IN THE THROES OF CHANGE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4293, 28 February 1901, Page 4

IN THE THROES OF CHANGE

It is about a. year since the Department of Education undertook to remove ihe anomalies which undoubtedly existed in all the education districts of the) colony. The principle of local government. one of the essential features of the education system, loft to itself, worked in one respect badly. Unhappily, this was in the important matter of the teaching profession. On the one hand 1 tho 'thoughtful minds of the country were urging plans for "siting the status of teachers—plans which have culminated in Sir Robert Stout's proposal for a University Chair of Pedagogy ; on the other, tho Education Boards, working on independent lines, produced a want of uniformity in file financial status of teachers so deplorable as to make hopeless any attempt to get the profession, to regard itself as a united whole throughout New Zealand.

Into the history of the attempt of the Education Department it is needless now .to enter. It is sufficient to state that, Parliament having been induced to give an increased grant, the Department produced its scheme of equalisation. That the scheme did not give satisfaction goes, perhaps, without saying: for tho Department could not be expected to be as familiar with the subject as tho local governing bodies who had studied it practically for many years. At this crisis opinions among the Education Boards varied; and, as usual, when local .interests are involved, there was no unity of purpose. The climax of disunion was reached yesterday, when the Canterbury Board renewed' its request for the increased grant in order that it may be spent on the old lines. If this course wore followed by all the other Boards, and if the Government agreed to give the money to be so dealt with, there would ha an end to all chance of that uniformity of financial basis and commonsense treatment without which the teaching profession of New Zealand can be little better than Ihe shadow of a name.

Happily, the Wellington Board of Education proved yesterday equal to the occasion. It recognised,, as all must do, the glaring anomalies of the Department’s scheme. At the same time, all the members recognised that at the outset it is very difficult to produce order out of chaos, especially for a: body not used to dealing with chaotic elements. : Without being hard on the Department, va can all readily admit that 'much of tho game had to bo played in the dark, amid confusing erics of reform. It was Iherefore a good proposal to bring the Education Boards together to talk matters over with tho Department. That is a. guarantee for all the light and leading the country affords. In the second place, it recognises tho local government principle by asking for local advice towards most necessary general uniformity. Thirdly, it gives the best ground for hoping that the undoubtedly good scheme of tho Department may be worked out to a conclusion not ideally perfect, for that is impossible, but satisfactory all round and fairly enough workable to make a good beginning of reform.