DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8061, 21 November 1906, Page 2

DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir—The present district school system is a costly one to the State, and although we owe a givat debt of gratitu le to the late Mr Seddon for inaugurating it, there is not the slightest doubt that had he lived he would, with his k"en perception, have soon put his finger on the weak points in it. It must bo noted that, under the existing system, tne headmaster of every district high school gets his share of the money paid for the seconlary education of of the pupils. In addition t) his ordinary jilary, which is piid on the average ittendacce of the whole tchool, primary and sucwndary classes included, he gets a b nus o? iJ3O to .£SO per year (according 10 numbers) from the mere fact that high school classes are attached to his school. Why this bonus ? Perhaps if the bjnusiß were added to the salary of the man who does the work in tha secondary department the salary might be sufficiently big to induce thoroughly competent men to undertake high school work; men more over able and strung enough to manage their classes without calling in the aid of the master of the primary department. In onsi lering the question of expense it mu;t ba borne in mind that under the terms of the Act every country school whiob can muster fifteen children can.demand the establishment of a high schojl. Cau this system which some authorities would nave us believe is inexpensive be consideied a highly satisfactory one. Is it wiser, is it cheaper, to have high schojls scattered like mushrooms all over the country side, stiffed by inferior men getting a low wagt, or to have a few central high sohools stalf.d by highly qualified men receiving a high wage ? Alight not the children be brought to these central schools by rati ? Where is the extra expanse here; where tha lack of facilities fur first class secondary education? In cone usiou I would like to point out that there is another defect in the exst ng system and amply grave to warrant the separation of tne primiary and secondary departments. It is that every man who takes up high school work must be prepared to reman his whole life long an assistant, and never the man in oharge, he must ba content with a second rate wage. What a humiliating position for some old graduate who his toiled long and well in the teaching profession to have to refer to and take his order from some younger and less capable man in oontrol of the primary classes.—l am,eto, BEACON. TO TIIK EDITOR. Sir, —Being a member of the Committee of the Hamilton Wejt .District High School, and also the individual referred to by " Bdacon," " who induced the committee to pass a resolution refusing to support the Waihi movement to secure separate management of primary and high schools," kindly give me space to say the m*j jrity of the Hamilton Committee realised from the tone of the correspondence bjfore them that it was a case of "another Waihi squabble," and they wisely refrained from being drawn into it. If tha 117 high school teachers in-the c.ilooy have a gnevacce (1 never knew a school teacher yet who hadn't a grievanoe), there is surely some authority to appeal to other than the school committee. " Beacon" evidently holds a brief for tha High School teacher, for the tone of his letter would lead one to suppose that that class stand on a plane by themselves. Many of his statements could be travelled did space permit. "In aine cases out of ten," says "Beacjn," "the primary (or head) master ii quite ignorant of secondary subjects." This is indeed a flattering testimonial to the teiching staff; and is saying in effict that the headmaster does not had it necessary to equip himself m secjndary subjects. It this is cot traducing the benefits o; secondary (or sup irior) education, what on earth is? Surely "Beaton" dce3 not mean to bly that many of the subjec s taught in tha aeoonlary schools are useless embroidery, used for the purpose of keiping certain professions " select and clean." If so, the quicker district high schooln are dispensed with the better. I have taken the trouble to look up the Year Book and find in the latest statistics there were but 2330 pupils attending secjndary classes belonging to district high schools, wcile the number of soholars attending primary classes was 132,020. 'ihese secondary pupils oost the colony nearly J£b per head for tuition alone, while the prim ary scholars cost for tuition just over X'A t»er head. Notwithstanding the opinion of " Boacon," it is therefore evident that it ia a debatsab'.e question whether dis tr;ct high schools are of sufficient benefit to any but a select few to warrant their extension or the payment ot higher salaries out ot State funds, i l'he stories, too, about the sweating amongst primary school toachers (except in very rare cisesj are so old that it is time they weie propped up by particulars; for we find tha 1,U2 male teachers and the 2,302 females ( nany of the latter girls in their teens) draw between them, house allowances, £10(3,303. The general uutside opinion is that the average scho .1to cher is the best paid in the amply-recompensed civil service of New Zealand. When "Beacon" favours y*ur readers with the promised economic side ot the question, probably he will explain the logio of the seamstress, the farmer, the tradesman, the mechanic, the navvy and the miner being called upou to contribute indirectly in providing a superannuation fund for the teacher, when no one returns the compliment to them. In a few weeks' time the school teachers by the score will be away for a trip to ttie Christchurch Kxhibition, while tha dressmaker will be working till the small hours of the morning, the farmer will be hard at it in the broiling sun, ani the tradesman contracting himself into a nutshell of civility, but there's no superannuation fund or six weeks holiday for them. It tejms to int education is a good thing, but justice ought to go hand and hand w*th it.—l am, etc., JAS. E. TIDD.