EDUCATION COMMITTEE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18620, 16 July 1930, Page 9

EDUCATION COMMITTEE.

REPORT PRESENTED TO HOUSE. MANY CHANGES PROPOSED. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 14. The report of the Education Committee of the House of Representatives on re-organisation of the educational system, was presented this afternoon. It comprises sixty printed foolscap pages. The recommendations, which were unanimous, and involve sweeping changes are as follows: — (1) That termination of the primary school course be at eleven years, or after passing Standard 4. (2) That the age to which education of a child is required by lav/ be raised from 14 to 15 years, with provision for exemption in cases of hardship. (3) That intermediate classes should form part of the education system, and that the types of schools or classes, as suggested by Mr Garrard, be recommended to the Government as a basis. The Committee recommends further consolidation of schools and classes where practicable, so as to ensure adequate education, particularly for children in rural districts. (4) That this Committee is of opinion that the scholarship system is no longer necessary as a means of providing free education beyond the primary stage, and recommends that the funds now applied to the provision of national and University entrance scholarships be utilised for the purpose of providing maintenance bursaries to assist deserving pupils to continue their education to higher stages; the awards to be based not upon competitive external examinations, but upon consideration of individual cases recommended by the Senior Inspector or the Superintendent of each education district. (5) That in view of the great importance to the Dominion of our primary industries, the curricula of all our schools must include adequate practical instruction in agriculture and allied subjects. (6) That this Committee is of opinion that unification of control of existing primary, secondary and technical education in New Zealand is desirable; that existing post-primary School Boards be continued as School Councils for their respective schools, except that where a single board has controlled more than one school, a separate School Council shall be set up for each school; that the present divisions of the inspectorate be abolished, and a single inspectorate be organised, consisting of specialist inspectors, the inspectorial staff within each Board district to inspect all grades and types of schools within the district, and to include one woman inspector. (7) That the powers and duties of the National Department under the proposed scheme of reorganisation shall include control of: (1) Administrative (a) Native schools; (b) child welfare branch; (c) distribution of capitation allowances, special grants, and subsidies; (d) payment of teachers; (e) teachers’ superannuation fund;_ (f) power to make regulations (1) requiring Boards to share services and officers where in the Minister’s opinion such course is desirable in the interests of efficiency or economy, and (2) to ensure that earmarked grants are applied to authorised purposes only; (g) the appointment of (1) nominated members of Boards; (2) professional; (h) syllabus of instruction; (i) school certificates; (j) inspection of schools; (k) classification of teachers; (1) appointment of teachers. That the allowances paid ’ to School Committees should be increased and adjusted so as to provide adequate funds to meet essential re- ' quirements; and that subsidies on ■ moneys raised locally for school pur- - poses should be on a generous basis. ! (8) (a) That there should be only one ; teachers’ register for the whole teach- • ing service, (b) That a new salary scale be prepared, covering the whole education service, with a view to elimination of anomalies at present existing as between primary, secondary and technical services, and between men and women teachers; and that this scale should be based upon the prin--1 ciple of payment of the teacher instead • of payment for the position, together ■ with recognition of family responsibilil ties, (c) That the system of numerical r grading hitherto in use in the primary service be abolished in favour of classil fication by inspectors in broad groups, based upon teaching efficiency. (d) That the appointment of teachers should be entrusted to a National ’ Appointments Committee, constituted in a manner similar to the present Teachers’ Grading Appeal Board sys--1 tern of appointment to include provit sion for (1) preparation of a teacher’s r classified roll, (2) preparation of an -annual promotion list within each t classified group, based upon the inspec- • tors’ reports, copies of which should be 5 supplied to teachers, (3)/ appointment J by the National Committee, which shall also have power to transfer reasonable removal expenses to be paid in cases of compulsory transfer; (4) all appoints ments to be made in the same month of 3 the year, with consequential appointr ments in the month following, vacancies then remaining to be filled by e transfer, and a sufficient permanent - relieving staff to be maintained to fill - casual vacancies until the next period , of appointment; (5) right of appeal tc t a teachers’ court of appeal against (a) e non-inclusion in the promotion list, (b) r suspension, dismissal, reduction of i, salary, non-appointment, or transfer i. to a lower-paid appointment.