NEW EDUCATION BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15664, 18 July 1914, Page 11

NEW EDUCATION BILL.

PRAISE FOR THE MEASURE. SOME CLAUSES CRITICISED. THE EDUCATION DISTRICTS. FIVE CONSIDERED ENOUGH. lira provisions of tho new Education Bill, -as published in yesterday's Herald, were discussed yesterday by various men interested in education—who were interviewed on the subject. Mr. C, J. Parr, Mayor of Auckland, who was chairman of the Auckland Board of Education for three yews, and a member of tho band for five years, described the Bill as a good statesmanlike measure. " 111© Government deserves a great doa' of credit for dealing with an awkward and difficult question in the way it ha; done," Mr. Pair proceeded. "In my opinion tho reduction of the number of boards to nine was quite necessary. Indeed, a further reduction would have done no harm. It is simply absurd that small districts like Westland, Nelson, Wanganui, and Taranaki, which could all bo swallowed up in the Auckland education district, so small are they, should have separate boards, staffs, and inspectors, and separate administration." Division of Auckland District. Concerning the division of the Auckland district into two, tie Mayor said he favoured a large district for the purposes of administration. Besides, a large district gave teachers a better chance of promotion. He considered that, given competent officials, tho present Auckland education district was not too large. When ho was chairman of the Auckland Board there was no difficulty in the ad ministration of its affairs throughout the whole district in an equitable and satisfactory manner. /

Admittedly the chairman ought to travel about in a large district, and see the various committees as much as possible, and ascertain local requirements. An honorarium ought, in his opinion, to Da given to chairmen of boards to enable them to give their time to the work of the boards. If this were,done, and if thero were proper organisation of administration and staffs, he thought the Auckland district might well remain as it is at present.

The Representation Question. Referring, to representation and tho modes of election of board members under tho new Bill, Mr. Parr said that Auckland City had been tinder a disability for some time under the present system in that it was outvoted in representation by fc'ao country districts. "I am, therefore, pleased to see that it is proposed under the Bill to give two members for each 60,000 of .1 city population, added the .Mayor. " That 'would give tho City of Greater Auckknd four members on the new board. I think also that the principle of the municipal electors electing those four members to the board on the same day as the City Council and Hos pital Board elections is very wise, It gives the people a direct influence in, and control over, education, which they ought to have." Grants for School Libraries. Mr. Parr said he thought the grants for school libraries proposed under the Bill were also wise. The advisability of finch a course had been urged upon tho Government for very many years past. The matter was a special feature at the conference of chairmen of boards some years ago, but it had been reserved for the present Minister to take the ma'ter up in a practical way. Mr. Parr looked upon school libraries, particularly in country districts, as most useful adjuncts to primary education.

INSPECTORS AND THE COUNCIL. MR. E. K. MULGAN'S CRITICISM. "With most of the proposals in the Bill I am in hearty agreement," said Mr. E. K. Mulgan, Chief Inspector of Schools for the Auckland Education Board, when asked his opinion of the proposed legislation. "Taken as a whole, the measure is progressive in its conception, and will prove its progressive character when brought into operation." Mr. Mulgan said the setting up of a council of education was a much-needed reform, though he was of opinion that the inspectorate, quite apart from the Department, should be represented. It was difficult to see how the detailed knowledge possessed by the inspectors could be utilised to the full, save by the direct representation of the inspectorate on the council. Mr. Mulgan also approved of the centralising of tho inspectorate, and hoped it would assist in bringing about a Dominion scheme of grading and lead ultimately to a Dominion scheme of promotion. As to inspectors' salaries, Mr. Mulgan said the proposals left much to be desired, especially the salaries attached to the positions of assistant inspectors. The best men would be slow to apply for inspectorships at the salaries offered. The salaries proposed in the Bill are £410 to £440 for headmasters of grade X schools, plus, it is to bo presumed, £60 house allowance, and for first assistants in these schools £290 to £310. Was it at all likely that headmasters would be disposed to enter the inspectorate at a reduced salary, or that assistants would jeopardise their chances of promotion in the schools by becoming inspectors? Yet these were the men it was hoped to attract to the ranks of the inspectorate. The salary of the assistant inspectors was to be from £365 to £425 per annum, and promotion may be the reverse of rapid. Mr. Mulgan said he did nat at all approve of the proposed education districts. It was much to be regretted that when the greatly-needed recast of districts was undertaken a much smaller number was not decided on. In his opinion, the number of districts recommended by the Education Commission which sat a couple of years ago—namely, five—should be adhered to. This would be much more likely to secure for each district a fair proportion of the large schools—that is. of the prizes. So long as boards control appointments teachers holding moderately good positions would.experience difficulty in moving from one district to another, for very naturallyand. from some points of view, very rightly—appointments would generally ?.o to local candidates. Each education district should be sufficiently extensive and should contain a sufficient number of 'irgc schools to give every efficient teacner a reasonable chance of promotion within its area.

"STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION." THE TEACHERS' STANDPOINT. How the new Bill is viewed from the standpoint of the teachers was explained hy Mr. T. F. Warren, headmaster of the Richmond School, the president of the Auckland District Educational Institute. Ho said the measure seemed to be a stop in the right direction. He approved of the setting up of a council of education, stating that if this did no more than obviate overlapping it would lead to more efficient teaching. The centralising of inspection had been advocated by the institute for years, as under the present system there was no uniformity in interpretation of the syllabus Another matter the institute had strongly advocated was a Dominion gradL scheme. They were not in favour of he centralisation of the appointments o teachers, preferring the system at present b vogue under the Education Hoard.

But they were in favour of a Dominion grading scheme to enable teachers to be graded in one standard, and thus bo able to seek appointments under other boards. Under tho present system teachers were well treated under the larger boards, but found that, in smaller districts, thero was no chance of promotion. Committees and Appointments. One very gratifying feature of the new Bill, so far as teachers were concerned, was that in the larger towns many school districts could be combined and worked under one committee. There was no reason why five, seven, or nine people should be appointed to Took after one school. Regarding the clauses dealing with the appointment of teachers, Mr. Warren said that if they meant that committees were again to have a voice in the matter, and that a return was to be made to the old system of patronage, it would be opposed by 90 per cent, of the teachers. Salaries Considered Inadequate. Salaries of teachers and of inspectors under the Bill were, he considered, fixed too low, and far short of what the institute had sought. Inspectors should be paid at least £500 per year in order to draw from the best material. Where a headteaeher who was a married man was able to earn £440 a year, lie was not likely to give up homo life and endure the hardships of travelling to be an inspector at the same salary. Assistantinspectors were to receive £365. As from theso men inspectors would be selected, the best available talent would not apply for the positions, whereas the best ought to be available. Number of Education Boards.

Discussing the proposed reduction in tho number of education boards to nine, Mr. Warren said the Education Commission had recommended five and the institute four. In any case there should not be more than five. The Minister said it was almost impossible for a teacher to find a career under a small board, but under tho proposed nine boards there would be no chance of a career. The Auckland Board had done good work, and there was no reason for dividing it. Its grants for buildings and administration were well administered, and under its grading scheme teachers were, on the whole, contented. If the district were divided the Waikato would not have a grade X school. Teachers regretted that there was no mention in the Bill of a Dominion grading scheme being brought into effect immediately, or of superannuation, or staffing, Mr*. Warren concluded. Furthermore, it was regretted that teachers were not treated as other branches of the Public Service in having travelling expenses paid on being transferred.

AUCKLAND CHAIRMAN'S VIEW. AGAINST SMALL DISTRICTS. [nr TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. The general principle of the Education Bill is approved by the chairman of the Auckland Education Board, JMr. G. J. Garland. When questioned by a Herald representative on the subject this evening, Mr. Garland said that generally speaking he was heartily in accord with the principles of the measure, which he described as an " enlightened" one. He approved of the proposed appointment of a council of education, but said, of course, much would depend upon its personnel. IK welcomed the proposals in regard to the inspectorate, which would give a better status to inspectors, whilst largely retaining the present system of control by the boards. He was unable at prosent to express any opinion in regard to the proposed method of electing members of education boards or other provisions, as he had not yet closely examined thoso provisions. The proposal to divide the present Auckland education district into two districts is not favoured by Mr. Garland. "I think this division," he-said, "would be a mistake, and I do not think that this portion of the Bill will be passed. The Auckland board will probably-give evidence on this subject when the Bill is. under consideration by the Education Committee of the House. I understand that the proposed boundaries of the various districts are purely tentative, and that the question of their retentiou or amendment will not be made a party question by the Minister." " You do not think that the present Auckland district is too large?" Mr. Garland was asked. " No," was the reply, " the district is certainly not too large. The defect at present is that the other districts are too small, hot that ours is too large. I think that there should not bo more than four, or, at the most, five, education districts in the Dominion, and that the present Auckland district should form one of these districts."

A WAIKATO VIEW. NEW DISTRICT WELCOMED. * r (BY. TELEGRAPH-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. Mr. J. A. Young, M.P. for Waikato, expresses his approval of the proposal to establish a separate education district in Waikato. He considers that the present Auckland district is too largo and unwieldy. "I think," be says, "that if a new district is formed, with headquarters at Hamilton, it should do much to solve the problom of providing the necessary schools and accommodation in the back country districts." STAFFING OF SCHOOLS. GRADES AND SALARIES. [BT TELTOSAWI.— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. The conditions affecting the average attendances, the grading of schools and head teachers, and the grading of assistants and payment of salaries, are altered by the new Education BillIn respect of mixed schools, the averago attendances fixed for the seven grades and their sub-grades are as follows :- Head Teacher's Average Gra d Salary. Attendance. £ £ 1 ... 100 to 140 9 to 20 n . 140 to 180 21 to 35 n i ' 200 to 250 36 to 80 oR " „ -. 81 to 120 i\ '*'. 260 to 310 121 to 160 in „ „ 161 to 200 iC, "' ~ „ 201 to 240 RA '.'.' 320 to 360 241 to 280 rp, „ „ 281 to 320 in '.'.' ~ -. 321 to 360 " rd " 361 to 400 c \ '.. 370 to 400 101 to 150 6*B .. -■ 161 to 50 ° 7A ... 410 to 440 501 to 550 7JJ „, „ ,< 551 to 600 and upwards. The sub-grades do not affect the salaries of head teachers, but tbev will have an. influence on the staffing of assistants and their grades of salaries. For instance, «rade 3A carries one assistant, whilst grade 3B carries two assistants. The grades and sub-grades in the order given carry assistants as follows :—From one assistant in grade 3A to 13 assistants in grade 7R, the increase in each grade and sub-grade being a singlo unit. It is provided that for every school of erade 1 there shall be added for each succeeding sub-grade above sub-grade 7B an assistant with a salary of sub-grade 1, but in all other respects the staff and salaries in everv such school shall be the same as in a school of sub-grade TB. The number of male teachers in any mixed school fhall not exceed the number of femalo teachers. At least one of the first two assistants in any school of grades 4, 5, 6 or 7, must be a woman. At least three of the first six assistants in any school of grade 6 or 7 must bo women. Where a qualified assistant cannot he obtained two pupil teachers may, _ with the approval of the Minister previously obtained, be substituted for an assistant, provided that the number of pupil teachers in any school shall in no case exceed

the number of adult teachers. An assistant with a salary of grade .1 may be substituted for two pupil teachers. The number of assistants and pupil teachers in a school shall bo determined by the average attendance. In the case of. a school of grade 0, that is, a school having a yearly attendance not oxceeding eight, the board shall pay for or on account of the salary of the teacher the sura of £6 per annum for every pupil in yearly average attendance, and the board may require, having regard to all the circumstances, 6uch provision to be made for the board and lodging of the teacher as it may think fit.

For separate boys' schools, which are graded from four A to six B, tho. salaries of head teachers are the samo as for mixed schools, but tho grading of salaries for head teachers of separate girls' and separate infants' schools are different. Everv side school shall be deemed to form part of the main school, and the grado and staff of the main school (together with its side school or schools) shall be determined accordingly. No main or side school taKen separately s v alJ have a smaller number on its staff than if it were a mixed school of the same average attendance. ___, A scale of salaries for assistants in District High Schools c.also provided. Tho head teacher of each District High School shall receive a sum of £30 per annum in addition to other amounts paid to him. The following annua] house allowances shall be paid to head or sole teachers :— b'or schools of grades 1 and 2, £20; for schools of grade 3, £30; for schools of grade 4. £40; for schools of grades 5, 6, and 7, £50.

EDUCATION DISTRICTS. MINISTER NOT TIED TO NINE. TBI TELEGRAm.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Friday. Mr. James Craigie (Tiraaru) asked the Minister for Education, in the House of Representatives to-dav, whether he would permit evidence to be given beforo the Education Committee by representatives of South Canterbury, to show why the South Canterbury Education Board should not be abolished under the new Education Bill. Similar questions were asked by other members, whose districts were affected in like manner. In his reply, the Minister, the Hon. James Allen, said ho anticipated a good deal of difference of opinion on this point. Personally, he did not care what boundaries wero agreed upon, so long as the districts were reduced in number. That, he thought, could bo done quite well by the Education Committee without taking special evidence. Tho Minister stated subsequently that if the House does not agree as to boundaries of tho proposed new districts, a commission may bo set up to fix the boundaries of the various districts.