TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

Southland Times, Issue 19519, 19 May 1922, Page 6

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

CONFERENCE OF BOARDS AND DIRECTORS (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 18. Among the resolutions passed to-day by the Technical Education Conference, were the following:— The' the senior mistress of a technical high school with a roll member of over 200 pupils, should receive £3O in addition to the graded salary as recompense for the additional duties involved. That there should be a definite scale of salaries for student teachers in technical schools at least as liberal as that provided lor primary schools. That where a teacher supervises evening classes the Education Department should be asked to regard such service as the equiva.lent of overtime teaching work, and pay for it accordingly. That the maximum salary for men in Division 11. be increased to £450, and for women, to £336. That the teaching hours of technical school teachers be fixed at ten half days weekly, it being understood. that evening duty be counted as a half day, and that a teacher on duty for part of a half day be regarded as on duty for the whole, of that half day, this system to be adopted on the understanding that the staffing rates be one to 25 pupils on the roll on March 31; the hours of service required of teachers to be 30 per week for not less than 40 weeks per year, the hours of service being regarded as actual timetable hours as signed by the director. That as a general rule teachers be not called upon to teach on more than two evenings per week. That when allotting marks for classification officers shall give due weight to the recommendations of the principal of the school concerned, particularly as to the out-of-school activities of instructors.

That in the classification of those in the service before the initial grading the regulations requiring possession of a University degree or its equivalent for classification in the professional division be more liberally interpreted, and that in the case of these teachers, lack of higher degrees be no bar to positions in the higher grades. That Technical School Boards be allowed to retain one-third of the class fees. That provision be made for the allocation to technical education of a fair share of the reveiiue from the National Endowment. That in view of the fact that members of Boards of Managers are held personally responsible for the interest on bank overdrafts, this conference request the Minister of Education to have progress and other payments made immediately when due, failing which interest should be added at the current bank rates. On the motion of Mrs Ferner it was resolved, in view of the establishment of junior high schools, that the time is opportune for the appointment of a woman as advisory director for domestic eciebce in the dominion.

Mr Borras, in accordance with notice, moved that evening students should be exempt from attendance at drill while receiving instruction at technical classes, and that a deputation wait on the Minister of Defence at the earliest possible moment to place this resolution before him. Mr Mackenzie proposed that the motion should read: “That the matter of exempting evening students from drill while receiving instruction at technical classes be referred to the next Technical Education Conference for consideration. The mover accepted the motion which in this form was carried. On the motion of Mr O. E. Newton it was resolved: (1) That Technical School Boards should be represented on Education Boards to ensure a better understanding in matters of mutual interest; and (2) that the Railway Department be asked to admit apprentices under 17 years of age instead of under 16 years of age as at present, to enable boys taking engineering courses at technical schools to enter on' such apprenticeships. Messrs Howitt and Newton were appointed to represent the conference at to-morrow’s deputation to the Minister. It was decided to form a combined association of directors, supervisors, and members of Boards of Managers of technical schools. It was left to the chairmen of Boards and the directors of the Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill Technical Schools to draft a constitution for submission to the next conference, Mr March all to be convenor of the committee thus set up.