THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13695, 11 September 1906, Page 3

THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

SOME MINOR POINTS. , DEPUTATION TO' MR FOWLDS. (From* Oua Own Cokeispohdint.) WELLINGTON, September 10. A. deputation of. members from .Otago and Canterbury waited on the Minister of Education to-day. . ' MrSiitey explained that the deputation was the outcome of the recent meeting of the School' Committees' Associations of Duncdjn and Christchurch. _ The Schools Committees' Associations wished a number'of questions submitted, and he thought it .would havo been better it they had themselves. formed tho deputation, because it was found that the members now present were not at all agreed on some of the. points. . Tho matters to be brought under the notice of the Minister were:—(l) The question of the age limit of admission from the primary to the secondary srhools; (2) better regulations for the classification and promotion, of teachers,- so as to place teachers in tho position of being less dependent for' salary upon average attendances; (3) better provision for the appointment of teachers by school commit tecs; (4) amendment of _ the superannuation scheme, in tho direction of increasing tho allowanco in connection with back service, and including university professors and lecturers; (5) conveyance of children to schools, and tho providing of cloakrooms, - _ ■ Mr James Allen, referring 16 the first point, said that a regulation that largely depended on the case bad been issued, but it did not_appear to be very generally known, and" had not been taken advantage of. Tho Hon. Mr Fowlds interjected that under the new regulation there was almost no limit.

Mr Jas. Allen said that the trouble was that it was not generally known. Even a uistiiiguished member of the Otago .Education Board, liko Mr Thos. Mackenzie, scarcely knew of it. The Hon. Mr Fowlds said that the regulations wero always sent to ihe boards. , Mr Allen added that the controlling authorities'of the primary schools should have a.' greater say "in the sending on-in special' eases.of pupils to the secondary schools,- because, they wore the people who knew most about them... To open the door early, he thought, would be absurd. It wtoiiid bo a wasted effort, -and would be of no benefit to the children or to secondary 'education. Later on, however, they might have .to consider the question of continuance and commercial schools.

Mr'.Thos. Mackenzie expressed tho opinion that these, were all matters that should have been threshed out by the Education Committee. The. existence-'of the new regulation certainly was not known. The. public w ; as not much aware of it, and. therefore, did not apply to tho extent of the whole of the places available, which, in consequence, had not been granted in Otago. Ho thought the extension of the percentage would meet tho case, together with somo ' other reforms. The primary school teachers certainly should have ; a voice in tho recommendations. In regard ,to the conveyance of children to sohools, the boards should 'liayo some latitude, and should bo entrusted to make fair concessions to suit' tho different circumstances. They should not bo, confined to hard and fast-' -rules, irrespective- of the conditions of roads, etc. The provision ■ of cloak rooms in many of the back-blocks sohools was a necessity. Tho children should have a room with, a lire in it, and lockers for dry

shoes ■and Blockings, so ilint (hey could change when they rcaqlicd tho school soakin? wet. If allowed to sif all day in their wet clothes the seeds .of disease were apt, to be sown. , Mr Allen: They would bo better without boots uml stockings tlian to sit. all day in wet;ones, Mr Witty: What about a tpacher who won't allow them to attend barefooted'/ I know of such' a ease. Mr 'flips Mackenzie: Ho' ought lo bo " sacked." Mr Ell agreed that .these questions should bo referred to the Education Committee.' In regard to tho appointment of teachers, there was at present a good deal of friction, and no doubt sometlfihg btToutd be done. 'J'hn committees, who did so much 'useful work, shoulTl lie considered more than they were at present. Mr Wilty said that if (ho boards sent' down four , names to a committee- they should l>e prepared to accept any uno oi the four selected by the committee. Mr .lames Alien said thero was some doubt as to whether the country children were in u. worse position. than the town children in regard to facilities for passing the necessary examinations for free secondary education. He doubted it, anil asked if the Minister would get a return prepared to clear tho matter rip.. Mr Thos. Mackenzie said that the children of schools in fairly largo boroughs should not be confounded with the children at Lack-block schools in such a return. Mr ifyvldsi No. Country children as against thoic in the boroughs should be the last.

Mr Fowlds, in reply, paid that duo consideration would bo given to tho matters referred to.' With regard to the ago limit in' connection with secondary education, there was now a pretty wide door, and if they went beyond it they might as well abolish the whole- regulation and let anyone in at any time of life to go up for a- freo place. If they did not have some regulation limiting tho. number they would seriously . interfere ' with tho limitation of secondary schools. Already they had made the work of some of the secondary schoolsrather difficult,*- Secondary education for pupils who had not sufficient capacity to qualify themselves under tho present regulations would be of.'vcry doubtful benefit. Tho question of tlie better classification and promotion of teachers was a very big subject, and tho system-'never would lie absolutely perfect, because our system .of ooutrol was so localised. The other benefits of local administration, .however, more tlian counter-balanced the"defects in this respect, and a great deal had already lieeri aceomilished. In regard to salaries, it was almost, a mistake lo say that teachers' salaries were governed by the attendances, seeing that two, and possibly three, years were allowed to boards to make a. transfer. Mr Mackenzie: iEu't the boards have no power to'transfer. Mr Fowlds:'Oh, yw. Under these conditions of sending in six names. Mr Witty: And eelectinj tho man tho committee do« 3 not want? ,

~Mr Fowlds said ilwt an improvement might.,be made by sending in a smaller n'umßcr ot names io tho committees.— ("Hear, hear.") In regard to tho -Superannuation Bill which ,it was proposed to introduce, the matters referred to by Mr Sidey would find a plaeo in it. He proposed to include professors and lecturers. As to (ho conveyanco of children, he bad issued modified regulations that would meet tho difficulties. In a. case, whoro tho cost to tho board was'less than the amount provided, anything; saved could bo usol elsewhere. The'question of cloakrooms was largely one. of cost, and ho besitatcd to incur it while there wcro still so many places in the back-blocks without schools'at. all. Boards.and committees should do tho best possiblo in the interests of the health of the children. Later on, when the whole of the back-blocks requirements were satisfied, they could think of i theso luxuries. Mr Mackenzie:' Necessities! Mr Ibwld6: I quite recognise the advantaße it would be. , ■ ■ In answer, to a question, Mr Fowlds said the Superannuation, Bill would bo referred to the -Education Committee. Messrs Arnold and Barclay'also attended tho deputation, Jiut did not speak. Apologies were mado for tho absence of Messrs Davcy and -Lnureiison.