TEACHERS' INTERESTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1843, 1 September 1913, Page 4

TEACHERS' INTERESTS.

INSTITUTE MEETS. A mooting of the. Wellington District Institute.was held oil Friday. Mr. J. Tambly.n, M. A., presided. There was a large attendance, and the proceedings extended from about 8.20 p.m. until after midnight. TJio greater ■ portion of tho evening was taken up with a,discussion on tho Bible-in-Schools question, reported elsewhere. A letter was received from tho Educatioil. Hoard in regard to the proposed cam]) for teachers to rcc.eivo instruction. in physical drill—Tho matter was considered so far as it" referred to tho date of tho camp, it being decided to fix tho date of tho camp from March 27, 1914, to April 9, 1914. Cirls and Public Service. Miss Myers moved: —"That to provent an injustice bein": done to a number of tiho girls of tlio .Dominion tho Minister for Education bo allied to admit girls to tho Public Service entrance examination, to bo held in November next." In speaking to tlie motion, Miss Myers stated that the notico that hud been given that girls were not to be admitted to tho examination was altogether too short. It was usual to give at least twelve months' notico of any alteration whore the oourso of training wa,9 two years. When any alteration was made in university examinations) those who had entered upon a cowfeo wero given time to finish it before tho alteration took place. In the present instance, if girls wero debarred from tho examination this year, a groat injustice would bo dono. After a brief discussion, tho resolution was put to the meeting and carried. The Burning Question. Lengthy discussion, took placo on a motion standing in tho name of Mr. A. ' J. Harding, and reading as follows: "That no attempt should bo made i to bring down legislation this ses- > sion dealing comprehensively with i teachcrs' salaries, as there is not sufficient timo to giv© tlio subject i tho attention it requires. "That tho interests of tho teachers and the cause of education in Now Zealand would bo better served by an assurance from the Minister for Education that a comprehensive Education Bill will bo introduced next session; such Bill to provide, 5 among other reforms, for tho aboli--1 tion of the present method' of cal--1 . dilating teaohcrs' salaries oil averago attendance, aaid the substitution 3 therefor of a scheme of payment in 2 which longth of servico, merit, and proved ability shall bo tlio quails fications for advancement. _ 1 "That no scheme of salaries will bo acceptable to the. teachers of - ' Zealand whioh depends dn auv 3 way on tlio numbers attending tho schools, or on any other circumf stances over , which tho teachcr has no control. . . "That a copy of this resolution bo Bent to tlio Minister for Education, and to each member of Parliament, also to each educational institute and branch institute in New Zealand, with a request that if approved it bo then seait on to tho Minister for Education." In a protracted disoussion that took place on this motion, some members ' charged Mr. Harding: with disloyalty to (Jio executive in writing to the press ! on the subject. 3 Tho motion on being put to tho meet--3 ing was lost by a convincing majority i in the thin attendance remaining for tho i vote. -