GRADING OF SCHOOLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21940, 25 October 1934, Page 12

GRADING OF SCHOOLS

" NEED FOR REMEDY" TEACHERS AND BOARDS [by telegraph—OWN" correspondent] WELLINGTON, Wednesday The view that the np grading of certain schools will balance the results of the down grading of other schools necessitated by the exclusion of five-year-old children is challenged by the New Zealand Educational Institute with figures compiled from information supplied by education boards. The position as from next February, according to the returns which have come to hand, is as fcjlows:—

In the aggregate 179 schools will be down graded throughout the country in February; 54 assistants will receive notice, of dismissal; 99 head and sole teachers will be in the position of being overpaid and will, unless they can find other positions within the next 12 months, all suffer salary reductions; and 21 teachers overpaid as from the last down grading will be reduced in salary in February. The institute complains that teacher# who have already suffered through salary cuts are being additionally penalised by circumstances beyond their control. One Wellington headmaster, it is stated, is threatened with a decrease in his salary through down grading to a point below that which he was r® - ceiving 15 years ago. Education boards complain that the constant changing of staffs is bad for the morale of the schools and opposed to the interests of the children. The Educational Institute and the education boards agree that a position has been created that calls for remedy. The boards are taking independent action by arranging a conference in "Wellington on the subject and the institute is making independent representations. The proposal of the institute is that all changes in staffs or salaries consequent upon the down grading of schools' should "mark time" until a remedy for \ the present state of affairs can ba found.