THE SCHOOL WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1186, 22 July 1911, Page 10

THE SCHOOL WORLD.

A WEEKLY REVIEW. NOTES FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY. Teachers and others interested in the administration of education arc invited to contribute notes for publication in "Tho School World." These should bo addressed to the Editor. "The School World." Tim Dominion-. Wellington, and posted to reach this office not later than Wednesday in each week. Correspondents desiring enlightenment upon any Question in' connection with the school work, or tho Kcncral administration of tho education system. ' are invited-to submit tbcfo points to tho Editor for elucidation and reply. Where anonymity is desired, it will be Etrictly observed. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "S.H."—Tho matter is being inquired into. Publication of tho letter at this stage would not advance your own. interests. "C.J."— Glad to note that, the board has at last decided to do the right thing. "Wanganui Correspondent" (enclosing newspaper cutting).—Cannot discuss the matter with an anonymous correspondent. "0.1 , ."—.Wi1l "write to you in a day or two. . STAFFS AND SALARIES. • ALTERATIONS GAZETTED. Referring to the schedules and regulations in tho Education Act governing school staffs and salaries, it is notified in the' Gazette that .Clause 15 of Schedule A has been amended by adding the following proviso:— ' "Provided that, notwithstanding that the yearly average attendance for tie year immediately preceding is less than twelve, the average attendance of such secondary department shall bo deemed to be twelve if the mean of the average attendance for tho three years immediately preceding is not less than' twelve, and for the two years immediately preceding is not less than ten, and for the year immediately preceding not less than eight, or if tho mean of tho average attendance for tho three quarters immediately preceding is not less than fourteen, or for .the two quarters immediately preceding not less than sixteen, or if the average attendance for the quarter immediately preceding is not less than eighteen. A new regulation, in • Schedule B, his also been gazetted, as follows:— .., "As prescribed by sub-section (2) of section 5 of the Education Amendment Act, 1903, certain of tlio additional assistants provided for in the sixth of the second schedule thereto shall be appointed in lieu of certain pupil-teachers provided for -in the fifth column thereof, to wit,— ■"In every school of Grade V, in lieu of a pupil-tencher, one assistant, with a 'salary of. Grade la. "In every schoolof Grade Via), in lieu of one pupil-teacher, one assistant, with a salary of Grade la. "Every such appointment shall bo made as soon after January. 1,. 1912, as the pupil-teacher to be .replaced has duly completed his term of service as pupilteacher, has left the Education Service, or has been- transferred to some other public school where a vacancy for a pupil-teacher has been creoted in tho manner aforesaid; but in no caso shall such appointment be made in the first instance later than February 1, 1913." v PATEA.SCHO.OI..,- j.l ■■ . , THE BOARD AND THE PEOPLE:

■ "Messrs. Pirani (chairman), O'Dea, Dixon, Spurdle, Purnell,.and Braik (inspector), of the AVaugaiiui Education Board, visited Patea on Monday, and inspected the school'(writes a correspondent). At a . well attended meeting- of citizens in : ihc@evenihg,::tho board members all expressed themselves as satisfied that , the school was not fit for tho teabhing of children, and on tho public of Patea undertaking to put the ground.in order for a new building, to bo built of brick, Sir.' Pirani expressed the opinion j that the.new school would )x> put in hand as soon as plans could be prepared and submitted to tho Government. In a very lucid and able address, Mr. Pirani fully exonerated tho Wanganui Education Board from all blame in connection with tho unsatisfactory state of affairs, and his remarks were fully endorsed by the other members of. the boai'd present. Between, them they fully satisfied tho meeting that what remedies are necessary (and they are.many), lie at tho door of tho Government, not with the Education Board. One member of the board, in quoting figures, stated that the 7 per cont. of tho maintenance grant, wbich wa9 supposed to be sot aside by the board for re-building, would not in over twentyfive years cover the cost of re-building the Patea and Marton schools. "It appears that our only hope for an improvement in tho education system of this country must emanate from the Government, and it would appear to an ordinary individual that the. way to bring about this reform would be for the Minister in charge .of the Department, to have, a thorough knowledge of tho requirements of that Department, and also to know where the funds under his administration arc spent. It was stated by Mr. Pirani that the board members are personally responsible for tho bank overdraft, which has in tho past been as , high as JESOOO, a great amount of which has been necessary owing to the dilatoriness of the Department in making tho ordinary grants to the lward. Owing to the promise of the re-building of the seliool as soon as it can bo got under way, tho public mind of Patea is quite normal again, and rcace reignetli onco more. SMALL RURAL SCHOOLS. SHOULD THEY-BE CENTRALISED? Addressing -the members of the Southland Teachers' Institute at tho annual ' meeting of that body recently, Mr. J. C. ' Thomson, M.P., expressed the opinion that economy in (he general administra- . tiou of the education system could be brought about by a consolidation of the smaller schools. Low grade schools were yearly increasing owing to people in isolated districts wanting schools closo to the children's homes. The increase in, the number of such schools was the chief cause of uncertificated teachers, small salaries and inferior instruction. Consolidation could not come within the range' of practical politics in tho larger centres, but if the principle wero applied to smaller schools it would make for eeonomy and a higher standard of education. Consolidation with its consequent economy could also be brought to bear upon the high schools, which, under the . present system, coukl be established in districts .where GO scholars were available. , Another speaker stated that" in lDlO'tho number ot' 0 and 1 grado schools was 72 out of a total' of 170. The average attendances at these schools was 17. Teachers were expected to go into these schools at salaries of .£9O to <£120 a year. From a monetary point of view, tho bushman or sawmill hand was better off than the sole teacher. Consolidation or centralisation had been tried successfully in Canada. the I'nited States. Victoria, and Now South AVales. That system had tho following advantages:—(l) Economy, (2) better salaries. (.1) more regular attendance, (1) better instruction, (5) more comfortable surroundings for children, (G) supervision over children on way (o and from school. In somo districts, certainly, the scheme would, be impracticable, but one largo school would do, in many cases, where five or six now exist. ■The above remarks were carefully noted by ono of the Southland Education Board's Inspectors (Mr. Wyllie) a£ the time, and at the ensuing meeting of the ■ board ho submitted, in his report, the following - comment thereon:—"There is no doubt that so far as educational efficiency is concerned this policy- is highly, desirable. It is well, however, to bear in mind the difficulties connected with it, if for no olher reasons than to devise means ■ for their removal or to prevent their increase in the future. The grants at present allowed for convevance aro very generally regarded as insufficient for providing at the outset tho necessary plant and for meeting recurring expenses thereafter; on the iicore of danger parents are reluctant lo allow their children to bo driven bv elder scholars; and school committees, even in tho smallest districts, consider they have vested rights in edur cation-which -vonld- -bo-violated- were • Mw policy of centralisation to bo carried into effect."-

Mr. Wyllie's remarks were endorsed. One of tlio speakers referred to tli« general desire of settlors lo liavo a school of their own. no mailer how small it was, or how inadequate (ho kind of teacher avail.ib[o for a small school, rather than to fall In will , , tho proposals of the board to have :i well-appoinfecl, fldcqualelrsfalTed school in a central position to which children' could bo convoyed daily. The same sneaker refused to regard with pessimism Ihe schonlinK that was being given In children at the present time, iii out of (ho way places. lie, declared that a bright scholar would win his way to the top in spite, of seeming disadvantages, and pointed out (hat as a matter of fact a, large proportion of the most promising students did (it (he present timecoino from tho small schools,