EDUCATIONAL.

Observer, Volume X, Issue 604, 31 January 1891, Page 7

EDUCATIONAL.

From education, as the leading cause, The public character its colour draws. — Co wper. Auckland public schools re-open on Monday next, after the summer vacation. The public school teachers in Auckland district receive annual salaries to the amount of £58,500. Although it has already over a hundred supernumerary teachers on the list, the Board of Education has just appointed several more, including one at a salary of £60 per annum. A friend on the Board was very anxious to have the salary made £100. Mr Cooper still absents himself from the Board of Education meetings, and Mr Goldie will of course not be able to attend during the Parliamentary session. Members are wanted who are prepared to devote more attention to the important work of this Board. Instead of going on with an expensive brick school in Chapel-street, for the ragged and truant children, the Board has called for an estimate of the cost of an iron building, whioh it is expected can be put up for aboui £600. Mr Monk wanted to throw Mr Allwright overboard altogether and call for competitive plans. Three Chairmen of Country School Committees are candidates for the Board of Education, viz. :— Mr Muir, East Tamaki; Mr Motion, Tuakau ; and Mr Greenwood, Mount Boskill. We trust they may combine to form a * country ticket ' and fight the election with as much earnestness as the importance of the issues de mands. Mr Walter I. Robinson announces the resumption of his Technical Classes fcr instruction in mechanical and geometrical drawing, &c. From his high qualifications and experience, Mr Eobinpon ought to secure as pupils those young men who seek to acquire the knowledge necessary to pass the Board of Trade Examinations in engineering, or to qualify for the drawing examination as Board teacher. There is to he a retaining wall of wood built at Newton East School ; cost, £160. Mr Allwright, Board architect, Baid he would prefer stone ; cost, £279 ; a wooden wall would only last 20 years. Mr Carr : 'It will only last ten years.' Mr Monk : • Totara would last 30 years.' Mr Carr : ' I speak of kauri.' Mr Monk : ' I have gate posts of kauri that have stood for 70 years, and they are still good.' So much for timber, which carried the day. Also, so much for woodenheads, who don't know the virtues of New Zealand timber. The Board of Education consists of nine members, and, if fairly representative, seven of them ought to be country members, the remaining two being town members. At present, eight out of the nine are town members, the personal friends of the town teachers. Herein consists the root of much of the mismanagement now loudly complained of, and the cause of the enrichment of the town teachers and schools, and the fleecing of the unfortunate unrepresented country schools and teachers. The election of three country members to the approaching vacancies will do something towards restoring the proper balance.