OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 19

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Otago Education Board was held on Wednesday afternoon; present— Messrs H. Ban-away (chairman), D. Borne, A. Kyle, J. Mitchell, W. Nicolson, J. Sim, and Rev. P. B. Fraser. ALEXANDHA. The Alexandra School Committee appplied for an additional class room.— The Secretarysaid the cost of a new room would be £650. ■ — It was resolved to send Mr Fraser and the secretary to Alexandra to secure temporary accommodation, if possible, and to report generally on the subject. The committee also wrote stating that they could not at present give the number of. pupils who would take advantage of secondary education if a district high school were established. — It was resolved to allow tKo matter to stand over until the neces'istry information is received. EWEBURN. The Assistant Secretary of the Education Department wrote, under date May 23, as follows : — In reply to your letter of the loth hist. I am directed to say that the Minister regrets that the board should think that it has been treated ■with discourtesy in regard to its application respecting the Hanfurly School, and to assure yon that the course adopted in obtaining a repqrt from the Lands department is the same that has always been followed in respect of applications for grants from the votes for schools in newly settled districts. I em to point out that the vote having been given for a special purpose it is incumbent on the Minister to satisfy himself that its provisions extend to any case submitted for consideration. You have already been informed that my letter of the 26th ult. contains all the essential part of the report that has been obtained in regard to the board's application. The report ■was made by an officer of the Lands department \vho3e name does not appear to bs pertinent to the discussion. It is quite certain that " sending a person to Kanfurly to investigate the board's action " is not a fair way of describing •what has been done by the department. The department acted straightforwardly in sending you a copy of the report, and asking if it affected the board's proposals in any way ; and the Minister hopes that the board will, upon this statement of the position, sea its way to reconsider the cp.se from the point of view of the Government. The letter was received. Mr J. Howefl, chairman of the Waipiata School Committee, wrote stating that the Government officer's report on the removal of the Eweburn School buiWing to Ranfurly was incorrect. HANtJAL AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION. [Respecting the grant of £200 by the Government for training teachers in manual and technical instruction, Mr D. R. White, of the Training College. Normal School, Dunedin, reported as follows : — -I am very glad of the opportunity of making a suggestion with regard to the disposal of the fund granted by the Education department for the training of teachers in manual work. In my last report to the board I pointed out that manual training in some form might be included in the Training College course. Now that the board has funds for the purpose I think it should see, in the first place, that provision is made for training the young teachers ■who are now izi the college. With regard to the subjects of instruction, I may say that four years ago I visited the schools and training colleges in Sydney and South Australia, and saw what was being done in wood -work and modelling. I saw the students at their benches in the Training College, Sydney, and gave some attention to the course of instruction in wood work. I obtained from the instructor a copy of the syllabus of their work, which I enclose for your consideration, and also a photo of the three years' course of work done by the pupils. I also saw modelling work done in some of the South Australian schools, and it seemed to me preferable to the wood work course of instruction as a part of the ordinaiy routine work of the public schools. I think that all new subjects proposed to be introduced into the public schools should first bs submitted to trial and experiment in the Training College, where, under practical conditions and methods, we shall bs able to prove their real value and suitability as permanent subjects of instruction in the public schools. Some such safeguard as this is especially necessary in the case of the small schools. I therefore recommend : ■ 1. That instruction in modelling be given to all the students m training, and that practical lessons in this work bs given to the classes of the Model School. 2. That the practical lessons be given for an hour a week. 3. That ths requisite sets of tools for each student be obtained and also a supply of material for a series of models and apparatus. Mr D. C. Hutton, of the Dunedin School of Art, reported: — With regard to the classes recommended by the inspectors, these could be held in connection with the classes already established in the school, and would tend to widen the sphere of usefulness of the school, and bring it more in touch with the general forward movement of similar institutions throughout the world. "With this expansion in view I would suggest that, at least, part of the grant be used in furnishing the modelling room in the School of Art, and one room in the Normal School for wood work, with the appliances and materials necessary foi the successful carrying on of the classes recommended. Mr "Wakelin, assistant in the evening classes, ■who has had considerable practical experience in wood work, may be induced to devote the whole of his time to the work of the school. As to the time the classes should meet, I think the most convenient time would be Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. for city and suburban teachers, and on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 12 noon for country teachers. Classes foi students in training would require to be arranged to meet the convenience of Mr White. To make a beginning there should be no less than two assistant teachers from each of the large schools, and one teacher or assistant from of the smaller schools. It was resolved to hold over further consideration of the matter until a report on the question comes to hand from the Teachers' Institute. GENERAL. An application from Clinton for half cost ©f the erection of a flag-pole — probable cost £B—was8 — was declined, and an application from Ngapara for £7 10s, half cost of erecting a fihed for horse feed and trap, was also declined. The following claims for half cost of improvements were approved of: — Chaslancl=, flooring, etc., £8; Earnscleugh, flooring shed *nd gravelling, £3 12s; Evans'dale. erection

of washliouse, £7 10s : Mosgiel, painting ' residence, etc., £7 10s; Rongahere, fencing, £5 ; Stirling, asphalting, gates, etc., £28 l(b ; Wylie's Orossing, fencing, gravelling, etc-., £10; Wakari, asphalting, etc., £5 Is. The following applications were granted : Matau, erection of a eoalshed, £5; Maruimato, erection of a oonhhed, £6 ; Caversham, now r-10-etb. £t>o : Fairfax, new closets, £30 ; Wangaloa, rebuilding chimney, £7. The Totara Committee a-ked for repairs to the residence. — Referred to Messrs Nicolson and Mitchell to report to next meeting. The Architect reported on the proposal to remove one of the class rooms from Dunrobin to Heriot at a cost of £110. — It was, resolved to remove the building to Heriot. A petition for the establishment of a school at Taipo was referred back to the petitioners for further particulars, a copy of the petition to be sont to the Maheno Committee, which would be affected by tho establishment of the new school. It wr.s decided to establish a subsidised school at Manr.gawera (Wanaka district). The board met, again in the e\ tiling at half-past 7 o'clock. deputations. A deputation, consisting of Messrs R. Gunn and F. Foster, waited on the board with regard to the closing of the Tuapeka Flat School on account of the falling-off in the attendance. They asked that, the school having been closed, some provision should be made for the children of the district It would cost 27s 6d a week to convey them to Lawrence and back' daily. — It was resolved to send a temporary relieving teacher to Tuapeka Flat. Mes-ri John Wright vAid John Christie, a deputation from Warepa householders, asked that a new school should be erected in the vicinity of {he Warepa railway station, instead of on the present Warepa school site. — Messrs Fraser. Snow, and Sim were appointed to visit the district and report to next meeting. Mr J. M'Corley (mayor), Dr Fitzgerald. a-nd Mr A. Blackie, a deputation from Kaitangata, asked the board for assistance in the erection of a gymnasium in connection with the public school. They said they would be satisfied with a. pound for pound subsidy. A suitable building would cost about £350. They also asked that the architect should go out and confer with the committee with respect to a septic tank for the school. — It was resolved — " The board is prepared to consider the advisability of selling the old school buildings and the land and to apply the proceeds towards the board's grzoit for a gymnasium, the committee to be asked to inform the board as to values."' Respecting the septic tank question, it was decided that the architect should proceed to Kaitangata to confer with the committee. extra gp.ant fob tkachers. The following letter with reference to the distribution of the extra grant for salaries was read : — "Wellington, May 20, 190^ The Sscretaiy to the Education Board, Dunedin. "With reference to your letter of the 27th March, enclosing the board's proposals for increases to teachers' salaries in your district, I have the honour to inform you that the Minister regrets he cannot see his way to agree generally to the board's suggestions in this matter, and he has directed me to forward herewith for the board's approval the attached schedules showing the adjustments that have now been made after consideration of the board's proposals. In connection with the revised lists, I may make the following remarks: — 1. Deductions for teachers' certificates have not been taken Account of for schools under 100, except in the case of three uucertificated teacheis. 2. I note that the board does not propose any increases for pupil teachers. The following rate of increases is now suggested by the Minister in tins connection • — -"For third and fourth year pupil teachers, an annual increase each of £5 per annum. 3. The Minister has not seen his way to agree to any increases that wo^ld bring salaries above the rates laid down in the proposed colonial scale, copies of which you will now have before you. The proposals submitted herewith show a total of £2193 11s per anmim available for increases to teachers' salaries in the Olago district, made up as follows:— Schedule A. £1690 14s; schedule B, £352 17s; 23 pupil teachers (fourth year) and seven pupil teachers (third year), at £5 per annum, £150: or a sum of £548 8s for the quarter, as against £551 Gs for the quarter shown in the department's circular of the Bth January last. In the event of the board accepting the adjusted proposals the money will be paid over forthwith. The letter did not meet with the approval of members, and it was decided to appoint a committee, consisting of the chairman, Mr Mitchell, and Mr Fraser. to draw up a reply expressing the views of the beard. The board considered a number of matters in committee. The monthly meeting of the Education Board was continued on Thursday morning ; present — Messrs H. Hairauay (chairman), D. Borrie, J. Sim, A. Kyle, J. Mitchell, W. Snow, W. Nicolaon, and the Rev P. B. Fraser. APPOINTMENTS. The following appointments were confirmed: — Edward Pinder, head teacher, Mosgiel, vice M'Lsod, left the service; Mary West, head teacher, Purekireki, vice Borthwick, transferred ; Christina M'Culloch, Waipiata, vice Cross, left the pervice ; Cecilia Johnstone, mistress, Sawyers' Bay, vice Hayes, promoted ; Je o sie Given, female assistant, Union street, vice Maxwell, promoted ; Thomas Begg, junior assistant, Caversham, vice Abel, promoted. RESIGNATIONS. The following resignations were accepted : Edward Pinder, head teacher, "Waikouaiti ; Albert J. Feiguson, head teacher, Whare Flat ; Mary West, head teacher, Purekireki ; Alexander Marshall, first assistant, Mosgiel ; Cecilia Johnstone, mistress, Purakanui ; Jessie Given, mistress, Upper Junction ; Isabel JR. Hay, mistress, Arthur street. EXTRA GRANT FOR TEACHERS. Mr Mitchell moved—- That this board, having, after mature deliberation and with a full knowledge of the whole of the circumstances, forwarded a recommendation to the Minister for the distribution of the grant, cannot entertain the schedules now submitted by the Minister, which traverse the board's deliberate proposals, and which would, in the opinion of the board, do grave injustice to a large number of teachers who are deserving of consideration, but who are excluded from participation in the grant. The board therefore ask that the Minister will, without further delay, authorise the distribution of the money according to the board's recommendation and in accordance with law.*' Working out the salaries according to the amended scale which was produced at the conimi&sion by Mr Hogben, he found that the board's proposals and Mr

Hogben's proposals were very much on all"foura with respect to a large number of teachers. Mr Hogben gave some recognition to the assistant mi=tressc» in the small country schools— the schools averaging two teachers,— and he proposed in pretty well all the cases to increase the salaries over the rate now paid by the Otago Board. Under that scale the mistresses would be treated almost exactly as the Otago Board proposed to treat them m their lccommendatiou to the Minister. Rev. P. B. I'raser seconded the motion. If the department intended to not merely ignore the board, but to denrhc the board of its functions, v, lnch it had reccned by low, then it seemed to lain the people of Otago and membeis ot Parliament ought to knov it. The money was -\oted last session, and the borml were no nearei — indeed, they were further off — the distribution of the amount now than they weie at the close of the se-sicn Thi* wa* ju^t an illustration of what would bs tlie result if the affairs of the province of Otrg~> were managpd from a cpn*nl department.. Until Pavlhment denied it wi=e to abolish the boards it was extraordinary that this board should have to carry en a correspondence with some abstract individual* or department in Wellington. Months ago the department sent down a scale which the board declined to accept, ab it was a gross injustice to the majority of the teachers. In reply, the board sent up to Wellington a scale which, so far as money went, met the situation in their opinion. After that the commission met in Dunedin, and the In-spector-general, to whom they thought, the credit o<" the first scale was due, produced a second scale, which was much the same as the recommendation the Otago Board liad Sfut to Wellington, clearly showing that tho Ins-pcclor-general, r.s he proceeded through the colony, an 1 especially as he r^rne towards Otago. picked up new ideas. — (Hesv, hear.) That new scale was submitted to the board, and it calmed the slot-in that was brewing here for the commission. It took the wind out of the sails of those who were going to severely attack tho first scale. But now, -after tho commi-sion had gone out of range of fire, the board were informed that the department intended tc adhere to the original toulo, which the Inspect or-? eneral actually abandoned when he Msited Otago. Such action could not give tho board confidence that the department was better qualified than they were to disiribute the money. So far as he was concerned he would decline to the last to be a medium to perpetrating such a grave injustice as to adopt the first scale. Mr Borrie said that when Parliament in its wisdom passed the money it was stipulated that it could only be distributed after consulting and agreeing with the education boards. The department could not pay the money away until it agreed with tue boards, and the onus of depriving teachers of the increase was on the department, because it was insisting; on doing what the board considered was a grave injustice to the teachers of Otago. Mr Nicolson felt that the teachers m the outlying districts had been slighted by the department: The scale submitted by Mr Hogben on the day tho commission opened in Dunedin ought to have been adopted. Mr Bowie wished to add that, to prove that the Minister was cloins; an injustice in bolstering up the salaries of the town teachers and ignoring the country teachers, he need only mention that on the previous day the board called for application? for three country schools, for which no applications whatever were sent in, while there was a large number of applications for vacancies near the town. Mr Kyle said that the injustice was chieflydone to the country male teachers in the schools with an attendance of 100. From his own experience he knew that those teachers had more work to do than town assistants. If he had his choice of the work he would certainly take the assistantship in a town school, rather than a country school. 'Mr Sim said that he had looked into the scale, and had found a number of discrepancies in it. The Chairman said the more he looked into the suggestions made by the board the more he was satisfied they were based on lines that would result in justice being dealt out to the teacher?. There was one thing he was astounded at. Before the commission sat in Dunedin the board had received a scale of salaries, and when the commission opened in Dunedin the Inspec-tor-general, feeling no doubt it was in Otago his proposals would meet, with the severest criticism, threw on the table pnother scale of salaries. It was a cunning and astute move, as it disarmed the criticism in Otago. and, looking at the matter from the present standpoint, he had no doubt that the move was not only cunning and astute, but absolutely dishonest, as the department had now reverted- to the first scheme proposed. It was a. trick, and nothing but a trick. The first scale was a rank injustice to the teachers. Unless something was done by way of inducement to get capable people to join the sen ice, they would go from bad to worse. There were better opportunities in the colony than the Education department offered, and he had no doubt it would be found that their young men and young women of ability would drift into these other channels and only the inferior ones would come into the sen ice. Mr Snow was convinced that the second scheme laid on the table in Dunedin by Mr Hogben was a blind for the purpose of burking inquiry. He thought the board should stick to their guns. The Chairman said that after reading the act — the Public School Teachers' Salaries Act of last session— he did not see how the department could get out of paving the money to the board. The second section of the act was as follows: — "In respect to any amount appropriated by Parliament in addition to the statutory grant, the same shall be expended in payment of salaries only after consultation with the several Education Boards, and as may be agreed upon by the said boards and the Minister of Education." The motion was carried unanimously. Mr Fraser moved — "That the Board call the Minister's attention tc the fact that, owing to his refusal to allocate the money voted by Parliament for increasing the teachers' salaries in this province, he is blocking the education of the outlying districts of this province, as the board have no applicants for schools advertised at the salary offered under the old scale." The board had been compelled to advertise for teachers for country schools at such a salary as the funds allowed, and not at a salary which the board thovighl should be offered. The Minister was withholding the money, and by his action he prevented the board getting teachers fov country schools. It was practically blocking the education of the children throughout the provinces

Mr Nicolson seconded the motion, which wab carried unanimously. INSTRUCTION OF riTPIL TEACHER?. My Kyle moved — " That all pupil teachers employed in Dunedin and suburbs adjacent to the city shall be combined for the purpose of instruction, and taught in some central and suitable place at stated times and hours by highly-qualified teachers : that the subjects in which instruction should be given shall be all tho-e prescribed in the board's regulations la.-t published, and shall consist both of literature and the art of teaching." In moving- the motion Mr Kyle said thsit tiie number of pupil teachers employed in • Dune.Un and the suburb" — omitting Ravensbourne and Anderson's Bay — was 1-9. Those 49 were taught at a cost to the board of £205 a yeav ; but by grouping them together they could be taught more effectively, and certainly with lees labour on the part of the instructing, and with more benefit to the pupil teachers. Many of the head matters would be glad to be relieved of the responsibility, and ■would willingly forgo the remuneration which they received for this service. Moreover, if the change were made, a saving to the board of £55 a year would be effected. No difficulty would be experienced in finding, say, four teachers, at £50 a year each, to do the whole work. These men "would be chosen because of their .qualifications and well-known ability to give instruction in those subjects in which they had been appointed to teach. No man could teach a subject- well unless he knew it well himself. If the rector-ship of a district high school was vacant the board were very careful to send on to the school committee only the names of those candidates who, in their opinion, had most of the qualifications requisite for the kind of work to be done at that school Now, the instructing of pupil teachers was equally as important as the instructing of children in a district high school ; but this aspect of the question had evidently never presented itself to the minds of the members of the board They were evidently unwilling to disturb the present state of things ; anyone, no matter how lazy or incompetent he might be, was good enough to instruct a pupil teacher. But the pupil teacher-! themselves did not think so. If asked, they would -pay that >ome of the schools were notorious for the *neufficiencv and inadequacy of the instruction given. He hoped the board would carry this resolution, and appoint special men to do the work — men who wero in earn is;., who were enthusiasts, and would leave thilc impress on -the minds of those with whom they were brought in daily contact. Mr Sim seconded the motion, whie T j, after a brief discussion, was ost on the voices.