THE ESTIMATES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1866, 27 September 1913, Page 8

THE ESTIMATES.

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. TEACHERS' SALARIES. ' The House went into Committee of Supply, upon the Estimates of tlio Education Department at 3.45 p.m. Mr. G. \Y. Kjissell pointed out that tin Secretary for Education, after 42 years service, and at the age of 62 was getting only £50 a year more than was boing paid to the Director of Physical Education. There was a. widespread feeling, ho said, that much time and money was being wasted in the Head Office of the Education Department, in the preparation of faddist returns and similar work, and that it needed an overhauling. The Hon. J. Allen,'replying to ques--1 ions, said that he hoped salaries throughout the Education Departmentwould" he increased as timo went on. Increases to teachers were statutory, ant! could riot be dealt with in the Estimates. There was a Bill before the House which'granted increased salaries I,) teachers. Hon. members knew that I - had promised a Bill next year which would deal more fully with the question of pav than it was possiblo to do this ve'ir." The "School Journal" was an p*:c"llent publication, and compared fitvourably with similar publications abroad.

Mi*. T. -M. Wilford had asked two questions of the Minister which Mr. Malcolm had disallowed as being irrelevant, and he' had asked a. third— whether the Public Service Commissioners had over visited the head offico of the. Department? This also Mr. Malcolm disallowed'on tho ground that it was not relevant, whereupon .Mr. Wilford moved that progress be reported in order that the opinion of Mr. Speaker rrfight he taken on tho Chairman's ruling. The motion to report progress was defeated by 31 .votes to 28.

Mr. J. GV Thomson urged that the allowances to School Committees ought to bo increased, the present capitation allowed being insufficient. Mr. W. A. Veitch supported this comphint, and 110 brought under the notice of tho Minister tho inadequacy of school buildings for requirements. Teachers were not comfortably housed, and nearly every school was overcrowded. Teachers' salaries, too, were not sufficient. In short, the whole Department was being starved. The Hon. J. Allen said that in some districts more capitation was allowed by the boauls to the committees tli!»n in others, but generally the amounts paid to the committees were sufficient for requirements. He could not accept the suggestion that he should subsidise pound for pound local contributions' to School Committees' funds. This would open the door too wide for heavy expenditure, and the statute did not provide for subsidies being made, but fixed the amount to bo paid to committees. "Mean and Extravagant." Mr. T. M. Wilford said the Education Department was at once mean and oxtravagant. They were moan about small items of expenditure for new schools in country districts, and they spent large sums unnecessarily. Ho asked whether the Minister was in favour of uniform school-books, and lie wished to know also whother tho Minister proposed to grade the teachers in secondary schools. The Hon. J. Alien said he did not believo it would be wise.to.uso a uniform set of school books. This, 110 thought, would deprive tho teachers of some opportunities for the exercise of originality, which was very desirable. Discussing tho system of medical inspection, 110 said it was only in ail experimental, stage yet, but the experiment had been so far successful that the Department was satisfied, and lie was satisfied, that tho system would have, to be continued. Probably it might be necessary to increase the number of medical inspectors, but ho. did not think it would bo prudent to rush into an increase of inspectors. In reply to further questions about school committees, ho said that' the whole question of what amounts would be allowed to school committees would bo under consideration during the rcccss. If lie found that a larger amount was nccessary for the upkeep of schools ho would have to ask Cabinet, and then to ask Parliament, to sanction the appropriation of a largor amount annually for this purpose. Back-Blocks Schools. Mr. W. D. S. Mac Donald and Mr. C, Iv. Wilson both contended that the back-blocks were sadly neglected under the present educational administration. Mr. Wilson said that if the. people of the country knew the condition of things in the back-blocks they would assist the people who lived there .to get some education for their children. Sonic special provision should be made for tho back-blocks,, apart from the education boards. In his own district he had obtained grants for several schools twelve months ago, but up to the present had been unable to got the Auckland- Education Board to take a single step in the direction of erecting the buildings. ' Mr. .1. A. Young denounced 5 proposal by .Mr. J. Payne that boarding schools should be established at convenient centres for.the benefit of backblocks children. The, proper thing to do. Mr. Young contended, was to provide good schools initlio back-blocks. It would bo a bad thing to withdraw children from home-life at an ago when they stood in need of elementary education. Mr. T. M. Wilford said that he was applying to the Government for three schools that were required in the Hutt constituency. The sum involved would aggregate £2000. He said that ho would willingly see this amount spent in the back-blocks instead of in the Hutt constituency, so far as tho. present year was concerned. Other city members might do the same. The needs of the back-blocks were far greater than those of the city, and suburban districts. Medical Inspection. The Hon. James Allen said that it could not bo expected that the four medical inspectors of schools so far appointed could satisfactorily carry out tho whole of the work, especially in view of tho fact that they were being at present to supplement tho ordinary 'medical staff in dealing with the northern epidemic. The instructors of tho Physical Education Department, ho hoped, would lend valuable assistance in dealing with children afllictcd with spinal and respiratory troubles. A report from the medical inspectors of schools would lie. available next year. The medical examination of children was only in the making,in New Zealand anil elsewhere. An International Conference juul altered the whole scheme last year, and it would be 11 mistako to think that they had got anywhere near perfection, lie was entirely in favour of the conveyance of school children whero it could bo done, but tho problem was a much more difficult one hero than in Australia. The Cook Islands. So far New Zealand had done nothing to promote education in the Cook Islands, but recently he had sent down tho Inspector of Native Schools to the Cook Islands. The report ol this official had been received, and was under consideration. As to school books, he did not think that a variety ol bonks should be used, but the boards should not he tied hand and foot and denied any scope for initiative or originality. An Offer Refused. Ho was obliged to tho member for Hutt for his offer to forgo expenditure ..in liis district, but would not acccpl,

the offer. It was his business as Minister to pick out tho most urgent cases and assist them. Some city schools wero as badly oil as bark-blocks ones. Mr. CI. \V. Russell said that Canterbury provided nearly one-third of tho educational revenue Ironi endowments, but got no benefit from it because tho revenue from endowments was pooled. Mr. Allen said that the system of pooling endowments had been in force since 1577. Victoria College. ■ Mr. H. M'Callum urged that it was necessary to place Victoria College upon an assured financial footing. Spasmodic assistance upon the Estimates would not meet the case. Answering Mr. 0. M. Thomson, the Hon. Jas Allen said that university research scholarships had not been taken up as tlie.v deserved to be. One or two scholarships had been taken up, but in Canterbury no award had been made and in Otago a nomination was tinder consideration. As to Victoria College, tho member for Wairau knew that the whole matter was under consideration. Provision was being made this year for additional amounts for Victoria College. Last year conditions in regard to Victoria College had been altered, and he hoped that these altered conditions would put the college upon a stronger financial footing. He wished that people 111 other parts of New Zealand wero as liberal towards ur.iversitv education as tho people of Otago were. Secondary Schools. Replying to Mr. Wilford, the Hon. Jas. Allen said that secondary schools wero not graded at present. Mr. Wilford: Why not? Mr. Allen: Better ask the previous Administration. Tho whole question of secondary schools would be considered during the recess. As to another question by Mr. Wilford, the usual Civil Service examination would be held this year in November, but no girls wero required in the Public Service this year— there was no room for them.