TEACHERS' PASSES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 645, 23 October 1909, Page 9

TEACHERS' PASSES.

•; MEDICAJ. INSPECTIONCOF SCHOOLS. ; '.; TO MINISTER, ' Tho" Him. A. : E, Guiiincss,' tho Hon. J. Marshall, and. Mr. T. K y; Seddon, M.P.,'waited on tlie Minister for Education.: (tho Hon. G.. Fowlds)'.yesterday, as a deputation from the Grey Education Board in regard to tho questions of teachers' railway passes and tho nicdi- ' cal inspection of, schools.--, •'•• < ■■'-._ Mr: Guinness said that 13 members had asked tho,Minister-thntiafternoon to-, do= away <,with, his regulation abolishing tho. issuo ot.-.. freo railway' passes to teacher's-on their way to--1 -classes. •■" He' did not think that they, need' go into ..the'arguments further.'- -•' ■■'-'/'/-: -Mn'Scddon stated that it .would;bo a great drawback if tho privjlego wero-. withdrawn.--Mr. Marshall said it would ho" a ; great ..lass; to country teachers if they "had'.to pay their own fares to classes, and ho hoped tlio .'decision.' would be reconsidered, i Strict supervision was possible, to prevent'abuse. . It'-was a difficult: matter to get qualified teachers. Ho also asked ' that provision' should bo madofortho periodical medical examination of,schools. -Thiswns" regarded '.as an important matter"by.--various ; education boards.,"" Permanent physicaldislabilities would often be checked in. their, in-fancy;-if.' this, scheme ' wcro'".approved.-i Ho : thought tho medical profession would perform tho'inspections at a low'cost;' The Grey.Board had adopted tho resolution of tho Wellington ■Education. Board .'on the subject.- , ■'■"■■"'• I. -V,'.. ; Reverting to' the'question of • teachers'. pass*3, 'Mf. Seddon:said ho thought that it;would-be'' impossible for many teachers: on-the coast, to pay their own-fares. It, could easily be provided' that 1 if the teachers did not attend .the classes they should riot rccoivo' the passes.' ■■. ■ /Mr/ Fowlds'■ replied . that:, any schemo.'of medical- inspection- to bo• universal would'cost -a very largo sum, aud while he admitted.that it:was a very ■ dosirablc thing, ho could ; .casi)y find other- desirable: propositions that.would, add ,JCIOO,OOO .'or '£200,000. a' year to tho'cost ot. .tlio..;Educalioß>:Dopartrfleut.C;:-rAt. the present, time -they- trying to keep "down the: ex-. p'endituro: in,, accordance-, witli.i-ivhnt ; Ihcy. bo-'-lieyod. ;-.to -bo tho wish of ,'the';;eouutry.-../.He. .hoped to sco this proposal,put,-into effectsome-, day, but ho-did-not see .lnncUprospect.mrthoim'mediate A future. Tho matter of .teachers': passes.,was:in 'very.'much tho-same: position.' It' 1 , was necessary ;fo reduce.'the "annual 'ex-'. pendituro to some.'extent,' and the Education' Department had to' pay tho ltailway Department from ..£SOOO to .£6OOO '«-.year 1 oiraccount, of these - passes.' . 'Tho -Opposition cried - out' that tho railways did .not pay, nnd if'they did 'all, tho .work of the, 'country for■■.nothing;tlieT.certainly, could not. pay;/,lt..'seemed tD mm that it had not been recognised that the circular of the Education Department-statwl'that' tho.Department would consider< favourably.,anT request, frohl a board .for -.thissc passes-iii'itha and other courses, of .manual-study, agriculture, and other'courses of manual-instruction.. ;Th«o had been a great deal'of abnso of ; tho pnvi-.: lege, and' to put on officers to,'check- abuses, would cost as much .'as'tho. passes. 'Thefrontler'had been in the hands'of the boards lor soino years, and representations had been frequently mado to;tkom; .but though.they controlled trie classesvand had every means in their hands for: checking: tho '.abuses, tho privilego had continued to bo-abused; • ■ . ; , : It was asked if tho Deportment,could not. mako'a.calculation-of-.tlio'rinm'ber of teachers likely' to : nttond. particular; classes/and/issuepasses accordingly.'- w"" ,;,-' V'WvV,'..': . Tho • Minister; said they would ,have j no guarantee that tho 'cl'asscs-'.wcro- being held. ..Some, boards held more.classes;than ;othcrs,-aid. the Dopartmont would .only/bo ' supplying ,-.'•. more nionev .for- tho'boards,; to. 'squander'-m, other, ways.' Tho Department'had hot.had value.for this money,', To qnalify : ;for ,tho,.p'ass it -was onlv necessary to atteiid.jOiib, class, and sbmo. teachers had- attended,,-.say, an.' arts.class,. for years.,.'. Without, passing; tho examinations orimproving' themselves.; at all for 'their profession, 'but just' giving tho' m'iniriium; nttendanco to eriablo.them.to hold, tho pass//../; ..;' .. :.''■. ''MivSeridbn:-Can't you,frame regulations to me°t that? ,'•''- -,'-'.' :■.--...■• ;i,''.- v ; '^-'<.','." :The"Mimster:.,That,,is what vs.done by,,th9 circular, .'Wo propose to-cut out:.some-of those frills, in'connection with/education; .Tha passes .will still : hold "good, for - tho '.classes nainc'l iri'..tlio: circular.' ~Ho,Jh6u<:ht;,thcro -was' "more scaro than' reality;- about/this 'grievance.. ■ ,Mr.", Seddon . said ■■ he V thought; it,-, was. .not 'generally, known',.that .the :;ias'scs,,would' |V ,b9 'issued for certain':classes. _.-' '-,',.•,• ';;'. V,i ;■-Tho Minister, said luT.was: .not.rcsponslbje for '.that.-V '."■-■■■'.''■',■ - .;,-'",., ... ~ g --';-'-.; tnqfO'Ji/'