TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 984, 26 November 1910, Page 11

TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

' THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION. 'A; meeting of the Wellington Branch of the Now Zealand Educational Institute was held last evening; for the purpose of discussing the agenda paper for the animal conference of delegates from the various district, branches, which is to bo held this year at Hokitika. The agenda paper,-as in previous years, is an interesting resumo of the .opinions of primary school teachers on pressing questions in education in New Zealand. i Undor tho heading of "Administration of the Education Act,", are questions relating to the centralisation of the inspectorate, and a colonial scheme of salaries for inspectors (the minimum to bo tho maximum paid to head teachers). An interesting suggestion is that which the provision of :a clause in the Education. Act ■ safeguarding teachers in connection with tho administration of "punishment suitable to tlie offence." Teachers' Superannuation. Remits covering questions relating to . teachers' superannuation include suggestions "that teachers who omitted to join, the superannuation fund under tho original Act, should, on payment ol contributions from- January 1, 1906 together with 4 per cent, interest, -be entitled to all the privileges of original 'members under the Act of 1906; that the Superannuation Act, 1308, bo sc amended as to make the allowance tc widows £26 por annum; also that thi Superannuation Act. be altered so thai payment of pensions be calculated from tho time, when payment for service ceases." Classification and Promotion. No fewer than. 19 remits havo'beei sent in. by various branches on' tht subject of the."Status and promotior of teachers." deal with th( annual agitation for a national soheim of classification, and promotion, tin Auckland Institute summing up tin contention of teachers upon this poin as .follows:— " (a) That this institute- reaffirm! its request for legislation providing fo; the promotion of teachers on' a definiti plan, and believing that the schemi approved in Auckland in January 1908, sets forth the true principles upoi which any equitable system of promo tion must be based, again requests tin Minister for Education to aiyo tha scheme his/most careful consideratioi and urges him to .introduce- the neees-1 sary Education Amendment Bill, forthwith, the incoming executive to bo expressly instructed to raake every possible effort to securo tho passago of tho necessary legislation this year." Secondary Assistants' Salaries. There is also a renewal of tho agitation for a more equitablo and adequate basis of payment to assistants employed in the secondary departments of district high schools. The Auckland and : Otago branches are each of opinion that somo provision should be made f o meet tho disabilities of teachers suffering reductions of salaries either by transfer to Jower-grade schools, or by a fall in the average . attendance. There ajso exists, in the opinion of North Canterbury and ■Southland, somo. necessity for- the provision of regulations covering' sick pay, and leavo of absence on hill pay after a specified period of service. ' .-.,, .•■ ;. . ... . Six remits deal with the Education Syllabus. Of these}-.tho most important,' frdiri the public point -of- view. ,- are -two! —from Wellington which urge-. that iwith" "the- establishment of a liberal system of free places at secondary schools,"- scholarships should be ■ abolished, und thta money set free devoted to tho provision- of boarding allowances for those- obliged to livo. away from homo in-ordor to attend,a secondary school. This quostion was raised last year,, and Was the subject of an interesting debate. Training Colleges. Modifications of the Training College' Regulations are suggested by two of tho branches, to'the , , end that: (a) Without reduction in their yearly allowance as students, pupil-teachers and probationers about to enter a training college, shall bo. permitted to contiuuo in their positions and receivo the salary-proper thereto until the end of the month preceding that in which the training.collego opens for. the,year; (b) without reduction of the yearly allowance any of a training college bo permitted to accept during tho vacation temporary employment as teacher, and to receive salary accordingly, provided the training college courso is in nowise interfered with; (c) pupil-teachers, who, on.account of tho scarcity of teachers, havo been appointed on the board's initiative, before tho ■ expiration of two years' service, shall bo eligible for admission to the training-colleges under Division A; -.■'■ .'■■ ;. : Various Topics. Remits of a general character, include, among other things: The-annual contention that a definite system of medical inspection for schools should ho established; a suggestion that tho duties of truant officers should bo .discharged by tho police; the oft-debated question of the payment of travelling expenses incurred upon transfer from one school district to another at the instance of education boards; a plea for tho provision of .a, suitable glebe for all rural school teachers; and a recommendation that "some of the school inspectors ought to bo women, as - women are- especially fitted to inspect and examine infant departments and needlework." •' The various remits, of which thcro are Go in all, were rapidly reviowed for the guidance of the branch delegates when attending the conference.. Another meeting of the institute will bo held on December 5, when Mr. T. R-. Fleming, M.A., LL.B.; Chief Inspector, will deliver an address to the teachers.