EDUCATION QUESTIONS

Southland Times, Issue 17427, 20 August 1913, Page 2

EDUCATION QUESTIONS

INSTITUTE DELEGATES INTERVIEW SIR JOSEPH WARD. On Monday afternoon Messrs Inglis, A. McNeil and D. McNeil waited on Sir Joseph Ward to place before him the views of the Southland Education Institute regarding the questions of salaries and the syllabus. Mr A. McNeil prefaced his remarks by acknowledging the benefits conferred on teachers by the Superannuation Act which had been brought into force by the Liberal Government, and the initiation of a policy of education which might well be carried out by the present Administration. The Education Commission's report had pointed out the defects which demanded a speedy remedy, but so far the present Ministry seemed unable to realise the urgency of the case. At any rate, they were either culpably indifferent or else impotent to fuvnish legislative remedy. The N.Z.E.I. had formulated a scale of salaries which had been submitted to the Minister, and had requested District Institutes to bring this question under the notice of members of Parliament with a view to having a remedial measure passed this year. There were about 160 small schools where the teachers, mostly uncertificated, received from £lB to £9O a year. Then there were 1000 positions giving a minimum salary of £9O, rising in six years to £l2O. These positions were generally filled by certificated teachers who had completed a four years' course of training. These figures showed clearly the necessity of a high minimum salary and larger increments. To the general body of teachers the service had no well-paid positions to offer, only a few could hope to occupy the best positions, which offered a maximum of £4OO. Another : matter that demanded attention was the loss of salary due to reduced average attendance. That factor was still operative despite the Minister’s assurance to the contrary. Payment on the basis of fluctuating attendance, over which the teacher had little control, had obtained so long that it was difficult to rouse the public conscience on the subject. Sir Joseph, who had been Minister of Post and Telegraphs for a lengthy period, would appreciate the force of the argument when ho (the speaker) sought, by way of illustration, to apply tho principle to that Department—that is lo say, that the salaries of those in the postal service should rise or fall with the increase or decrease in the number of letters, etc., passing through an office from year to year. Such a suggestion would be scouted as unjust, whereas in the Education Department exactly the same principle was held to be logically sound. The eradication of that long-standing evil was quite practicable as had been shown in the scheme recently formulated by an Otago teacher and approved by the Institute. Another significant fact was the difficulty of obtaining certificated teachers, and the proposed importation of teachers was an admission that all other expedients had failed. In Southland about 30 per cent, were uncertificated, and whep to that large section of learners were added pupil-teachers and probationers, the proportion of unskilled workers became so abnormal that the wonder was that the position could be accepted by the community with so much complacency. He also wished to refer to the Inadequate stkffing of the larger schools. In London, no teacher was allowed to have more than 35 pupils under his charge. The New Zealand scale designed to limit the size of the classes was not in full operation. About 700 additional teachers would be needed to comply with the scale. The whole situation had risen 'through economic changes. Wages and the cost of living had mounted rapidly, but teachers had failed to secure an advance in their remuneration, so that to-day they represented the worst-paid profession. Without repeating comparative figures, the disparity in their position would be admitted on all hands, and it was imperative, that a remedy should be speedily found. The entire teaching service was thoroughly dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs, and all who came in contact with our school system were emphatic in pointing out the clamant necessity of the case. He trusted that Parliament would have the position fully brought to its consciousness so that our statesmen, aside from party politics, might unite in devising a pleasure for tho common good. Mr Inglls said that the reply given a few days ago by the Minister of Education to a question about the new syllabus had decided them to bring the. subject under Sir Joseph’s notice. The Minister had said that as the new syllabus was mainly a rearrangement of the present one and in accord with the views expressed at the last Inspectors’ Conference, there was no need to submit it to the Education Committee. The Southend Executive had examined the new proposals and their report was considered In .committee at a general meeting. On resuming, the meeting unanimously decided to record its loss of confidence in the Department.- For the present he must respect the confidential nature of the report so that he was unable to give details. But h© wished to say that if ever a syllabus required revision, it was the one proposed to be issued this year. The compilation of the document had been in hand for several years, and the Department had had the views of inspectors, teachers, and the Education Commission. Thus, it could b© safely assumed that the new proposals embodied the intentions of the Department as to the character and quantity of th© work to be prescribed for primary schools. The result showed that tho Department, instead of showing any disposition to lighten the work, had aggravated the over-loading to such a degree that teachers and children were expected to achieve the impossible. Ho did not think that any conference of practical experts could approve of the excessive requirements of the proposed syllabus. The local Institute also supported the general protest made against the new method of departmental consultation. One or two copies of the syllabus had been sent to each district, and a brief period allowed to reply. But the most objectionable feature was the new departure in marking the copies “confidential.” It was difficult to assign a valid reason for preventing the open discussion of a subject of vital interest to the community at large. The teachers of Southland were firmly convinced that the new proposals ought to be considerably amended, even if it meant another year’s delay, and he asked Sir Joseph to give the matter his serious consideration. In reply, Sir Joseph said that as he was taking up his Parliamentary duties in a few days, he was glad to have had the views of the deputation on the subject brought under his notice. In the past he had tried to promote the interests of those engaged in the work of education, and he could give the assurance that his efforts in the future would be in th© same direction. It was clear that the recent changes in the economic conditions had left the teachers behind in tho matter of adequate remuneration, and it seemed to him that a continuance of the present state of affairs would become increasingly detrimental to the efficiency of the schools. From the facts placed before him, he recognised the sedious defects of the working of the principle of average attendance as a basis of payment, and he would be glad to receive for future use a written statement of the facts outlined by the deputation. He could assure them that h© would do all that lay in his power to improve the position of the teachers in the direction of a more liberal scale of salaries. Referring to the syllabus, he said he recognised th© fore© of the protest put before him. He agreed that practice and theory should go hand in hand, and each should have its share in shaping a. programme of instruction. Teachers and inspectors had special qualifications for giving valuable assistance in drawing up a course of work for the school. The teacher knew from direct experience what the child could undertake and what subjects were within or beyond his capacity, while the inspector In his work of assessing the value of the instruction in different schools, was able to give a comparative view of the same range of facts. The schoolroom was the testing place of theory, and it was only reasonable that the views of those in intimate touch with the practical side of education should receive due consideration.

The deputation thanked Sir Joseph for providing an opportunity for the interview in spite of the pressure of numerous engagements, and for the sympathetic hearing he had accorded them.