STAFFING OF SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17101, 5 March 1919, Page 8

STAFFING OF SCHOOLS.

EXISTING ANOMALIES. ■;.;- :t ■ y:tx^^ r \''- : *■■■ '■< J* NEED FOR NEW SYSTEM. •.'. r The matter of staffing of primary schools was discussed yesterday by Mr. Ernest Lilly,;, chairman . of the City Schools Committee. ,; He said that - while tho latest regulations issued by the. Education Department were calculated to make teaching conditions somewhat more tolerable, they were disappointing to teachers, school committees,' and ednca-, .tion r boardsV owing to the fact that they' adhered to the average attendance as the basis of staffing instead of the average roll number, for which teachers had been agitating for many years, : "Wo must remember." said Mr. Lilly, "that the ..teachers are best able to judge what conditions will suit the schools in which they work., Again and I again- they have . pointed out the Gilbertian situations that may arise through staffing on the average attendance instead of on the average ■ roll, It is possible for a school to lose a teacher because ;of a stormy day, or because of the illness of children. 11 the weather id, so bad' that less than half the , scholavs attend the school is in no danger.of; having its teaching staff reduced, but, should more than half the children attend on a .stormy day the average attendance of the school, according to the regulations,, must suffer. 'Last-year it rained very hard on March 28; at one of the city schools about 100 more than -half the - children attended. The '? enthusiasm of the children rewarded by the loss of a.. teacher. This particular school is still suffering that loss, and the Departmental regulations are solely to blame.: ■',-'-•-'■-■■.•■• •■'.' '*. '?■ J' The Education Board can do nothing I because the Department; does, not allow.it |to exercise any discretion in t the matter I of staffing the schools, Under its jurisdic--1 tion. Unless strictly according to regulations, application be made to Wellington before; a teacher^.urgently required in a. particular school, can he appointed even temporarily . by' the, board. ( The approval' of the Minister is necessary before thi> board'may increase .the staff of a school, "though the board is in the better position to.judge 1 ' whether such increase, ■is, necessary. The . Minister's approval takes time to obtain.; in • the. meantimo there is no teacher for our' children. Under •present conditions the schools are Unequally staffed, a circumstance grossly unfair to the teachers who are graded every year on the work of "their schools. "The only remedy for such disadvantages as may arise is to staff the.schools on the average roll number and to allow the Education Board to exercise discretion of a man. of ordinary common sense."