HON. G. FOWLDS CONGRATULATED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 414, 25 January 1909, Page 4

HON. G. FOWLDS CONGRATULATED.

HIS VIEWS ON STAFFING SCHOOLS. , ' ';.■,■•■(Bγ•TELEHBirn— press -association.), •' •■■.■■- . '.' :i v . '■■'../..'" Du'nedin',;January 24. ;'■;;' A' deputation irom the School Committee^•■ [Association waited on"tne;H6ii. ; G; Fowlda lyesterday'with the object of'congratulating him on'the legislation of last session with preference to : education-matters..; The Minis- - ; ; ter. was presented with an uncrossed resolu- ■ ' tion congratulating him oil; nis re-election to Parliament and re-appointment as Minis-, ter of .Education, and. also, placing on: record an appreciation of his-services .in con-., neotion with'the passing of the-Education ■ ■Amendment Act, 1903. ~■'-. .'-,;. : ' . ~'■ ..; In returning thanks, the Minister, said that he had .very/greatJaith. in the value, of school .committees as part -.of-j tne education/ • system. Referring to the present', position as between, boards; and ".committees, . he. thought a happy mean had been struck, and this-should .be an improvement on the old position.. It wcmld depend on wisdom and moderation' shown by-. education boards on the oriehand,. and school committees on the other; It was possible that some changes - would be necessary before the Act worked m ' - . a complete and harmonious'. whole," but he ' hoped that none of the changes would be m the direction , 'of eliminating the work of — school committees. If anyj.change were made, ho thought that it would rather .bo; :. in the boards. His opinion was f that the local educational • authorities . should be more closely associated.' with the or--. / dinsry local authorities of the district. .In explaining the clauses Vof the Act referring ■ fto staffing, the Minister eaid -that' : tl» .in-;, creased .eiaffiiug. provided by the. Actjast session was to come into force only m accordance with the regulations. ,An opinion seemed to have got abroad ihat the whole of the increased staffing was to come into operation atonce, and.he had seen, in. the press, condemnation of himself. ..aud.his Depart- ■: ment for, delating the issue of regulations bringing in fall additional staffing. [M™ making a complaint ;qf that kind could not have taken an intelligent interest :in the. ; Act and. what was said when it was passed. The reason why it was arranged that-the, : staffing should be governed by regulations was that there were not : sufficient teachers ; ...;. in the Dominion to' supply the vacancies.-It was proposed to bring regulation into operation first where staffing most, required strengthening and to continue it as the sup-, dlv was available. Boards had been' asked, . to supply (as soon as possible after they had filled those'vacancies which'- inevitably occurred at the end of the year) some indication of the number of teachers avaM)loafter the vacancies had, beer filled... Jhen, that information was before the Bepajtmont : regulations' would be issued increasing the ; staffing to absorb" the swplus number of teachers. : Theu the regulations would be extended tUlfuU staffing, was m operation. The Department had autionsejl an increased attendance (from eighty to » training colleges, and that should adequately supply the number of teachers m™f- J* would not-be fair to further increase the rate of,turriing-out teachers because in a : few years, the Department might not be aptf,. to find wqrk for them. . ;....:.. . '.: