TEACHERS’ INTERESTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7865, 29 July 1911, Page 4

TEACHERS’ INTERESTS

POINTS TO BE WATCHED, ANNUAL MEETING OF DISTRICT INSTITUTE. Tho Wellington branch of the Now Zealand Educational Institute held its annual meeting last night. Mr G, Flux presided. About twenty members were present. In his presidential address Mr Flux commented upon tho indifference of teachers towards the institute and urged tho need of strengthening its membership. Ho suggested that much benefit would accrue if something could ho done to bring teachers in outlying districts together tor mutual help and especially if more sub-branches were formed- At present there was only one—in tho Wairarapa—while in all the big district stretching from Paekakariki to Foxtou K*re was absolutely no provision for bringing the teachers together. There was room for improvement in this respect, There was also a need for incessant watchfulness on behalf of teachers' interests, for as long as the profession existed there would be work fox tho institute to d°* SUPERANNUATION ALLOWANCES. The first matter calling for attention was in regard to the calculation of tho superannuation allowance. Tho method provided for in the Act, where the average for tho last three years Was taken, was quito fair in the majority of cases, but not in a considerable number. It was grossly unfair in the case of a teacher. whoso time for retirement waa approaching, hut whose attendance, through no fault of his own, was rapidly declining. Tho alternatives -were to take either the average of the best three years of service, as was the case in tho civil service, or the average of the whole of the ’years of service. Personally, ho preferred the first-named basis. TRANSFERS AND PROMOTIONS. Tho second point he would stress was bringing the question of transfer under the teachers' appeal court. Unless this was done their--boasted, security of tenure, for which the institute so strenuously fought in the past, would go by the board. At present there was nothing to prevent a board transferring a teacher, without the teacher’s consent, to an oqual or even to a lower position. No one could reasonably object to a transfer in cases of misconduct. The institute had fought for tho principle of transferring in cases where a teacher was suffering or likely to suffer on account of a decline in average attendance, hut it felt that there was a real danger ahead unless the proviso mentioned before was added to tho Act. It was true that tho majority of the boards had so far acted wisely and generously in the matter of transfers, but there was tho danger, and it should bo attended to. Tho third point was a promotion scheme applicable to tho whole of the Dominion. There was a great diversity of opinion as to tho desirability of such a scheme. Personally ho thought all would gladly welcome any system which would wipe out opco for all the degrading practice of wirepulling which was now forced on teachers. Even when tho teachers had decided in favour of a Dominion promotion scheme the position would not bo won, ao tho education hoards and school oom'initieos would fancy it an attack on their privileges, and probably put _ obstacles in. tho way. Then tho institute should also bear in mind the .position of teachers who for financial reasons were unablo to avail themselves of tho provisions of* tho Superannuation Act when it'came into A petition was being forwarded to Parliament by such teachers asking that they bo allowed to come under the Act, provided they paid all back subscriptions/ plus 4 per cent, interest. Those were a few of the larger questions which would -engage the at> tention of tho institute in tho near future. The annual report and balance-sheet, which have already been published, were adopted. | The chairman and other speakers made j appreciative references to tho excellent [work done by the secretary, Mr E.. H. j Ballachey, who was voted an honorarium | of five guineas. I OFFICERS ELECTED/ • Tho annual ©lection of officers resulted |as follows r —President, Mr C. Watson; vice-presidents, Messrs G. Flux and J. : Tamblyn; secretary, Mr E. H. Ballachoy; I treasurer, Mr J. C. Burns; management : committee. Misses E. M. Rowley and I McKenzie, Messrs W. H. Gould and Bt EL Low; auditor, Mr C. Bary; press correspondent, Mr JV Tamblyn.. Twenty-nine new members were elected, making tho total membership 823. OVERCROWDED CLASSES. The newly-elected president, in taking the chair, referred to some, of-the matters he considered should be attended to without delay. One was the question of staffing the schools. The time had gone by when teachers should be called upon to teach mobs of seventy or eighty children. The existing system should be done away with, especially in view of the. fact that there was already provision in r tho Act whereby-it could bo done and an assistant ’got for every pupil teacher. This would mean that tho classes would average about forty, a very great improvement. All they need to do was to bring sufficient ipressure to bear upon tho Minister of Education. '