Permanent Relieving Teacher.

Southland Times, Issue 19919, 8 September 1906, Page 1

Permanent Relieving Teacher.

At yesterday’s meeting of tho Ltlticatiou Hoard Hr Cowie moved that a certificated relieving teacher be permanently appointed. He said that so many teachers were a'.went from. their schools through sickness every month that the Hoard should have in its employ n tc-a'h-ii' whose sole duty was to relieve those on b-ave of absence-. At present the vacancies were temporarily iilled by unceri ilicated teachers, with the result that tiequality of the instruction imparted was not maintained during the teacher's absence. Touchers who were absent from their schools on account oi ill-health

must be uneasy in their minds on this aecounf, especially when they f.-lt that Ihe •tutus of their school at toe examination might be affected. Mr Stirling said lie was fully in ngicement with the proposal. The Chairman suggested that the motion should he referred to the l-ixecutive, as the financial side of the question had to ta- gone into. Mr if acG'ihhon said the difficulty bed always been as to the fund from which thi > could pay the salary of a t’’.'eving teacher. Another difficulty was that omrelieving teacher would not ho able to dc the w hole of I lie work. T here were always a number of vacancies through ilTheall If. TTii- secret ary mentioned that about £IMD per annum was available for relieving work. This would scarcely pay the salary and expenses cf one. relieving teacher, ami vp-mld leave mulling for the other relieving work that would have I-* he dona. Mr Fisher said this difficulty was accentuated owing to the multiplicity of small schools in the district. There were sn many of these small schools that there must he a deterioration in the quality of the teaching. Tncert ideated teachers, lit|.. more than children, hail to lie sent ("it to take charge of these schools, and tiereport showed conclusively that TnerldhT reu there did not attain the untie standard of efficiency as in the larger schools More might, lie done in the way of corveying the children to a central school. Alji.nl THanlaU, for instance, six schools couid he done away with if the chiMrewere conveyed to a central school. There

would I/.- a great saving of expenditure, and the children would have the bencht of receiving instruction from hlghlyqualified teachers. The motion was referred to the l-.xocu-livo Committee as suggested y liechairman.