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1902. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: STATE EDUCATION IN THREE AUSTRALIAN STATES AND NEW ZEALAND. REPORT BY MR. P. GOYEN, INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS TO THE OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Chief Inspector to the Secretary, Otago Education Board. Sir,— Education Office, Dunedin, 27th June, 1902. I have the honour to present the following report on the education systems of South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. In South Australia primary schools are divided into two main classes, public schools and provisional schools, all schools having an average attendance under twenty being placed in the latter category. There are about seven hundred schools in the State, and of these about four hundred are provisional schools. According to the regulations, candidates for appointment as provisional teachers are required to give satisfactory proof that they are competent to instruct children in the rudiments of knowledge, and to produce evidence of having obtained practical acquaintance with school-work by attendance for not less than a month at an approved school. This is, of course, the minimum of a provisional teacher's equipment. Most of the provisional schools are, I was informed, taught by men and women who have gone through the pupil-teachers' course, but who, when they were examined, failed to secure full classification. Of the teachers of the public schools about 60 per cent, are placed in Class F, the lowest of the six classes recognised by the Department. It appears, however, from the official returns that a large proportion even of the teachers of low status do work that receives high commendation from the Inspectors, who, for example, place about 70 per cent, of the provisional schools in the highest proficiency group—namely, schools that gained over 75 per cent, of the marks attainable. This high percentage is probably due in great part to the circumstance that the work done in this class of school is for the most part quite elementary. I cannot but think that country districts suffer from the low educational status of the teachers sent to them. Some of the city schools are, I consider, among the best I saw in Australia. The public schools are divided into twelve classes, as follows : —

The head teachers of schools in Classes IX. to XII. may be females. If they are, the salaries are lower than those given above. The following table shows the classes into which provisional schools are divided, and the salary attaching to each class : — I—E. lc.

Class. Average Attendance. Salary of Head Teacher. Class. Average Attendance. Salary of Head Teacher. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. 600 and over 500 to 600 400 to 500 300 to 400 200 to 350 150 to 200 £ £ 420 to 450 390 to 420 360 to 390 330 to 360 300 to 330 270 to 300 VII. VIII. IX. X. XL XII. 100 to 150 75 to 100 50 to 75 40 to 50 30 to 40 20 to 30 £ £ 240 to 270 220 to 240 180 to 210 160 to 180 140 to 160 110 to 140