MINISTER'S POWERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 196, 20 August 1934, Page 8

MINISTER'S POWERS

LEAVE FOR TEACHER I COLLEGE ATHLETIC TEAM Points raised by the Minister of Education (the Hon. R. Masters) in his statement that he has not the power to ■ grant leave of absence on pay to enable . a teacher to accompany’ the New Zea- ; land team of college athletes to Mel- . bourne during the centenary celebrations were replied to by Mr. P. MartinSmith, secretary of the Secondary , Schools’ Association and secretary of ( the committee set up to arrange the tour. j The Minister had stated, said Mr. j Martin-Smith, that he had no power ( under the existing regulations to grant , leave on pav. The answer to that was the Minister made regulations and ( amended them as be saw fit and that he ] had definitely refused to amend the re- ( gulations to make it possible for a , teacher to accompany the team on full ‘ pay. When a deputation waited on the , Minister some little time ago it was pointed out to him that section 5 of the J Education Act, 1914, provided for an Assistant-Director of Education, and he J was asked if he intended making an apnointment. The Minister said “no,” J •■nd smilingly said he would have to get the Act altered. The position had been 1 vacant about 18 months. Mr. Masters, continued Mr. Martin- ? Smith, was reported to have said that 1 it had been made to appear that he J r.Mr. Martin-Smith) was seeking the J position of manager of the team, but when the Minister was approached the - manager of the team had not been sei- 1 ected. Mr. Masters had stated also that 1 he regretted that the proposition had J been advanced that if the manager were i placed under an obligation to investi- * gate some aspect of secondary educa- c tion in Victoria the spirit of the regu- < lotions could be fulfilled. There was no 1 intention, said Mr. Martin-Smith, that 1 any investigation carried out. by the 1 teacher should be for the sake of the I department. The view taken was that - it would be of benefit to the teacher 1 and to the profession generally. As a 1 matter of fact, the committee control- 1 ling the tour had definitely laid down ( that the manager had to carry out investigation into athletics in Victorian secondary schools as far as was prac- 1 ticable. t The Minister considered that some- < one would be found to go with the < team as manager, said Mr. Martin- - Smith, but he did not think that the : principle of a teacher going away in ’ charge of schoolboys on such an occa- ’ sion without pay was one that would 1 commend itself to anyone. Not, onR I would the teacher lose his pay for the 1 time he was away, but he would also ! lose a portion of his holiday pay. In conclusion, Mr. Martin-Smith said it ; was felt that the educational value to ’ be derived from such a trip would be of great value to a teacher.