CONTROL OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17275, 26 September 1919, Page 8

CONTROL OF EDUCATION.

THE NEED FOR UNITY.

ONE BODY SUGGESTED.

SALARIES OF TEACHERS.

[BT TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, Thursday.

The question of unity of control of the various branches of education by one administrative body, to be set up in each district, was brought up at the Dominion Conference of Education Boards yesterday by Mr. G. T. London (Wellington), who moved : —" That in view of the important part education must necessarily take in post-war reconstruction and restoration, it is essential that the curricula of the various educational units of the Dominion, university, secondary, technical, and primary, be co-ordinated and placed under one control." The motion was carried unanimously. An Auckland delegate moved that "the conference requests the Council of Edu- i cation to consider whether the resultant of our education system in a satisfactory degree is a thoughtful, industrious, reverent' child, and, if not, to suggest a remedy. MrJ E. C. Purdie (Auckland) said the question was of supreme importance to the people of New Zealand. He suggested a conference between the Director and i Assistant-Director of Education, inspectors ife-nd heads of the various educational | institutions, but the general opinion of ' the |conference was that the matter was one[ into which the Council of Education 6ho<ld inquire. The conference to-day passed the following resolution :—" That, while proteeing against the establishment of private schools, yet if private schools are to be allowed the authorities connected wiiji the proposed schools should notify tha Education Board of the district of thar intention to establish a school and 6ulfnit to the board information regarding (1)1 the buildings in which it is proposed to bold the school and the accommodation provided thereby; (2) the syllabus of instinction proposed to be followed; (3) the cations of each member of the teaching staff; (4) and that Che salaries paid shlll be on the scale provided in the Educafon Act (with the exception of schools conducted by members of religious orders." £- recommendation was tabled that re- ' presentations be made that teachers be paid on the basis of efficiency. In support of the remit it was pointed oi» that the only way to secure the best mtn for the profession wa6 to pay them ; salaries commensurate with their ability. j In opposition to the proposal stress was la|d by several speakers on the difficulty, uider the present system, of determining a [teacher's relative efficiency. jThe remit was carried on a division by aj large majority. j Among other remits carried were the fallowing : —■ [That the Government be urged to purify and elevate the standard of moving pictare entertainments by equipping, in each <| the principal centres, one picture theatre fj&r the free display of educational and instructional films for school children. I That, as the four-mile limit for Dew Schools has not worked satisfactorily the government be urged to amend this clause a the Act in order that undue hardship fray not be placed on struggling settlers fri districts badly roaded and difficult of iccess. (Tli at the Education Department provide he cost of secondary or vocational educaion for the children of teachers located in isolated districts affording no facilities jfor such education. I That the maximum number of children lunder one teacher be 40 on the roll, except ;in the case of sole-teacher schools, where the maximum number should be 35. That in all calculations for staffing and salaries the average weekly roll be substituted for the average attendance. That, in order to encourage a high professional attainment, the University of New Zealand include education as a subject for honours. Mr. G. L. Stewart, secretary of the Wellington Education Board, was appointed secretary. It was resolved to meet annually during the session, the first conference to be held at Wellington.