CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9206, 7 October 1891, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Wa are not responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents. The writer's name, as a guarantee of good faith moat be enclosed in tho fetter.] BOUNDARIES OJF THE TARANAKI EDUCATIONAL DISTRICT. TO THE EDITOR. Sib, — Permit me to say a few words on the proposal emanating from the Education Department, that certain schools in Stratford should be romoved from tho jurisdiction of the Wanganui Education Board, so that the county boundar}' should coincide with that of the Taranaki Education District.' While it is often a good thing that the boundaries of local divisions should not overlap, it will be well in this case to look at the' practical effect of the proposed change. Three existing schools would be affected by it, namely, those at Ngaire, Bird Road, and Cardilf, besides, perhaps, another not yet opened. Tho immediate effect would bo a great reduction of the teachers' salaries. The last returns issued by the Department sbo */ the salary of the teacher at Stratford — tho lamented Mr Evans — to have been less by £50 than that of the teacher at Ngairo, although more pupils attend the Stratford school. Very possibly the present teachers, if willing to remove and accept othor appointments, would not suffer pecuniary loss, at the worst it may bo supposed that if their salaries were reduced, they would ■in couree of time secure such positions as their merits would en ! title them to hold. But the change, if carried out, is calculated seriously to lower the character of the education imparted. It is evident that a low salary will not command the sen ices of teachers of such capacity as a higher one would. If a vacancy occurs, and the salary is less by £50 than heretofore, it cannot be expected that such good teachers will offer themselves for the position. It is remarkable that such different conditions should provail in tho short distance of four milos between Stratford and Ngairo. Some correspondence which appeared in your columns lately mentioned tho cause of tho smallnoss of salaries paid to Taranaki toachers, as being the number of small schools so close together. Tho settlers in tho Wanganui district do without tho c6nvenience of a school close to every one's door, hence their teachers are bettor paid. The schools in Stratford Couoty at present under the Taranaki Board are those at Stratford, Midhirst, and Waipuku, which are certainly a fair distance apart. That is, the inhabitants of those districts neither have the services of well paid teachers nor the convenience of schools close together, such as is posisessed by settlers nearer the coast. This fact suggests the idea of putting tho whole of Stratford County into tho Wanganui Education District. At present tho inhabitants of the lust-named districts are inconvenienced for the benefit of the places farther north. If they were joined to Wanganui for educational purposes, tho salaries of their teachers would be proportionately augmented. A master is now required for the Stratford school. If, then, tho present meagre salary were raised by only £40, how much hotter tho prospect of socuring tho services of a teacher that a rapidly growing town like Stratford is fairly ontitled to. — I am, &c, Black Maire. October sth, 1891.