THE SCHOOL WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1330, 6 January 1912, Page 14

THE SCHOOL WORLD.

AN HDUCATIONAL REVIEW. V NOTES FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY. Teachers and others interested in tho administration of education are invited to contribute notes for publication in "Tho School "World." Those should be addressed to tho Editor, ''The School World," The Dominion, Wellington, Correspondents desiring enlightenment upon any question in connection with the • school work, or the general . administration of the education system, arc invited to submit theso points to tho Editor for elucidation and reply. Where auonymity is desired,, it will be strictly observed. The annual - conference of delegates from the district, branches of tho New Zealand Educational Institute is now in session at Timaru. The agenda paper.was .published in "The School World" a few weeks ago. EDUCATION CONGRESS. Invitations haye been dispatched to nearly 100 representative bodies in Victoria asking them to appoint delegates to the Education' Congress to be held in Melbourne in March, next. .Further, an invitation has.been .sent to every city, town; borough, and shiro in Victoria, asking each of tho bodies in questiou to .nominate 'a representative. Tho Chancellor of the University at Melbourne, Sir John Madden, will preside at tho opening meeting, and deliver the inaugural address on the. evening of March 11, after which a discussion on tho requirements of primary education in tho State will be opened by Mr. M'Kne, of the Training College, Parkvillc, and will be continued by a number of leadiug educationists. FOR DEAF MUTES,' THE "PURELY ORAL" SYSTEM IN • NEW ZEALAND A congress of the.Aiistralasian "Deaf and ■Dumb 'Association was commenced in the adult deaf and'dumb building fn-Plinders Street liist. 'Week, and' was 'rather a revelation to .persons'unacquainted with'. ,tho, methods of converkitio'ii adopted by : thoso who have "lost, the two important .'senses of speech and hearing. . The 'proceedings throughout wore conducted by means of the iiuger and sign language, and tho addresses were delivered with remarkable rapidity.'.The .stillness was,broken ortly ot " J intervals' 'l).y applause. Kepresentatire's 'from' Victoria', New South "Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand were present. The last congress, held ■ in ' 1903-1904, was brought into existence to unite the deaf and all interested in their, welfare, with the aim of giving publicity by practical demonstration'to their capabilities; and'at tho samo timo to advanco their interests in every, way that 'might be ■ suggested. Tho association stands for—(1) higher education for such of the deaf who could profit by it; (2) uniformity, in the language: of j communication bet\veen deaf and deaf, which; meant the adoption either of the doublo or single hand alphabet throughout tho Commonwealth; (3) Government positions for " qualified deaf; (4) - a choice of better trades or professions for the deaf; (5) tho extinction of the : deaf beggar, who must bo entirely, erased; (6) the training of the mentally and physically defective deaf; and ■(") tlie -introduction of a scheino that would placo adult societies for the deaf above the. need .of canvassing for charitable contributions to suppdrt .them. ', ■ Ono of tile most important topic 3 which wpfo-ibrought undf>n;',disc!issioH .iras . that •introduced by. a paper .read, .by Mr. ,T.. (a New Zehlande'r), oil "The .'Vnro '.'Oral Systera." „Hej said. that no 'other •"gateway out of the awful solitude was tolerated iu New Zealand, but he did not believe that such a bigoted , and exclusive claim for the system could be ...'justifi.otl. : The average' product of the exclusively,.oral system iri New. Zealand ' wu£- Jag far, as. conversation was, concern4rom , having.', escaped: 'frdm"^fhiy.' : :spTation.; Tho ■ajon of signfe.and tho manual alphabet in iuschoolufor the "dt?af" meant cramping and restricting..,.'mental' growth, especially of tho younger "children, whose command - of English was entirely inadequate- to satisfy the demands of, childhood, for tho free .expression 'of their multitudinous- wants and _feelirigs.-., : Among the.' adult deaf, ,'a'fter,'th'ey loft.school, .sign language was 'ii;V^eat/and- : gpod.' thing;•■ 'As' a' 'medium : for-fiill/social inJe'rcdiirse,,:for. giving 'and ieceiying' plca'snre, for •' their inmost feelings-and calling "forth tho highest sympathy' and 'fellowship, it could have no equal.; ; .

Mr. M. L. Miller, president of tho,'Victorian branch of the association, said" the • contention' that the-pure oral system was tho best channel by which tho s d£af should-'bo educated was absurd. They should, memorialise tho New Zealand Government on the merits and demerits of tho. system. : It would lead tho Government. to l.ave inquiries made as to the wisdom or otherwise of the uso of the system in educating the deaf. EMPLOYMENT OF GIRLS. ,-. INEVITABLE, BUT SHOULD BE . DEFERRED. 1 '"Whatever evil consequences follow from a lack of domestic training, there is no use in regretting the fact that girls obtain employment in tho industrial and commercial world," commented tho New South Wales Director of Education (Mr Board),', recently, reporting on the two State continuation schools which were established in October last. "It is a necessity that tliey should do so. There axe man.v occupations that can be well filled by girls and by young women, and it is better th.it thoy-should bo so filled mther than that .men should-bo 'diverted from productive occupations to take up work which women can do as well as they. In fact, the education of girls should' take , account of the fact that many of them must enter into employment in industry or business. The evil lies not there, but rather iu tho fact that tho conditions of daily work entirely exclude all domestic instruction. Tho domestic continuation school conies to supply this need. Schools organised to give instruction in -cookery; home hygiene,-house management, laundry work, .care,.of children, and elementary even if this instruction bo confined to six or eight hours per week, supply what can only be regarded as an absolute necessity tinder modern industrial conditions. What has been said already with regard to tho difficulty ot imposing night work upon hovs who are employed for the full.day .will ipoly with even more force in the case of girls. If ali girls who leave, school in future were required to attend till the ago of 1G at domestic continuation schools held in daylight hours, unless continuing their education in some other way, and could •only take' employment sub'ject to that condition, a great step would be taken towards qualifying many young women for the responsibilities of womanhood, without debamng them from the opportunity of earning a living in shop or factory; Even' if this condition compelled the girl to postpono her entry into" that class of work till she was 16 years of ago (and It would not necessarily do'so)y no grtot hardship would be inflicted." ' \ TEACHERS IN. CONFERENCE, THE NEW. SOUTH WALES ASSOCIA- ■ TION. Two conferences; representing organised associations of teachers, were held in Sydney recently—the first congress of the newly-formed Public School Teachers' Uuion, organised a fow months ago with tho objects of securing better remuneration for teachers with the lower certificates, and better conditions-for those engaged in the l&ss favoured parts-of tho •State; and tho annual conference of the New South Wajes Public School Teachers' Association. Apparently, the two associations are not altogether in harmony with regard to matters of policy. Mr. Dunn, M.L.A., remarked at the opening of the- Union Conference, that the formation of tho Public School Teachers' Union was the outcome of tho modern trend of industrial development, that all occupations should have . their unions. The Now South Wales Teachers'- Association had not -fulfilled the ideals desired. It was frowned upon by thojp. in auand membership was regarded with displeasure. Now, however.' they wore frco to form their union, -and to openly express their views. That -.vf.-i a welcome change, and if -they continued fo progress as they had sinco -the'ui.'ion I wao formed -they would got wha,t ttcj;

wanted within four or five ye ; irs. It minted .CGftO.OOO to (dace Ihe service uyin an equal footing with other branches cf tho I'ublic Service. AVilbin tho last .'.J months they had got a quarter of what they wanted, for J-MO.OOO hail been made available for increased salaries. But even with a minimum of .tllO, t-nclurs wero not adequately paid. Even n-wssn-gers in the Public Service got more than that.

Another speaker, on the same subject, said that the standard of the individual citizen was a fair criterion by which to judge the moral and intellectual condition of tho nation. The payment for the servico rendered was hopelessly small. After completing his eight years' course a teacher -received the princely salary of JiIGS a year. Not only were they handicapped and harassed as far as salary was concerned, but they failed to have the importance of their work rceognikd. The chief messenger iu the Department of Public Instruction received a salary ot .£248 a year, while tho first assistant in a first-eiass school with 20 or 30 subjects behind him was supposed to be adequately paid at .€260. In other public Departments there was a minimum of .£120; tho hod-carrier got Jill", and the schoi: teacher a minimum of .£110; and until a few weeks ago there were over a thousand women teachers getting less than ,£llO. A man working on a drain outside, the school where he (the speaker) was engaged received a higher wage than the teachers in the school. That man's workwas purely physical; the teacher's work was purely mental; that man wa< engaged ill building a wail; the teachers wero engaged in bm'ding tha chaiacter of a nation; that man was building for time; the teacher was building for eternity if they did their work properly. (Applause.) Teachers wanted the right, which .was now regarded as a common one, to be brought under an arbitration award. Their cry should be, "Arbitrate," "Arbitrate." He, suggested the appointment of a board consisting of one representative^dominated by.tho Government, anil one nominated' by .the teachers, and then with a Judge, or-a man like Professor David, or Mr. Anderson, as chairman, they would' be content.. Among other motions, tho ; union resolved:— :

That teachers'''relieving'should- do. so on increased salaries, and that a scale of increased allowances should bo paid, as ,iii other''Government-Departments---That nil-equipment should bo provided by the Department, "and-, that all; .entertainments, etc., by teachers :for raising funds should be prohibited, anil the matter of providing prizes lo- pupils be left-.to - parents. That ell faculties open at Sydney University lie open at night to evening students; teachers who cannot attend tho .University to bo able to get the arts 'degree by examination;, the .Technical College and University,, to bo ,free, to all teachers. . "...

That the irinimum wage should bo .£132; that-no first-class. teacher ' should be receiving less than =£100 per annnm; under equal conditions of work and responsibility tho Salaries of men and women should-be-equal; the system of establishing branch schools, which are actually conducted as separate schools, and in' which- the teacher, receives salary as assistant, of a large school, instead of as teacher of a small school is an injustice, and should be discontinued. That the Teachers' Union use its utmost endeavours towards securing inclusion in the schedule of the Industrial Arbitration Act, believing that only by n-.eans of a Wages Board can teachers sreure a permanent betterment, of conditions. • Tlio senior body—the' New South Wales Association—apparently does not recognise the existence of the union; At all events no reference to it -appeared in the session reports. The -main' questions touched upon the need for an adequate extension of tho continuation school system, teachers' superannuation, tho supply .of teachers, and so on. Some of tho decisions arrived at are interesting. They ore as follow:— That provision should be made for the training of all teachers and probationary students who pass the teachers' collego entrance examination, and that tho Department be urged to provide more liberal financiul assistance to students during their probationary (raining, and while in the Training College.That an independent Court of Appeal should be established, to supersede tho Departmental- Boards, provided in the i-üblic Service. Amendment Act of 1910, 'appellants lo bo afforded tho- privilege of employing counsel, and when successful, lo be recouped costs of appeal. . University reform: (a) Abolition of life tenure of office in the Seuate; (b) election of women to tho Senate; (c) a wider franchise in Senate elections; (d) the Minister „i6r Public Instruction , nominate three gentlemen, to, bo members of the Senate ex-officio; (e) : conferring degrees on students.who, through stress of gaining a Ining.or .distance from the-metropolis, cannot attend University lectures, such degrees to be in arts, education," and law. (Extension lectures might assist) ; (7) evenlng science classes; (g) reduction of fees; (b) a Chair of Domestic Science. Domestic Science: (a) The establishment of a Domestic Scicnco College; (b) tho appointment of a directress 'of needlework.

lhat in justice to married teachers serving in country schools where suitable residences aro not obtainable, they should be paid the full rent allowance attaching to class of school, irrespective of the rent paid. That all women teachers in charge of one-teacher schools, and tcachers in thirdclass schools who teach tho sewing in such schools should , receive the' samo allowance as male teachers receive when their wives teach sewing, and the teach- ? rs ■'i'lfwances in respect to sewing fnnrii, y be raist *l in the fourth and fifth classes to .£24 a year to agreo with the payments, in-the sixth and seventh classes. , That women teachers tinder the Department of Public Instruction-be elegible for the position of inspectors of infant schools and schools of domestic science. • uuul «iic