EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 689, 14 June 1929, Page 13

EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS

AUCKLAND INSTITUTE DISCUSSION PARLIAMENTARIANS PRESENT With several Auckland members of Parliament present, the Auckland branch of the New Zea* yand Educational Institute discussed various problems yesterday afternoon. The visitors were welcomed by the president of the branch, 14 - Spenceley Walker, and the party comprised Messrs. J. S. Fletcher, A. W. Hall, G. C. Munns, W. J. Jordan, H. G. R. Mason and M. J. Savage.

rpHE PRESIDENT outlined liis re- j J- quest to the Minister of Educa- I tion. the Hon. M. Atmore, regarding j unemployed teachers, stressing once ! more that the remedy was a reduc- j tion in the size of classes and the appointment of probationers in their fourth year as supernumeraries on school staffs. | Better provision for the cleaning of city schools was the point made by Mr. K. "Harrison. The grant made by the Edtication Department for the work was inadequate. Committees could not afford to pay higher wages, and the caretakers had to work long hours for low wages. The position had been placed before the Minister at the recent conference of education boards in Wellington. REDUCTION OF CLASSES Mr. D. M. Kae urged a reduction in the size of classes, particularly when the aim of modern education was to develop individuality in the child. With large classes the average child had to be taken as the unit. Mr. Rae appealed to the members for assistance in this respect. A reorganisation of the present education system was the main point of Mr. F. A. Carry's remarks. He suggested that the child at the age of 11 should be placed in a school of the junior high school type, and his potentialities discovered. The whole system should be unified, and a great deal of money saved by this step. Mr. Garry was of the opinion that the Minister might oe wrong in stressing the vocational guidance aspect.

RIGHT OF APPEAL Mr. IT. Moon spoke of the right of teachers to appeal against non-ap-pointment. This had long been sought by the institute, and was necessary if the grading system were to operate with full justice. Special appointments should be reduced to a minimum. The institute argued that a reason should be given when the highestgraded teacher was not appointed to a position. At present there was a teachers’ court of appeal to deal with grading questions, and this could also deal with cases of non-appointment. Mr. Garry dealt with superannuation, asserting that the present insecure position of the fund was due to the heavy drain made by payment to teachers. On the establishment of the fund in 1906 the Government took the responsibility for back payments to teachers before that date. Since then £BOO,OOO had been paid out, and only ’ £600,000 paid in. If the Government had not met the position, however, the teachers were not to blame. In England the Government contributed 50 per cent, to the fund, but in New Zealand it found only 25 pe,- cent. Mr. W. Lamb claimed that teachers a.t the Jubilee Institute for the Blind should share in the benefits of the superannuation scheme. On behalf of the visitors, Mr. Savage assured the meeting that he and his colleagues were interested in the demands. ITe was strongly in sympathy with the proposal that the funds for elea.ning schools should be increased. Other members also spoke.