WEDNESDAY'S SITTING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1490, 12 July 1912, Page 9

WEDNESDAY'S SITTING.

SALARY INCREASES: THE COST,

PROFESSORS' VIEWS

Giving endenco on Wednesday Mr. H. A Parkinson .secretary of tho New Zealand Educational 'Institute and headmaster of tho Newtown School, supported , the proposal for- a Council of Education; 1 it would meet three, of the principal heeds of tho teaching profession-a settled scheme of promotion, a more uniform interpretation of the syllabus, and something approaching a standard of value in the results of inspection. At present there was no standard of inspection, each , district being a aw unto itself. Incidentally >ho worst bugbear of the teacher's life vould he removed-thc need for canvassing lor promotion, rwo other points were of tho utmost lmportance-tho enormous saving that would be made in administrative exptnditure and the benefit that ivould accrue from having the power of direction placed in the hands of real educational experts. He suggested, as an alternative to the creation of district boards for purposes of local administration, that use should be made of the county and borough councils. . Mr. Davidson (apropos of the Institute's proposals for increases of salaries): "Has the Institute considered the cost of these increases?"—l do not think so. In reply to further questions, Mr. Parkinson said that, admitting that tho first cost ot these increases would be over XfI.OOO, tho country would agree to the .increase*. U the case were put clearly bcfoi'e the public. The Institute's business was to show that teachers were inadequately piid by comparison with other services. Even if the scheme cost double that amount, the principal issuo still should be faced, namely, were the teachers adequately paid? If not, then they should be.

VIEWS OF A HEALTH INSPECTOR. CLEANSING OP' SCHOOLS..;■ ■■ Dr. Prengley, Medical Secretary of the Department of Public Health and Hospitals, described the provisions made for disinfection 'of schools. 'Ho personally was strongly of opinion that it was unjust to teachers to count against the averago attendance thoso attendances which w.ere duo to the proper enforcement of the Public Health Act and its regulations as to infectious disease. Teachers should be allowed to mark absences under such circumstances in such.a manner that they would not affect the average attendance. Thorough and frequent cleaning of schools was of the very utmost importance. At least once a year schools should be disinfected by an infectious diseases inspector.

THE "INDEPENDENT" SCHOOLS. STATEMENT liY THE HEV. J. L. 1 . DOVe. An interesting statement was submitted by the Rev. J. L. Dove, headmaster of tlie Wangnnui Collegiate School. "ApioiiK the secondary schools of the Dominion," ho said, "one class is styled 'endowed secondary schools not coming within the definition of Section 89 of tho Education Act,' the official interpretation of this title baing that those schools do not admit free pupils. Tho vital distinction is that thoy are practically freo from Departmental control. 'Such schools may bo called independent, and the name >scems to imply that they are not of the regular army of education, but irresponsible freebooters bent upon plunder and not for the cause, and therefore ought to be hung.". This view, said Mr. Dove, was erroneous. .Schools of this lypo. are a necessary and elevating part of our national' system of cducatiou. Schools independent of Departmental control could not do as they liked. . Not only was the curriculum controlled and tho teaching modified by the public examinations both of tho Education Department and of tho Univorsity, but these schools had to regard a higher authority—tho Public. These schools worked under the direct control of the public, and the public was not by any menus ignornnt, although often mistaken because its views were t-i-oossivcly utilitarian. It knew what school was doing, and what it wanted a school to do. , Adventitious advertisement, such as scholarship-winning, athletic prowess, a famous name, delicate cuisine, and so forth—even an elaborate prospectus— mipht prevail, for a time, , but honest work told in tho end. Such schools were a necessary and elevating part of our education. They were ono of tho national organs of society, working for educational purposes; elevating because always in close contact with the great English" public schools.

PROFESSOR HUNTER'S EVIDENCE. SYSTEM OP APPOINTMENTS. Professor Hunter (of the chair of mental science at Victoria College, said tho first necessity in an efficient system of education was to introduce into the teaching profession efficient men, and having got them, to train them well. Although tho quality of the teaching material had risen higher in recent years, yet they had to admit that the improvement in that respect was not sufficient. The emoluments of the teaching profession, by comparison with other learned professions, did not attract tho most brilliant men, who preferred law, medicine, and sd on. Again, tho present method of appointment was boneatTi contempt. It encouraged a system of canvassing, a use of back-stairs influence which lowered the self-respect of the teacher who was obliged to resort to this method of gaining promotion. He believed that neither the School Committees nor the boards were capable of making appointments, and the system was such that the responsibility for a bad appointment could not be laid upon anyone in particular. It came backthen, to the persons who were really capable of judging the qualifications of candidates tor appointment—the inspectors. AuothiT point was the freedom of the teacher, which, he thought, was rather restricted by hiscominiUee. All (he functions of the. cuinmitleo amounted | 0 a kind of board of works ad ing in co-operation with the teacher. Tho intrusion of the Biblc-m-sehools quest ion into education politics was another menace to tho freedom of the teacher. All teachers-primary and secondaryshould pass through the training college. Bolh for efficiency in training and economy in working the training college must maintain a close relationship with tho university. H D wbs ready to admit that it was not ndvimble f.lwt all teacher student- !>hoiiM-bo for tlcjrreas, but all, b/> thiDiwht, should outer m wnnltx,

where their vision might be broadened. \\ tih regard to qualifying examinations lor teachers' certificates, he-thought tlmt few subjects and more thorough study should be «imed at. In all the subjects there was no mention of that fundamental subject i:i practical pedogogics—psychology. I'ho most that was attempted wilh IhU branch of-service was the assimilalion of «--pme "psychological patter." Professor Hunter reviewed lhe number of examinations which afflicted the teacher student during his training period, and observed that no relief could come except liy way (if tibino consolidation of these examinations—a matter which concerned lhe university as well as the Education IJepavtnient. The misHiiderstandiii',' which had arisen over the education syllabus,- and the misinterpretations of its provisions, even by school inspectors, pointed to the necessity for the inspector* being under the authority of Ihe central authority. On the .subject of free secondary education, Professor Hunter said that fewer places should be ottered, and for a large term, care bring taken to see that only the very best talent was awarded the privileges of free higher education. The whole question of reform in education, of progress, was, he said, in a measure overshadowed by the influence of the university, and until that institution had itself been reformed, material progress in the secondary and primary stages of national education would be slow. In reply to questions, Professor Hunter said that they must, to get the Jargest measure of efficiency, al)solutcly abolish the pupil teacher system. On the subject of school and other examination , ;, he said that as a general principle ho was opposed to the examination of candidates by an individual whose sole knowledge of the student was confined to what lie saw in their papers. Mr. Davidson pointed out that under the now system of staffing the pupil teacher, as such, was gradually disappearing, their places being taken by tho "prolmtioner," who had no place on the staff. Did witness approve of this system?— 'los," replied Professor Hunter. In reply to Mr. Pirani, Professor Hunter said that it was the height of absurdity for a national syllabus to l>o interpreted in different districts by inspectors holding different yiews. They should have uniformity, and that could orjr be cbtained by centralising the inspectorate Inspectors were supreme iu their own disdiets, and Dominion conferences of inspectors would not ill themselves bring iibcut uniformity of interpretation, lie did not approve of inspectors being appointed by the Education Boards . • "Do you think that the inspectors of the . Central Department are more e-pablti than those appointed by the boards?" Queried Mr. Pirani. ' Professor Hunter said that the ques'ion of salary had some bearing- on :he n:i<;stion. Mr. Pirani said that so far as t).T Department's inspectors were concerned, that point was immaterial. "They mo moaiv political appointments," he said..

OTHER EVIDENCE. PREVENTION OF OVERLAPPING. Professor T. H. Laby, Professor of J- nysics at Victoria College, gave evidence with reference to the cost of co-ordiuation in technical education. In the endeavour o make technical classes easily accessible, the qunlity of the , , instruction had. suflered. riiere was an urgent need for tho spheres of the University and .-f tho technical schools to be clearly defined, to prevent overlapping. This overlapping was also noticed in the science woS of training colleges and the universities. In all this overlapping there was a degree of waste. He supported the idea Of a Council of Education, with powers to advise upon primary, ■ secondary, and technical education. It should b'e small numerically and should bo appointed, not elected. There was great need for a school of agriculture where teachers could be trained. ' ;A communication from Dr. limes, Principal of the Jlarlborough High School urged tho need for an increase jn the scale of. grants for smaller schools whose inconic was not large enough for adequate starting. It was desirable that there should be some system of namin? the secondary sclhopls. He suggested that the term college should be reserved for the., university.', oollejfesilncthe secondary schools to be called-coHegia'te high schools and the district high schools to retain them present designation. It was also to be desired that each school which had readied a sufficient stage of development rshould form a scheme of staffing, with a minimum and maximum amount of ealarv the maximum to be reached by automatic annual increases. ~l lrm F , - c .- ; T - ar t master ot the Technical School, Nelson, submitted on academic dissertation in commentary of the statements by several previous witnesses at the Commission "that too much time was devoted to drawing," and said that such a hasty conclusion resulted from the condemnation of the system 'of art teaching by those who did not fully understand and appreciate its objects'and aims, and therefore went to work in the wrong way. Evidence on lines given at previous sittings of the Commission was also submitted by the secretary Mr. E. S. Hylton) and inspector (Mr. D. A. Strachon) of the Marlboroiigh Education Board, tho Marlboroiieh branch of the Teachers' Institute (Mr. nanghey. of Koroniiko School), the Grey branoh of tho Teachers' Institute, Mr. Angus M. Poison '(headmaster of the Napier Boys' High School), the Napier branch' of the Teachers' Institute, and Mr. C. A. Eves, of Tikokino, Hawke's Bay.'