THE OTAGO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3254, 26 July 1916, Page 29

THE OTAGO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

PROTESTS AGAINST GRADING SCHEME. On Saturday morning the Committee of Management of the Otago District Institute of tiie N.Z.E.I, met to receive and deal with the many resolutions recently passed by branches and associations referring to the grading list issued this month. For many years, as formerly, with the colonial scales of staffs and salaries, the New Zealand Educational Institute has been agitating for a dominion graded list, so that all teachers would know how they stood in comparison with teachers in their own Education Board district, and with teachers in other districts. At the beginning of the month the long-talked-of graded list appeared, and it has been received with very mixed feelings by the teachers of Otago and Wanganui, who say that, as a result of the valu'e placed upon their work by their inspectors, they have a just grievance, for marks allotted according to fixed principles, or nearly so, cannot bo the cause of their comparatively low rating. - Again, Otago teachers cannot understand not only why they stand so low in the dominion list; but why there are so many inconsistencies among themselves. Teachers who are not regarded as having any special personality, any wide educational outlook, or any high classification, and in some cases who have had hardly any experience, appear to bo rated higher than others who possess high certificates, and have done acknowledged good work, and who have been a power for good whereever their influence has been felt. Mucjj of thtr soreness will disappear, perhaps, after a thorough revision of the list, and after the inspectors of the dominion arrive at some general basis of allotting marks. Astounding figures have been compiled, showing how widely different inspectors' conceptions have been of the values to be attached to teachers under their control. Further, as under some headings teachers cannot see any principle underlying the allotment of their marks and of those whose work they know well, not only are they agitating for the withdrawal of the lists for revision, but they are asking to bo supplied with their marks under the various headings enumerated in the grading scheme. As a result of Saturday's meeting all the resolutions sent to the Committee of Management, in some cases slightly amended, were unanimously endorsed, and are to bo sent without delay to the secretary of the N.Z.E.I, for - transmission to the Minister of Education. Copies are also to be sent to the Otago Education Board and to branches of the N.Z.E.I, throughout the dominion. Appended is a list of the resolutions passed. No. 9 was sent forward in another form by the Waitaki Branch, as an amendment to No. 1. The ,othcrs are sent forward with the unanimous endorsement of the Committee of Management, but this is sent forward for general information as to the views of many teachers, and perhaps as a basis for discussion by other institutes. As so many teachers are in the dark as to how to appeal, as the time within which an appeal can be made is so short, and as information supplied is so meagre, it was thought that the many teachers in the country, "to prevent an injustice being done them, should be given a lead, hence the ninth resolution. The special committee appointed met immediately after, and drew up the advertisement which appears in our issue this morning. As the flow of entrants to the educational service is not too. large—especially in the case of men —no well-founded grievance should exist without an immediate effort to get at the root of it. For this reason the Otago District Institute wishes to draw attention of all educationists to the resolutions here set forth: 1. " That this branch of the institute urges upon all the branches to point out to the Minister that there is absolute need that the teachers be supplied with the marks upon which they arc graded." (Duncdm Branch of 0.D.1.) 2. " That this meeting of the Dunedin Branch endorses and heartily approves of the resolutions passed by the Dunedin Head Teachers' Association, the Male Assistants' Association, and the Women Teachers' Association, and that the Committee of Management be requested to forward copies of the resolutions to the executive of the N.Z.E.1., for transmission to the Minister." (Dunedin Branch.) 3. "That the Minister be asked to withdraw for i-evision the gradecl list of teachers, on the ground that one principle on which the scheme is drawn up is wrong, in as much as the different inspectors in the different educational districts are evidently working on different ideals." (Dunedin Branch.) '•That this meeting of the women's branch of the 0.D.1, strongly protects against the grading of teachers as set forth in the Graded List of Teachers recently issued. Ho far as the grading of the women teachers of Otago is concerned, tfle glaring anomalies and cases of manifest injustice which occur tend to destroy alf confidence in the scheme. Ho far as the grading of the nornen teachers of the dominion is concerned, the position in winch the women teachers of Otago find themselves is ignominious." (Women's Branch. Dunedin.) "That this meeting of the Dunedin and Suburban Head Masters' Association indignantly and emphatically protests against the grading of its members when this grading is compared with that of teachers holding similar positions in other education districts." (Head Masters' Branch.) ■'That this meeting of the Dunedin and Suburban Dead Masters' Association considers that the inconsistencies in the grading of teachers within Otago tends to destroy confidence in the acheme." (Head Masters' Branch.) 7. "That the Male Assistants' Association protests that, owing to tho inconsistencies injustices, and hick of uniformity in the grading of malo assistants, first as between assistants in Otago itself, and, second, as between Otago assistants and those of Now Zealand generally, the scheme of grading inspires no confidence and respectfully asks that the list be withdrawn for re-adjust-ment." (Male Assistants' Branch, Dunedin.) 8. "A Waitaki resolution, intended as an amendment to No. 1, was passed in the following amended form: That, on application, tho marks of all teachers on the graded list be made available to other teachers." (Waitaki Branch.) 9. "That a special committee be appointed to draw up grounds of appeal and endeavour, ■ by advertisement, to advise country teachers how to act." (C. of M.)

10. " That a copy of all resolutions bo sent to the Otago Education Board, and to all branches of the N.Z.E.1." (C. of M.) 11. " That a telegram be sent to the secretary of the N.Z.E.1., asking bim to urgo the Minister of Education to extend tho time of appeal to August 3i. seeing that this is the first grading scheme issued, and that it was not in the hands of some teachers until tho third week of the present month." (C. of M.)

12. '•'Unit the secretary of the A.Z.E.I. be asked to advise what future action should bo taken." (C. of M.) 13. "To protect the interests of the 60 or more Otago teachers who are on active service, the Committee of Management, on their behalf, is lodging a general appeal, feeling certain that, in many instances, there would lie appeals by many of them if they were'here in person to" lodge their protests."

After the special business for which tho meeting had been transacted, a special

committee was appointed to work out data to give effect to the following resolution passed at the annual meeting:" That the Committee of Management be instructed to arrange for the election of three representatives from the country districts." This refers to tho representation on the council meeting of the N.Z.E.T.. for which nominations are to be received next month. This special meeting also met immediately after the special meeting had closed. Anyone wishing- to make any suggestions is requested to communicate with Mr 'J'. Da.vi.-i, 8.A., B.Sc, Normal School. Dunedin. The report of the committee is to bo eonsidorctt at the meeting of the Commit-too of Management, called for August 12.