THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8190, 3 August 1912, Page 8

THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS

CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND TEACHERS’ SALARIES. Certain evidence which was given at the recent sittings ot the Education Commission was reviewed by Mr C. Watson at last e.cuaig s meeting ot the Wellington biauon of tne New Zealand Educational Institute. One would think, be said, that after reading the statements of several specialists tuat ■ Hew Zealand, schools were harmlul institutions. Tne recent appointment oi a medical school inspector for each island was a movement which might be Iraught with a very great deal of good, but it would be useless examining a number of children and men pigeon-nohng the reports. Tne ■ lea-chers ■ should tako this matter of medical inspection into consideration, and see If It could bo made oi any real value. Dr Truby King seemed to have intimated that obildreu's health was being very greatly deteriorated, in fact almost ruined. Certainly many of the doctor’s lectures would seem to suggest that school children in the Dominion were being injuriously affected by overpressure. The speaker . was absolutely certain and lie was sure, all present would witli him when he said ttiat there was no such thing as over-pressure in Hew Zealand schools. (Hear, - bear.) In the primary schools there was. nothing which interfered with the children so far as work was concerned. There might be a few buildings which were not so sanitary as they ought to be, but the teachers were not responsible for that. Perhaps the worst trouble school authorities had to contend with was overcrowding. fn this connection Mr Watson said he woutd advocate the adoption of the additional scale of teachers, which would have the effect, of considerably reducing the size ot Classes. "we should then,” he remarked.

"have no more ol that curse of pub.ic schools—classes of sixty or seventy children.

Tue matter of salaries should be followed up. That seemed a Utile bit selfish, but in the interests of those teachers in the backblocks something would have to be done. The country school teachers’ salaries ought to be raised. Schools in the backblocks would never .be properly officered under present conditions. (Hear, hear.)