THE EDUCATION BILL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2207, 21 July 1914, Page 6

THE EDUCATION BILL

italnliKS YlMio

AND SOME SUGGESTIONS

(By Tekcrapli— Bpcoial OorresDonient.) Masterfon, July 20. TJie WairaTapa Branch of the Teachers' Institute, at a meeting, has considered the Hon. James Alleu'e Education Bill. Mr. W. H. Jackson (president) was chairman. Eight other members of the- executive were present, including two ladies, and practically every grade of school was represented. Copies of_ the Bill wtre received from tho Minister, and from Mr. G. R. Sykes M.P., which tho secretary was' instructed to acknowledge, with tho thanks of the institute. After four hours' careful consideration of the measure the executive decided to call a general meeting of the institute for nest Saturday, and to submit to'members the following resolutions as "representing the executive's opinion of the will ;— Teachers In Councils That this executive appreciate! tie thoroughness with which the Minister and his Department have gone into ilie problems dealt with in the Bill. That the President of tho New Zealand Educational Institute should be a member of the General Advisory Council of Education. - That the. teacher to be appointed to the District Council (Clause lid) should be .a. teacher in the district concerned. That it is .the unanimous opinion of this institute that Clause 66 should he deleted from the Bill.

Transfer and Appointment. ..That the expenses of transfer should invariably, be paid in the cases of teachers transferred without promotion through no fault of their, own. \ That expenses of transfer should lie paid in all cases to teachers, as they are now paid to Native school teachers and to other branches of tie Public Service (the difference of salary between the old and new positions of some promoted teachers is so email that it takes one or two. years to make good the cost of a transfer); . That Clause 67, 3 (3), and Subdivision (B) should be deleted as appointments are. made by the board and not by the committee. ' (Retention' of this subdivision might lead to injustice to some assistant teachers); That in Clause 67 (Sub-clause 5): "Senior inspector" should read "inspectors" ; . t \ That this institute is of opinion that the board and the inspectors should absolutely and eokly make the appointments; '■'■'■ That Clause 68 (1) be deleted, and the following substituted:—"That the committee may recommend the suspension or dismissal of any teacher, and that no suspension or dismissal shall take place until the committee has been first, consulted." " •'■

Medical Inspection. Medical inspection of school children —That, the Minister be recommended to add a-sub-clause to Clause 13.1 'riiafctiu; provision for necessary surgical or medical treatment of children reported upon by the medical inspector, but whose parents cannot afford to obtain such treatment. . ■ . • Salaries. That Grade II bo divided as follows: —Attendance 21 to 28, salary £140' to £190; attendance-28 to 35, salary £190 to £220, and that the minimum salary fproGrradevlll be then £220 •;-.■ -. That members of this institute express their satisfaction at the openness of the other grades, and the removal of any possibility" of a teacher's salary being lowered by a fall in attendance; That pupil teachers, should be put on the same footing with regard to salnries. as cadets in the professional division of the Civil Service; That secondary assistants of district" liigli schools should ♦pceive. the same treatment with regard to salaries as do high' school assistants; that the institute is strongly of opinion that what aro essentially married men's, positions should have tlie minimum ard maxi-jf im salaries proposed in this Bill substiSitially increased.

THE NEW DISTRICTS.

SOME OBJECTIONS. / (By TeleErash.- -Press Association.) New Plymouth, July 20. ' A* a very large and representative meeting to-night, convened by the Mayor (Mr. Strong), exception was taken to the proposal in the Education Bill to eliminate the Taranaki Eduoation District; giving Wanganui control. The opinion was expressed. that the' Taranaki district could be preserved nnd extended so as to take in the southern parts of the Auckland and parts of the Wauganui Education Districts, thus retaining educational control at New Plymouth, and eliminating the proposed Waikato district, leaving Auckland with a much more manageable district. The following resolution was passed—"That this meeting emphatically protests; against the abolition .of the Taranaki Education District; and is.of opinion that while still retaining tbo five areas, the boundaries can be adjusted to provide for the retention of the Taranaki Board at New Plymouth. ... Further, that, in view of tho very great increase in the population of Taranaki which will follow ite present and anticipated progress, the removal of educational control from the capital town of the province will be seriously detrimental to the best interests of tho people." , ( Copies of this resolution will be forwarded to the Prime .Minister, the Minister of Education, and the mem- ; boTs of both Houses who are representing Q'aranaki, with instructions to support it. A committee was appointed to suggest boundaries for the new Taranaki district, and to take steps to brim* objections to the Bill before the Minister and the House. ( ■■*.- A meeting of the North Taranaki School Committees', Association passed a similar resolution, and suggested that the Taranaki Education District be enlarged to take in the whole of the province, with the counties of Awakino, Ohura, Ksiwhia, Taupo, West Waipa, and Waitomo. ,