INQUIRY FINISHED

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8178, 20 July 1912, Page 2

INQUIRY FINISHED

THE EDUCATION SYSTEM COMMISSION' TAKES FINAL EVIDENCE YESTERDAY. i i HOW THE COST HAS RISEN. I The Education Commission concluded its inquiry into the working of the educational system of the Dominion yesterday, so far, at least, as the taking of evidence was concerned. It will be occupied for the next few days in drafting its report for submission to the Government. The whole of yesterday was occupied in hearing a further statement by the Inspector-General of Schools, Mr G. Hogben. He continued his review of the system, and was cross-examined at considerable length on points of detail. INCREASES IN EXPENDITURE. Ho presented a return in which were shown the principal increases in the cost of education since 1898, the figures being taken out to the nearest .£IOOO. Primary Education. The figures under the heading of primary education (public and native schools) were summarised as under, showing a total increase of .£360,000:

Of the increase in teachers' ealar.es .£58,000 was duo to increasgd attendance; £150,000 was due to increase in the rates of salary paid to teachers (40 per cent.); .£■20,000 was due to improved staffing and to the increased number of small schools. The increase under the heading of buildings was due to-. (1) Provision for rebuilding schools, which was altogether insufficient before, and would have , been increasingly so as buildings larger numbers became ripe for rebuilding; (2) largo increase of new schools owing to increase of settlement; (3) increased cost of buildings. New items in the expenditure on primary schools included .£19,000 for manual instruction and JE4OOO for free text books, etc. Secondary Education. There was an increase of .£78,000 in the expenditure on secondary education, the principal items being:

Technical Education. The increase under the technical heading was .£50,000, made up as under: 1898-9 1810-11 Inc.

Higher Education. An increase of .£16,000 occurred in expenditure on higher education, the items

SOLE TEAGHEK SCHOOLS. A return had been taken out showing the cost per pupil and average attendance at sole teacher schools. In 1900 the average attendance was 23,418 and the average cost per pupil was J 63 17s 3d. In 1910 the average attendance was 22,793 and the average cost per pupil had risen to j£7 Os Bd. Of this, salaries, accounted for .£6 8s 2d and capitation for 12a. SIMPLIFIED SPELLING. The Inspector-General reviewed in detail the requirements of the syllabus and explained some of his proposals for simplification. He thought the time had certainly arrived when there should bo a movement towards phonetic spelling. It would be impossible to carry out such a big' reform at once, but an immediate beginning might be made in the case of those words in which a choice of spelling was allowed by adopting the more phonetic style- He quoted the spelling of ‘ 'rhyme" as an example of what he meant, and said that no harm could bo done by spelling the word in

the correct way, “rime.” It was als suggested that such spellings as “labor.’ "center,” and “threater” should not b. called errors by teachers. THE SCALE OF STAFFING. An improvement in the scale of staffin: schools was highly desirable, but i would he very expensive to carry out The improvement was most urgently re ouirod in the infant classes, whic! should bo restricted to thirty pupils It was not desirable to reintroduce thi pupil teacher system. It was highly desirable that every secondary school teacher should be a university gradual; and should receive proper professional training. He would object to anythin; like the reintroduction of the individual pass system in the primary schools, aho considered it would be one of the greatest calamities that could happen AN ABOMINATION. He would do awar with all miscellaneous “readers,” which to him were an abomination. It was a great mistake to lay such stress on precision in spelling and writing in young children as was being done. SEGREGATION OR CO-EDUCATION. Ho did not think that segregation was either necessary or desirable in the schools, buta partial separation of the sexes was desirable in secondary schools in most subjects to the age of sixteen oi seventeen. Co-education made school life loss artificial and more like- the home. Boys and girls were together in their homes, and he could not understand how some people came to believe thatit was so dangerous that they should be together under supervision in the schools. All private schools should Ire registered and inspection of them should bo compulsory. AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION. , Agricultural colleges should not be used for the training of farmers, but rather for the training of experts to be the teachers of the farmers. The country could not afford to train farmers at agricultural colleges—there were so many of them—and so the proper system was to take the education to them. It would bo impossible to train sufficient experts at one college unless it were three times the size of Lincoln College. In the course of a lengthy cross-ex-amination on points of detail, he denied a statement previously made that inspectors were appointed by political influence, and said that such could not possibly bo the case owing to the nature of the fivstem followed. The Commission adjourned until this morning, when the drafting of the report will be begun.

1898-9 1910-11 Inc. £ £ £ Teachers* salaries 389,000 633,000 244,000 School buildings... 84,000 134,000 70,000 Incidental expenses of boards and committees 01,000 82,000 18,000 Conveyance of children 3,000 8,000

1893-9 1910-11 Inc. £ £ £ Capitation for free places 43,000 43,000 Conveyance for free place hold3,000 3,000 Building grants ... — 10.000 10,000 Higher education of Maoris 2,000 3,000 1,000 Salaries of teachers in district high schools .... 17,000 17,000 Scholarships 8,000 12.000 4,000

£ £ £ Capitation for free places Buildings and api 8,000 8,000 paratus 2,000 15,000 ,-apitation (special. associated , & college classes) 2,000 22,000 20.000 2,000 5.000 3,000 Material • 2,000 2,000 Bailway fares of . free place hold-. 4,000 4.0(H) ers, etc

>eingi 1898-9 1910-11 Inc. £ £ £ .Statutory grants 12,000 14,000 2,000 specialisation grants 8,000 8,000 Juilding grants... — 2,000 2,000 cholarships and bursaries — 4,000 4,0vs)