SCHOOL COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1495, 18 July 1912, Page 2

SCHOOL COMMISSION.

SCIENTIFICTEMPERANCE TEACHING

ALLIANCE- DEPUTATION

1 INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S EVIDENCE

'.NEW SCHEME OF CONTROL.

The.Koyal Commission appointed by the Mackenzie Government to inquire into oortain aspects of national education in 'Now Zealand resumed its sittings in Wellington yesterday morning, \ Mr. Mark Cohen,(chairman of the commission) presiding. ■*. Tomperance Teaching. Th«" Eev. .Tohn Dawson, secretary of tho' Now Zealand; Alliance, said that .lie deiired to impress"-upon tha commission thei importance'of giving dufr attention in tho public schools to scientific tcmperan&' teaching of U»o'.'. syllabiis. What the Alliance desired was that tcmperanes teaching "should bo a compulsory subject. Sir.-".Dawson ,quoted from the -regulations of Dnltcd States-'schools to .shu% that thoYSiibjaot "■ of • temperance teaching was fully provided- for; and made mandatory. He' suggested an anifliid,ment of ..Section; 57 of. the regulations of tho. Education Aot—that dealing .with instruction in the of "with special reference to -alcohol: Hie' wall sheets;' at present displayed, in tho public schools were well enough/in their way, but they'were often neglected, and any' use mado of them was more' or less perfunctory'ih character. -v.-. _ . Robert, OrriWhite,'medical -practitioner, reviewed the:'developments which in recent years Iliad" .'takon- plaoe with regard to public education-on tho subject, of temperance.' - This subject should not only be given a, definite place on -.tho ■ school syllabus, but .shptrld bo pno of-the examination -subjects—the. latterprovision wotild -ensuro. thorough-,:.and 'efficient instruction to the pupils:

Neglected' Science.-. Professor T. H.'.'Kasterficld, oi' the Chair of' at: V ictoria • Collie, gave, evidence -oil the'siibject of "the teaching of chomistryin the schculs. As examiner .ill .eiummtry for the Education Department examinations of teachers and oth- ■ <:TS,'- ho lintl found a luck of understand'ing.'of principles and an'inaccurate knowledge of elementary facts. His conviction,' based upon, his reviews of candidates' papers, was that chemistry, a practical science, was studied as a "book." •subject. •' Training. College students appeared to be disinclined to take 'iip ;an experimental science as. a university subject; and in .that regard he : suggested an.,inquiry by the Coramissicn.;.wim . respect to tW ;)i limber .'of 1 training colkgo students taking experimental 'science' in the other centres. Aiming primary schricl teachers not -taking the training college course, the number taking experimental science was surprisingly . small, lie .hoped that something would bo. done to Rectify what lie • considered to bo'-an error in onr. educational system.' As nil examination .Mi.bjcct,.,lie.. admitted that experimental. cliMnistry presented a certain' degree of difficulty. The subject of chemistry, was of such -practical .utility in many departments of commercial acdepressing io ' find so > little attention being giyetf"t3"it. ;'f :;;r"' ,V: : : ' ' '.'-MryiWrani'i Do ypil-think the university "professions: would, be, iible. to, givo eomo': ti&iMtfnc? in this-mrection? .■■■;!. ; liisterfield thought' not.' Tali-' ing his cn'.n - '.department;' •he ,, 'hndvtb'\ib\;e£ in t.li(i five,months' university-course ~'it Victoria Col lego work 1 ., which v 'at v Jlom'o. was performed" by live people, if e found it impossible to' give to tlie advanced : students the attention to which they were entitled, and'-the -wiLs' that. these '.students did a lot of work during the vacation. In addition .'to that, there wero published each year seme 50,C00 pages of • new "discoveries''' in \tho: science, and it was hjs duty to/study tiles'? during the vacation*. lUiU'keeji abreast' of'the times.' 1 'University extension lectures -by graduates of theuniversity wbulil be of value; althoupfli, th-air scope would lie necessarily limited. ■ . . .1 - . . .

f 'CENTRAL V, LOCAL .CONTROL. ! : INSEECTOE-GENEEAL GIVES. . EVIDENCE. i Mr. Geo. Hcgben, Inspector-General ol . Schools, >th'en' gave evidence in contiuwition'of that submitted at the previous sit'tings''of the ,Cojiimis3ioii, in "Wellington, ' "It has been' 'suggested that the Educa- ; tion Boardis" should " l>o'reduced to four. : conterminous' with tUc'-'.'Miivwsity ' dis r tricts, Westland; and Grey, being, how- | ever, placed in the Canterbury district. Tho only advantage tlmt I .we,'in tlii; •: . pvoposuL is'that Jt wouUl.be easier to m[.'..cure within cacli-oMhcse: districts a, --proi per system of 'Jvoffiotiou for;'.teachcr's • But- the re<\i' : principle ' underlying local ... Kovw;nm'pnt—miniely, coinmunity of "ini .torest— would really be sacrificed. Except ■ that each .district-would possess its oivji universitycollege atul training college, J j b'ce no community of interest between, I say, and Hastings or New -I'ly- : ' nioutli; or between Auckland and Gis- • ! borne. The proposed arrangement wouli: .• \ bo a species of* Centralisation'with all tin 1 evils attending undue centralisation > ' If the' inspectors of schools were officers i of- the central Department, as suggested i beloj\V'it would not be difficult to securc u Dominion scheme that would operate in the direction of' providing fair chances , of promotion for teachers, provided thai -. tho education districts Were not tco 'small !.. in area. In any ease, I do not think it | would be wise, to saci'ilicc tho principk ' of loCftl self-government even to secure so great a boon as a Dominion promotion scheme. ;' Schools arid the Ratepayers. ; "I believe that.a propSr division of Eu ! Dominion into -Education Board District.' would be b?st made in connection with n ; funeral scheme,'of local government, and that this would also give the opportunity for charging certain items of educational . expenditure to, local rates. The items 1 . would so charge are those named below:— ■ '■ •' Elementary Education. • e Teachers' house allowances U,6o£ ; General A'dipinistration 77,057 General Administration 3,251: • >'rPe : text books (or libraries)....... fi.OOC I .; School buildings and rent '. 128,091: ! Conveyance of school children B,lofl ■.■Secondary, Education Conveyance of school children fI.OOC Buildings, say 6,00( i Technical Education. Material..... 1,92! ; ' Buildinjs and apparatus 15,107 . Hents • ; ■•••••' 5W Travelling of pupils.and instructors 2,80f Total, say 260.00 C "The total unimproved value of land : in New-Zealand in 1911 .was J3181,000,000. . and the total capital value waf ■£203,000,000. Tho total of the above item: of the cost of education is rather less th.ar 7-JOths of a penny in tho pound on the 1 total unimproved value; ami, if about hall the total'were raised from rates the aver- . »,go rate required would bo, say, 7-10 th; of, a penny in the pound, on the uninv , proved value, or, say, about 1-9 th of s ; penny on the capital value.' which woul: be equivalent to about fl-lOths of the gen eral rate. If buildings were erected maintained, and rebuilt, and other inci 1 dental expen-ses paid nut of rates and tin 1 subsidies-.payable tlier-on. much rou,tiri< work would "be saved, and much frictioi t between boards and Department woult l.e avoided. Local extravagance wouk ' al;o bo checked.

Scheme of Conirol, "Assuming," continued Mr. Hoßbsn, "th.-il Hip nhits of local eorernmeni are to bo tii'j. county, councils of.jitrtvly-cotistitntei couml.ieis -(say. about sixteen in. the Do- ■. minion), aud'that education is to be included among tlw subjects of locnl government, tho-principal chows 1 would re- . commend in th-a administrative parls of ■ tho Education Act may be roughly indicated ai follow: — , , I "Present education districts, boai'ds, and ' school cbMrrtittees (?) to be abolished; , jiMv education districts to bo conterminous •with new counties; an education board in path education district, to consist of six members chossn by tho county, council. ■ from'amons its own members; two. members elected by the primary teachers of ' public primary schools in the county; two members elected bv all other certi- :: ficated teachers employed for not less th&n^

twenty hours a week; and one member appointed by tlio protV-ssuriul board of the University College. ' The Inspector-General also indicated that his scheme would provide for .superintendents of schools in each district, and that all appointments—primary awl district high school touchers—would lie appointed by tho board after consultation "with the committees concerned. Inspectors would adviso boards in matters of school appointments. With regard to rating, he suggested that county councils should devote an amount, equal to not less than 5-100 of its generol rate to the purposes of primary, secondary, and technical education within the 'district. Also, the board of. education would levy a general education -rato throughout its district, not less than 1-20 of the general rate nor more than 2-20 of such rate, or, with the cm-sent of the county oouncil, it might levy a general education rote.exceeding 2'2oths of the general rate, but not exceeding 4-20ths; and, further, might within any separate rnting area levy a special education rate, which, with the general education rate, not to exceed 2-2'Jths of the general rate, or, with the consent of the rating authority within such separate rating area levy n special education rale which, with the general education rate, should not exceod i d-20ths of the general rate.

An Alternative, With Rates. • "Pending the institution of a, system of local governmwit such as is indicated above, I would recommend.' said Sir. Hoglx'ii, "that the areas -of the several education districts be as at present, except that Westland and Grey bo amal ; gaimiM with North Canterbury, Tarannki with Wnnganui, Marlborough and Nelson with Wellington, and perhaps South Canterbury with Otngo. Alternatively, Westland, Grey, Nelson, and- Sfarlborough mi"ht be amalgamated. The board should be elected oil the Parliamentary franchise on a system «f proportional representation, and so reconstituted should lia\o rating powers us follow:-- • "A general education rate to be levied throughout each district, not less than 1-"i)th of the general rate nor more than 2-20ths tf such rate; right to levy in any separate area n special education vato which, with the general education rate, shall not exceed 2-20ths ot the general rate, or, with the consent of. the ra.ting authority within such separate* rating area mav levy a '\special education rate which, with the general education rate shall not exceed l-20ths ot tho genual '■""Tho-Minister for'l'ina-ice would pay to the board subsidies tn. all moneys raised by rates as follow:—'WhereJlie contrilution from -tho rates is 5-lOflths of the general rate (or 12-lOOths of a P<jn n >' 'J the pound on the unimproved value), on each pound thereof, 15-.; for each excr.s' of such last-named contribution Ms., but in no. case shall the subsidy cxcced thirty shillings per annum for each . child in average attendance at tho primary schools in.- the county. . The Mims.er should also pliy to eflch board a sum .sufficient to pay teachers and pupu- : teachers' salaries and allowances, scholarships, capitation for free,plocos.in seconder v schools, mid for technical instruction and subsidies. All other charzes to be , borne bv tho boards,' which would take steps, after consultation with .thip De- ■ partm-cnt of Education, to supply or aid the supply of education other than primary (including the general co-ordination of all forms of education), and for that purpose might spend no less than l-200t h of the general rate, if so much bo required,' and not moro than. 1-lOOth of such general rate unless tho County Council, with the approval of the Slinister for Education, consents- thereto.

School Districts. ' "Finch countv (or education district) would bo divided into. school districts, each to 'contain 110 fewer than three schools nor more ' than ten schcpls. Where there were more than ten schools within a'\ radius of five miles from a)iy plfice, all: .the schools within that radius would be included within the same school district. ','lf there were 110 other school within ten miles by the nearest road;ol 011? or two schools, these would Ira sufficient for,'.-.the constitution of a school district. Every primary school district, would have a : committee of five persons, of whom f.three, .would be., elected by* tlie/i parents mid two•' appointed by-'the board,' which''might also constitute'-an-Advisory Committee, cons-sting of some members of tho board, representatives of '.-iriployere and workmen, and of primary, secondarv, and technical schools, for advice and .assistance.in,witters relating to technical "instruction,', including agricultural' .instruction."

Council of Education. After a rcferonc-o to teachers' training colleges, of which there should, ho said, bo one established in oach university district, Mr. Hogbcn outlined his views witli regard to the reconstitution of tho inspectorate. 31c suggested a director of education, who would 1)0 the permanent head of the Education Department, four chicf inspectors, and such senior inspectors, inspectors, clerks, and other officers as the' Governor, might from timo to time appoint. There would be four inspection district's,' Conterminous with the university districts, -each having a.chicf inspector, two or more senior inspectors, and other inspectors as may be necessary." , "Finally, there would be a Council of Education, to consist of the director of education (chairman); the four chief_inspectors; two members representing Education Bbards ■ (one elccted by the members of tho Education Boards of the two southern • inspection districts, and, one elccted by the members of the two northorn inspection I distridts; two members representing certificated primary school teachers (one elected by the. teachers of the primary schools in the'two southern inspection districts, and one member elected by such teachers' in the two northern inspection districts); one member elected by teachers of secondary schools employell for not less than 20 hours a week; one member ■ fleeted by teachers of technical schools employed for not less than 20 hours a week; one member appointed by the Senate of tho University of New. Zealand. ' . _ . No chief .inspector, senior inspector, or. other inspector of the Education Department would -bo appointed except upon the recommendation'or with the concurrence of tho Council of Education, which body would advise'the Minister in regard generally to all matters concerning education other than those .relating to the internal administration of • tho Deportment or of Education Boards, and further in regard to such othflr matters as may be referred to it by the 'Minister.

Promotion of Teachors. "The Council of Education would diaw up at least once.in each year a lift of all the certificated teachers in the Dominion, graded with, reference to . their rjualifications and' to the position for which they were qualified. Every education board beforo making an appointment to any vacant position would take into consideration the fitness for such position of all teachers eligible for the. position whether resident or employed in tho district of that board or not. Any tencher might appeal to tho Council of Education in respect.to any, appointment mado by an Education Board, if his -appeal were sustained by the District Educational Institute, but no such appeal would bo sustained cxcept on the ground tlvat, having regard to tho list referred to above and to nil other candidates for tho position, the'appointee was not eligible for such position. The Education Board or the District Educational Institute, as the case might be, would pav all the costs of the appeal." Tho Commission will sit in committee to-day, and resume in'open g meeting 'at 9.30 a.m. to-morrow.