competitors for the North Island in the British and Foreign Sailors' Society essay competition on Alfred the Great were forwarded by the Department of Education. The winners were Robert Peacock (Putaruru), Ella Maher (Waihou), and Muriel L. Mountier {No. 2 school, Katikati). It was decided to forward the trophies for presentation, accompanied by a letter of congratulation to each of the three scholars. It was decided to purchase a copy of the new edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica for the Technical College. Upon the recommendation of the Finance Committee, the following payments were authorised:—Administrationaccount (35 vouchers), £1962 3s 5d ; building account (52 vouchers), £1723 19s; manual and technical account (44 vouchers), £1207 0s lOd. Nine tenders were received for the erection of a school building at Te Papapa. The lowest was made by Mr. 0. E. Farrow, but it was so much in advance of the grant that the Board decided to apply for an additional grant. The architect attributed the increased cost to the prevailing industrial unrest.