The Dominion. SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1912. A PROJECTED "OVERHAUL."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1437, 11 May 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1912. A PROJECTED "OVERHAUL."

In his .projected "overhaul" 'of the education system of the Dominion Mr. Mackenzie's Minister for Education (tho Hon. J. A. Hanan) will be assisted by the Teachers' Institute. The Executive Committee of that body is to meet Mil. Hanan shortly and discuss with him certain questions affecting the interests of _ tho general body of teachers, and various problems awaiting solution in regard ; to education generally. According ; to the Institute s programihe, outlin- : ed in our columns on Thursday, the • Minister will fitid plenty to do, and \ from his experience in Parliament ] as a privato member, and his connection with tho Education Committee of the Houso, he should find nothing ' new in tho list of questions which he will be asked to consider. As a supporter of tho late Ministry he may possibly consider that the scale of salaries »placcd on the . Statute Book by his predecessor may relieve him from the necessity of increasing l the expenditure of his Department in ' order to more adequately remunerate , a large number of poorly-paid teach- i ers; in other words, he may share J with Mn. Fowlds the latter's belief s that tho amended scale of salaries re- j ferred to was generous enough in all \ respects as to finally dispose of an ' agitation, heartily supported by tho J public, which had lasted for years. ' We think that the Teachers' Instituto c should have no difficulty in adducing * substantial reasons why Me. t Fov.'lds's amended scale of salaries | should be still further amended, par- j; ticularly in regard to the scale pro- . vided for teachers in the lower l grades of the service. It comes with J something of a shock to learn from * one of our headmasters that in the *■ whole body of public school teachers, ° only 625, or l<l per cent, of the total ■■ number, are in receipt of salaries of " £200 or over. That is to say, SG per " cent, of our teachers are drawing ° salaries of less than £4 per week. If J these figures can be substantiated, e; them thn Minuto'ii duty is plain, li OoutrMt Buch, uOarioa m Sao. £100, n

and £120, paid to teachers in sole charge of rural schools, for which responsibilities they are required to equip themselves by study and examination qualifications, with the salaries paid to young officers of the New Zealand staff corps on joining the service. A junior lieutenant on the New Zealand Permanent Staff receives £160 a year, and first lieutenants £250, rising to £oOQ. Looking further up the list, and still among the younger men of the service, we note that captains receive £.150, rising to £-100. We do not suggest that these officers arc overpaid, but merely quote them to emphasise by way of contrast the nnder-pay-meht of the teachers. The best appointments .in the teaching profession rarely touch £500. Another question of growing importance in our system of national education concerns the problem of reducing the number of small schools in the rural districts, and concentrating the school population scattered over these areas into larger and more efficiently staffed central Bchools, accessible to the remoter children by a system of transport, either by rail or road, according to the circumstances of particular cases. In an earlier period such a proposition would not have been a practicable one, but the. bridging of rivers and the development of rail and road, communication which have accompanied the. settlement of the country districts' has altered the situation a good deal, and where practicable a policy of centralisation would seem to be to the advantage of rural education. In these and other matters affecting the welfare of education generally the Teachers' Institute will have our hearty sympathy in its negotiations with the Government. Ever since Mr. Fowlds attempted to deprive the profession of increments totalling £30,000, authorised by Parliament, teachers mistrusted the Ward Government,_ and it rests with Mr. Hanan, if he thinks it worth while during what will in all probability be a very brief sojourn in the administrative chair of the Education Department, to restore that measure of confidence wherewith the Government of the day, of whatever party, ought to be regarded by its servants!