EDUCATION SYSTEM

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23014, 4 October 1944, Page 4

EDUCATION SYSTEM

Various Aspects Under Review Long Debate In The House (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON. Oct. 3. The House this afternoon continued with its consideration of the Estimates after a short period spent on formal business. The first vote considered was that for the Education Department £4,967,C6> which is one of the largest to ctme before the House, and there was a considerable amount of discussion on various aspects of education. Mr M. H. Oram (National, Manawatu) said he felt that secondary school 'teachers had received less than justice in their claims for improved salaries. Although it was true the position was partly governed by stabilisation, I here were many anomalies in the new salary scale recently'introduced, and teachers receiving their first cheques under it would feel an increased sense of frustration. As soon as possible the conditions and pay of secondary school teachers should be revised in order that they would know what improvement was likely when stabilisation perm itted. Salaries should be on a basis which would attract the best possible entrants to the profession, and should bear comparison with other sections of the Public Service. There was a need for smaller classes, toward which little had yet been achieved. Prerequisites were more buildings and more teachers. The former could be helped by an extension of the intermediate school system, and the latter by better salaries and more training colleges. If a new training college was established it should be adjacent to one of the agricultural colleges. Transport to School The Hon. F. Langstone (Government, Waimarino) said the treatment of backblocks children regarding transport to school was miserable and parsimonious. There should be more co-ordination between the Education Department, the railways and the postal authorities to make the best use available of transport. Country children were entitled to the best possible facilities for education. Mr W. J. Polson (National, Stratford) said one difficulty was that the Department still expected buses to run at pre-war rates. Each education district needed a thorough survey of the requirements of country children! to enable them to reach school by the least costly means. In some cases if a reasonable payment were made the existing services could make timetable changes to enable them to carry more children to school without increasing the mileage. The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser)' said it would be very wrong if the idea got about that country children were neglected in the matter of education. In many ways more had been done to improve the education of country children in recent years than had been done for town children. It was unfortunate that when the war came school building had to be discarded the same as housebuilding. Now a school building programme obviously was required. He agreed that it was a national responsibility to equalise as far as possible educational opportunities as between country and town children. The Correspondence School cave a fine service to isolated children. Regarding the transport of country children to school, he said there were a few anomalies, but in such cases a few words between the authorities concerned often resulted in a better service. As far as the extra cost of running buses in wartime was concerned, he understood that the extra amounts asked for were submitted to the Stabilisation Commission and adjustments were made for extra costs. Mr Polson: Unfortunately it does not work out that way. Mr Fraser agreed that a survey such as Mr Polson had suggested was a matter which the Department should consider. It would be an advantage if the relevant information were on hand when the time came for placing more buses in commission in the postwar period. The size of classes was a disappointment to everyone. The failure to effect a substantial improvement was owing to the wartime curtailment of building and some interruption of training college facilities. Tire country must shoulder its responsibilities for solving this problem. In the reconstruction period the Government certainly intended to do its utmost in the provision of more buildings and in training additional teachers. Mr W. A. Bodkin (National, Central Otago), supporting Mr Oram’s plea for improved salaries for secondary school teachers, said that the minor adjustments recently made did not meet the case. Although the final adjustments might have to wait for the end ■of stabilisation, the salaries of teachers should at the earliest possible moment be made to conform with the wonderful work teachers were doing. Mr Bodkin said it was doubtful if the Correspondence School was equalled anywhere in the world, and he regretted that no provision had been made in the Estimate for this school’s parents association.

Mr D. W. Coleman (Government, Gisborne) said that young teachers had complained to him that their promotion was being hindered by the fact

that married women teachers were returning to the profession for the war. The objection of those whp had made teaching their career was in no way to these women being brought back to do an essential wartime job, but it was felt that this circumstance should not be allowed to stand in the way of the promotion of permanent teachers. Mr K. J. Holyoake (National, Pahiatua) urged a more liberal provision of homes for teachers in the country. The lack of homes, he said, was hindering promotion and preventing country schools from getting the higher grade teachers to which they were entitled In some cases. Mr H. E. Combs (Government, Wellington Suburbs) said there was far too much migration of teachers, often for trivial increases of salary. The salary system of all teachers, primary, secondary and technical, should be revolutionised. At present teachers had to be on the move to obtain a rise of £lO or £l5 a year. There was no stability in the teachers’ own lives or in the teaching of children. Transfers should be effected between the end of one school year and the commencement of the next to stabilise teaching from February onwards. Excessive mobility did not help education as a whole. Migration of Teachers The Hon. H. G. R. Mason agreed that the present system require 1 too much migration on the part of teachers. An instance had been repori cd to him of a child having had eight different teachers in a year. The question was whether the teacher should be paid according to his own status or whether the job should be paid. The present scale made the worst of both worlds, resulting in immense complexity which was its worst feature. Some improvement had been effected by the requirement now operating that a teacher must have beeh at least two years, not merely two Decembers, in one job before .applying for another. That was some brake, but did not remove the inherent defect of the present scale which did need revolutionising. He hoped to give the matter his attention at an early date. A committee

had been set up to deal with the question of secondary school teachers’ salaries as being the most, urgent, but it had now been decided for practical purposes that the same committee should deal also with primary teachers. He was against the very complex salary scale obtaining at present. Regarding housing, Mr Mason said the Department had sought to build a house for the head teacher outside all the main boroughs, but that had not been achieved in all cases. It would be a long time before much could be done for other than head teachers. While building conditions were now easing slightly, there was still an immense leeway to make up. The building problem had been accentuated by the great increase in the school population brought about by the increase in the birth rate. Some years ago he had been aiming at smaller classes and more teachers, but the war had halted that. He hoped that the position would continue to improve, as some teachers were already returning from the Services and more should return in the future. Provision had been made to protect the interests of teachers away at the war and, consequently, the promotion of others had been held up. That was not a good thing because, apart from the teachers’ viewpoint, it was not a good thing for the children if the teacher was held back in progress in his work. Delays in promotions were diminishing, and he thought it would be found that the problem would disappear in the near future. “Man Anti His World” Mr F. W. Doidge (National, Tauranga) asked what the Minister proposed to do about the text book, “Man And His World,” which had been objected to in several quarters. He thought the objection was justifiable, because he did not think it right for children to be taught one thing at Sunday school or in the churches and another in the State schools. Mr Mason said the text book was included in the list compiled according to price. These books had not been censored in any way, but “Man And His World” had been well recommended and was included in the list which was sent to the secondary schools for comment before it was printed. There was no obligation in any school to use the book, as there was a fairlv wide choice. Mr J. F. B. Cotterill (Govt., Wanganui) referred to the item for the teaching of swimming, and commended the Department for the work done in teaching children to swim. He pointed out the value of swimming in a country like New Zealand where the population was so closely in touch with water, and emphasised the ■ physical value of swimming as a pastime and sport. Students in Services The Hon. F. Jones acknowledged the debt of the Services to the Education Department for the provision of a library service for the troops. This was particularly due to the officer in charge of the country library service and his staff. The Army Education Welfare Service also owed much to the Education Department and its officers. A report he had just received from the Second Division showed that 582 members of the Division were taking courses in commercial subjects, 125 in arts and miscellaneous, 779 in engineering and technology, and 609 in agriculture. These were all correspondence courses being followed by men who found time for study even in the midst of fighting. Mr Jones said it was hoped that the advantage of similar courses would also be taken by prisoners of war, for whom arrangements were being made to enable them to pursue their studies during the time which might have to elapse in Britain before they could all be finally demobilised. It would be a considerable advantage if these men could do studv courses which would prepare them for their future careers when they reached home. Two English universities had offered five scholarships to New Zealand servicemen to be available for three years. He was sure that other English universities would gladly offer educational facilities to men of the Services. Tribute to Teachers The Leader of the Opposition. (Mr S. G. Holland) paid a tribute to the work done by teachers. The House was discussing the expenditure of nearly £5.000,000 but no one would quibble about the amount because they could not spend too much on education. They could not hope to advance in life without education, and education depended on teachers, many of whom were working in schools understaffed and overcrowded. He was not blaming anyone K.’ + hat—it was the duty of them all to conditions better as soon as they He suggested that the Minister could have teaching declared an essential profession so that, teachers could be released from the Forces to return to'their chosen profession. Teachers were giving magnificent service, and if they had any grievance? about salaries the House should [.’it them right, and if that cost more money they should find it. He ’ considered it could be found by economies in directions not as important as education.

The vote was passed, and the vote of £500.000 for educational buildings was also carried without discussion.