Teachers' Conference.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13490, 11 January 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

Teachers' Conference.

I'BOMOT.IOX ,SC'HKM K. The two sessions of ill; itmiit;t 1 meeting of tiif .Now Zealand Education Instil ute on June 3rd were devoted to ilie consideiatiim of the repou drawn lip by ' lie committee appointed to consider Hit' question of a, teacheis' promotion schtiHj. Hie conanittee, which conskted oi Mesm W. H. Newton. X. It. Mackenzie, and H. G. Cousins (all membeiii of the Auckland district institute) was appointed at the annual meeting held two years ago at 111vercargill. At hist year's meeting, licld at Christchurch. tlie committee suljiiiii-tcd u report, which was forwarded to the various district institutes for consideration and criticism. As the result of it.i cousideia.tion of the criticisms and suggestions forwarded to it, the committee formulated its report for presentation to the present meeting. ' COMMUTE ICS K KCOAIM KNDATIONS.

The committee, in its report, after outlining and briefly cri.ie;.iing various schemes which had been placed before, it, expressed iis conviction that in any soundscheme of promotion efficiency aiutsc- be the first consideration in the appointment of any teacher, and that literary or other qualification,?, as well as length of service, must be subordinated to this in the grading of teachers for promotion ; (c) that ellicienev could 'ba gauged only by -experts; (d) that appointments .should be made on merit ; (e) that provision should be made for a few well-defined grades of petitions.; (f) that, other things being equal, .seniority of service should be the determining factor; (g) that each teacher's prospect of promotion should be known as definitely as possible on a promotion list. which should be revised at period.; noL greater than one year; (h) that there should be a. guarantee against reduction of salary except on proof of lerw of efficiency ; (i) tliul there should be minimum and maximum salarie.; f<n- each grade; and (j) that us many teachers, no matter how efficient, could have no" oppoi!unity of holding the highest' positions, salaries should be so adjusted that the majori'y bo liberally paid. In accordance with the above princip!.: the committee recommended that the "Minister for Education be asked to introduce a. Bill providing that for the purpose of rlie promotion of teachers the various education districts be grouped as followis: (1) Auckland (424 schools); (2) Wanganui, Taranaki, and Hav. ke's Bay (364 schools) ; (3) Wellington, Nelson and Marlborough (327 schools) : (4) North and South Canterbury, We.itland and Grey (341 schools) ; (5) Otago and Southland (391 schools). I CLASSIFICATION OF POSITIONS. The committee recommended the appointment of boards of classifiers for the various promotion districts, together with one teacher elected by the dislrict institutes. and one representative of the boards of education within the district, the 'boards of classifiers to sit annually in the month of May to consider the applications of all teachers desirous of being placed on the promotion lists, and to grade the applicants in the manner prescribed. The board of classifiers should not place on the list the name of any applicant who in its opinion, had not merited promotion. It -was recommended that- any teacher dissatisfied by reason of the omiteion of his name Irom flic promotion list or its position on that list should have the right to appeal to the Education Board by -which he is employed. If the Education Hoard' deemed it necessary, il might order a further inspection of the teacher's work with a view to his re-classification. The Education Board might, for any .sufficient reason, such as neglect of duty or misdemeanour, remove from the promotion list the name of any teacher in its employ previously classified as deserving promotion; but tlie Board should not take such extreme action without specifically stating to the teacher the cause for so doing. Any teacher whose name was so removed should have the right of appeal to the Minister for Education, who might order an inquiry, and theieafter confirm or annul the Board's decision.

It wins recommended that positions be classified into three .classes, divided respectively into six, three and three divisions, carrying salaries as follows: Class I : Applicants seeking promotion or transfer to charge of a school of division 1, £350 or mora; 2, £290 to £340; 3, £225 to £275; 4, £165 to £215; 5, £llO to £160; 6, below £llO. Class 11. : Applicants seeking promotion or transfer to assistantnhii:« in division 1. £175 or more; 2. £lls to £170; 3, £BS to £llO. Class 111. : Applicants seeking charge if infant elates in division 1, ,£l5O or nio.ie; 2, £llO to £145; 3, £BS to £lO5. GRADING OF TEACHERS. In the grading of teachers, the board of classifiens should a.ward marks oil thjs-fol-lowing basis :—First, Lfticiency' and personality, 0 per cent, to 60 per cent. ; second, educational allaiixn<-nLs, literary and otherwise, 0 per cent, to 20 per cent. ; third, length of service, say, 1 per cent, fo-r each year of eervice, 0 per cent, to 20 per cent. Note—Possible total marks, 100. On the estiina'es formed the names in each division list should be arranged in older of merit, as show 11 by the total marks awarded to each. r lhe committee suggested that marks for literary attainments. elc.. be allotted somewhat as follows -For D certificate (irrespective of

"figuie ?1 ). 5 inurliii; C, 9 ; 14; and for special certificates for advanced work, in drawing, music, drill, and kiudergarten work, physiology, botany, agriculture, woodwork, and other subjects, 6 marks; but not morn than two marks for anv one subject. When two or mois applicants had the same nurr.iber of marks, their names should be placed in order of seniority. FILLING OP VACANCIES.

hi regard to Hie method ol filling vacancies the committee recommended _ Ihut when a- viiciuicy occurred in any division, iiiul the applicant whose name (Stood first on the co.i responding division of the promotion list had at least four marks (of tlic 100 possible) more t-lian any other applicant' in iliat division, Hie Education Hoard should appoint him to tho position. Allien such applicant did not havti at leaujt four marks more than (a) only one other applicant,' or (b) each of two or 11101:0 applicant.s. i lie JSoard- should take flum The promotion list the mimes of (a) tho firsttwo in order, (b) the first three in under, and forward these to tha District School Committee. After the committer had recommended one of these applicants," the Board should make the appointment, but should not necessarily appoint the teacher recommended by the committee. As teachers received promotion, their names should be struck off the promotion list- fur that vcar.

In conclusion, the comntiUe-;: affirmed thai the rate of payment should depend on the position determined by the <,vol king roll nuinbar, and not on average attendance : that the salaries should advance from the minimum to the maximum- by annual increments, and that the maximum for each division (except Xo. 1)) be £5 below the minimum for Ilia division next above: that provision b-.: made for th; transfer of teae-iieir; whos-e (-schools had fallen below or increased beyond the division for which .salaries wcrs being paid; and that n<j teacher then employed should suffer reduction of salary as the result of the introduction of t.ho new svtlem.

DISCUSSION IN" COMMITTKK. Hie I't'puvl v'as lvcL'ivo-d. and tlio 111 i• - went into coinuiu.ee to consider itThe disciiiisiou in committee occupied the whole of the day. and was unfinished at 5.30 p.m. when progiess was reports'.!. 'J htt only material alteration aiwicio in committee was the substitution of four for the five promotion districts propu-;ed, the boundaries of the four districts to be coterminus with t-hoi=.e of the University du;tiicts. Another amendment was made providing ill at appeals against positions on an omission f-ioni the promotion lists must be made through district institutes. 'J.'lie proposed methods of giading and filling vacancies- were approved with a, few verbal alterations.

At the next sitting, discussion of tin* proposed and divisions resulted in Divisions I. and IT., being passed unaltered. Class 111. tin regard to applicants for. charge of infant classes) w, struck out. it not being considered wiw to have a class for infant teachers. Ihe following note was appended to the ficale of salaries sent out for the two clashes adop'-ed : "The salaries set forth here, are for the purpose; of illustration only. They are taken from, the present scale, and do not indicate the Institute's views on the question of salaries."' The period during -which teachers should advance from minimum- to maximum salaries -was reduced from ten to five years, annual increments being increased from £5 to £lO. The maximum salary iu Class IT. was fixed at £lO below the maximum for Cla=s T. linstead of £5 ais proposed by the promotion clause). The scheme as amended was adopted by the Institute.