OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1828, 14 August 1913, Page 8

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

STAFFS AND SALARIES. Answering a question by Mr. Sidey in the House of lwpreseii'liuivas yesterday, the Hon. J as. Aiien (.Minister i'or Jidu--cauion) stated Unit the scale of staffing in force in 1 he. public schools, prior to IUOo, save approximately one teacher and one pupil teacher to each ninth- pupils ui ail large 'schools. "The Act of 1908," ho continued, "provided for the gradual displacement ot pupil teachers by adult teachers, and when it conies completely into force will give in each largo school, besides the head tcacher, one assistant for each fifty pupils. The staffing is being improved gradually in accordance with tho provisions of the last-named Act, but the process is unavoidably retarded by t.lie fact that the number of qualified teachers is nut sufficient to fill all tho vacancies that would bo created if it were brought into full forco at once. Ido not approve of so many as seventy or eighty pupils being placed tinder ono teacher, but the disposal of th'o staff allowed by the is in the hands of the head teacher, subject to 'the control of the Education Board and tho direction of- the inspector. The new scale of staffing will l» / brought into forco as quickly as circumstances will permit." In reply to another question by Mr. Sidey, the Minister said that inquiry had lieen made into the cases that have ocmirred during the last two years ill which the salaries of teachnrs have fallen owiiLg to a fall in the grade of the school. "Thirty-two schools," lie said, "are concerned in tho two years. In all except throe of these schools—that is, in twe.ntyTiino s?ho?ls—til? average attendance for throe years or more was below the minimum of the grade, and it tonic two years more under the Act before t.lio teachers' salaries were reduced. Tlie.ro were, therefore, in "the case of each of these twenty-nine schools, five years in which the hoards could ha.ve transferred the teachers, if tliej; had seen fit to do so, and certainly more than sufficient vacancies occurred during the same period to which the transfers could have been made. In tile cases of two of the three remainin,T schools the board, by a. change of policy—that is, by establishing now schools in tho iraghlxmrhod and by tho reorganisation of tho existing schools accordingly—reduced the grade of the schools in on? year, and two years after that, or three years in all, tlw teachers' salaries fell.

"The Department has no kiiowled.se c.f | the reason why the touchers were not transferred to the schools in which they would have been entitled to tlieir former salaries. In the last case the fall which took place in one year was l dire probably to the shifting population from the centre to the outskirts of tlue- city in which the school is situated.' Five .of the schools whose grades fell, after the three years' intervals, in 1912 recovered their grade on January 1, 1913, fo that there appears to l>e hardly a case in the last, two years in which the board did not have a reasonable opportunity of transferring the teacher eo n.s to avoid a fall in salary. In a number of other cafes the (Trades of the schools fell., but, the beards took -advantage of the lonir interval before t-lie fall of salary could take place to transfer the teachers olj-ewhore. It. is obvious that, whatever system of Mailing was adonted, not.himr..ceroid be done to avoid either over-staffing oil t-lis on? hand or bardsliip on the other, unless the rowers of transfer were ; reasonably used." ,