DEARTH OF TEACHERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1439, 14 May 1912, Page 6

DEARTH OF TEACHERS.

'AND COGNATE MATTERS. CHIEF INSPECTOR'S OPINIONS.' (By Telesrapli—Special Corresponiloiit.) Christcburcli, May 11. Mr. E. Iv. Mulgan, formerly nil Inspector under the North ('nnterbniy IMuI cation Hoard, and now Chief Inspirlm- of Schools in the Auckland ilislriW, wlio has been in Christchuri.-h 011 a holiday, linil something of interest: to say to a "Press" reporter about, tho work of eduriilimi in tho north. Host nf Uncertificated Tcachcrs. Ho stated that tho Auckland district is expanding al. a very rapid rale, with the result that demands for new schools ore both frequent and urgent. Tho 101111 enrolment in the public schools for I lie last year was close on 43,00ft —un increase of about 2000 011 the previous year's total. Many of the schools needed are in 011I-ot'-the-way black-block settlements, where suitable accommodation for tho teachers is not always easy to obtain. The board has experienced much difficulty in finding efficient teachers for these out-of-the-way schools, and ha.s been obliged to employ finite a largo number of uncertificated teachers, some of whom are practically without experience. It was hoped that the output from .the Training College would have kept pace with tho growth of settlement, but, so far, this has not been the case, and the very serious question of how to provide for future needs has still to bo faced. Helping the Backward Tcacher. With the object of giving special and much-needed assistance to the inexperienced teachers, tho board, early last year, appointed an organising inspector, whose work lies amongst the most promising of those whose want of experience and training is a serious drawback to success. Tho length of the visit of this inspector is anything from a couple of days to a fortnight. The special conditions of each school are made tho determining factor, and, during his visit, he is ablo to give assistance and advice in the matter of preparing schemes of instruction, marking and keeping of registers, making out notes of lessons, and he has opportunities of discussing aims and methods in view of the actual conditions under which work is carried 011. A good deal of his time is occupied in giving practical demonstration as to the teaching nnd -management of the schools. Already his appointment has been of great benefit to the service. The Right Work for Inspectors. Mr. Mulgan feels strongly that this is the kind of work which inspectors, for the most part, should be doing, but which they are largely prevented from doing by the regulations, which provide for two visits of .inspection being made to each' school within the calendar year. In a large district, like that of Auckland, where schools are so widely scattered, where the roads during several-months of the year are so uninviting, and tho means of travelling from place to place at times so diflicnlt, it is impossible to spend more than a very limited time in the small schools (where help is most needed) if the regulations are to be complied with in the matter of two visits per annum. Squaring Up Private Schools. A matter which has lately been engaging the attention of the Auckland Board is the application of the compitlsory clauses of the Act to pupils ; ttemling private schools. The law as it now stands requires each child between the age of seven years and fourteen years (unless specially exempted) to attend some public school each time the school is open, it being provided that the authorities cuitrolling private schools inay apply to and obtain from a board of education u general certificate of exemption for pupils attending 110 school, and their parents or guardians are liable to be prosecuted and fined for non-compliance with tho terms of the Act. In the case of public schools, caw is taken to see that, the instruction given is efficient, anil regular teachers are required to furnish the boards with returns showing all irregular attendances. Pr ; - vate schools in the past have not beeu so carefully supervised, with the result that pupils, whose regular attendance has been insisted 011 at, the public school, are sometimes withdrawn, and sent to-a private school, where regularity of attendance is a less prominent feature. Jt seemed both unreasonable and unjust, said Mr. Mulgan, to the State, to tho cbild, nnd to the parent, that any distinction in the matter of efficiency of instruction, and regularity of attendance, should be made between I lie two classes ol' schools. The Auckland Board has determined to withhold from privato schools these general certificates of exemption until advised by _ its inspectors that the instruction is efficient, an.l to require as a condition of the granting of such ccrtilicate that the schools in question furnish a monthly return showing all irregular attendances. During the past Year it was found necessary to withhold a certificate of exemption from two privato schools, one of which had an enrolment of 54 pupils. "I cannot help feeling, said Mr. Jiulgati, "that the Act should make it compulsory for all private schools to apply for certificates of exemption. At present it is optional with them to make the application, with the result that inefficient private schools may escape detection, Whereas were they compelled to apply, c-r to register, their presence would be known, and their efficiency tested."