NEW ZEALAND'S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 154, 29 June 1907, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND'S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

PROMOTION SCHEME. GENERALLY APPROVED BY LOCAL TEACHERS. Discussion took place yesterday afternoon respecting the scheme brought forward by the Promotion Committee of the Educational Institute. Mr Newton pointed out that it had been their intention in compiling the report to avoid localisation and centralisation. Provision had been made for an expert Board of Classifiers, with right of appeal for the teachers. The promotion list would clearly correlate positions, and would provide for promotion only from sub-class to sub-class. So far as he knew, the method of grading had called forth criticism only to the effect that efficiency and personality should be allotted 60 per cent. Against this he would urge that these two things were most difficult to estimate. Another point was that a mode of filling vacancies was suggested. As d, committee they desired their scheme to be discussed, and would carefully consider all suggestions made or flaws pointed out. The chief difficulty with which tliey were faced was the number of schemes being put forward. Briefly, their scheme was to provide a middle course between extreme localisation and centralisation. Mr Newton also explained at length the scheme for grouping the various education districts for the purposes of the promotion of teachers. He presented the first clause (A) detailing the. system of grouping the districts, as follows: —

"That for the purposes of the promotion of teachers, the various .education districts as at present constituted he grouped as follows:—District: No. 1. Auckland: No. 2, Wanganni and Taranaki; No. 3, Wellington, Hawke's . Bay, Nelson, and Marlboro URh: No. 4. Westland. Grey, North Canterbury, and South Canterbury; No. 5, Otago and Southland."

Mr Cousins seconded the motion for the adoption of this clause. An amendment by Mr Lippiatt, that any such scheme for promotion be entirely of a colonial character, was lost. Messrs Newton and Cousins pointing out that such a system would be impracticable on account of the distance of the centres from one another, and the fact tha.t the teachers themselves were at variance among themselves on the subject. The clause itself was approved. It was unanimously decided to approve of clause B, which reads as follows: —

"That the inspectors of the promotion districts so constituted, meeting as a hoard of classifiers, shall, annually. In the month of December, consider the applications of all teachers desirous of beiuj placed on the promotion list for that district, and .shall grade the applicants ill the manner ■ hereinafter prescribed. But the board of classifiers shall not place on the list the name of any applicant who, in their opinion, has not merited promotion."

Clause C next came up for approval the meeting being unanimous in agreeing as to the desirability of such a system as that prescribed coming into effect. The clause reads as follows:—

"Any teacher employed by an Education Board within the promotion district in which he is seeking promotion, dissatisfied t>y reason of the omission of his name from_ the promotion list, or its position on that Tist. snail have tbe right of appeal to. the .Education Board by which he is ejnployed. If- the Education "Board deem it necessary, it may order a further in spection of the teacher's work with a view to his re-classification A The Education Board may, for any sufficient reason, such as neglect of duty or misdemeanour, remove from the promotion list the name of any teacher in its employ previously ciassified as deserving promotion. But the Board shall not take such extreme action without specifically statiug to the teacher the cause for so doing. Any teacher whose name has heen so remover] shall have the right of appeal to the Miasster of Education, who may order independent inquiry into the circumstances' of the case and thereafter confirm or annul tbe Board's decision."

Some discussion took place in connection with the particulars of clause D of the scheme. Mr. Cousins explained the various clauses of this section, which provides that any teacher seeking transfer or promotion shall specifically state on application to which of three classes he seeks promotion. The three classes to be subTiivided into six minor classes. Mr. Cousins remarked in connection with this clause that under it teachers of lower grade schools would be paid relatively higher salaries. It was considered that at present salaries were too dependent upon the grade of the. schools. Even with the present scale the scheme would work all right, although still better with an amended scale.

Mr. Ramsay remarked that the whole scheme seemed to be still based on attendance-

Mr. Cousins explained in reply that the grade of a school must always largely count in regard to salaries. He thought that an educational system such as that proposed would have to be based on a commercial, an economical system. Skill and weight of responsibility must be recognised as being worthy of greater pay. otherwise the duffers might be paid as much as the able man. They wanted to get the best teachers for'the best positions, and grades must be allowed accordingly. With regard to infant teachers, those who desired to hold higher' positions in this section should occupy lower ones first- It was decided to adopt the clause with one or two minor modifications.

It was decided to amend the existing basis for the awarding of marks as presented in the report by substituting the following figures: —

Ist. Efficiency and Personality, 0 per cent 'to 60 per cent; 2nd, Educational Attainments, literary and otherwise, 0 per cent to 20 per cent; 3rd, length of Service, say, 1 per cent for each year of service, 0 per cent to 20 per cent.

Further consideration of the proposals was adjourned until the next meeting of the Institute.