EDUCATION BILL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2211, 25 July 1914, Page 6

EDUCATION BILL

DISCUSSED BY WELLINGTON TEACHERS

THE MINISTER THANKED

A special general meeting of the Wellington J>i6tricfc Branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute wa6 held last night for the purpose of discussing the Education BifT, now before Parliament, Mr. J. Tamblyn presided over, an attendance which numbered nearly 100 members at tlio commencement.

Some time was spent in deciding upon the procedure of the meeting, after winch numerous resolutions were put to the vote, the great'majority of them being carried. Those carried were as follow:— .' , "That a deputation of Grade 5 teachers (old grading) be given an opportunity of laying their case before the Management Committee of the institute with the object of acquainting the Minister with their grievance." , "That all assistant teachers in Grade 2 should start at £120 minimum and proceed automatically to'£180." "That this meeting thanks Mr. Allen for the Education Bill, and while admitting that it is an improvement on the present Act, it wishes respectfully to draw his attention to the foot that glaring anomalies exist and must exist in the proposed salaries scheme so long as the average attendance forms the basis for payment; hence this institute reaffirms the principle.that any satisfactory scheme must be based on efficiency and service." "That the Management Committee of the' Wellington District Institute be asked to meet as early as possible to disr cuss the scale of staffs and salaries and to report as soon as possible to the executive of the.. New , Zealand' Educational Institute; and for the purpose of arriving at au adequate grasp of the position be associated with the following:—Misses Hellyer, Finlayson, and Coad, and Messrs. Bennett, Thwaites, Mason, Sutton, and the mover." ' "That the Government be strongly urged to make provision, in the new Bill for the payment of a liberal house allowance to all married male teachers on an equitable basis." ' "Hat the transfer expenses of teachers be paid by the board in all cases." i "Thai (1) this District Institute regrets that the Dunedin Headmasters' Association, after a necessarily limited examination of the Education Bill now before the Hou6e,'has; seen fit-to publish abroad its entire approval of the measure, because (a) this is distinctly a 'matter that affects not only headmasters, but all members of "the institute, (b) among members generally there is a growing feeling in favour of disruption, and the example of loyalty to the institute as' a whole should be set by tile seniors, (c) the Headmasters' Association lays itself open.to a charge of selfishness, (2) that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Dunedin Headmasters' Association and to the Journal of Education."

"That there be referred to the committee'for consideration, the following: 'That the infant department be constituted a separate department, just as secondary departments aro now, and that the position of infant mistress caTry with it a salary equal to that of, second assistant." , ,

. "That staffing in future be based on average roll number." "That'all assistants, teaching in boys' schools, girls' schools, or infants' schools, be paid the same salaries as assistants in mixed schools;"

Towards the closo of the meeting, Mr. H. A. Parkinson pointed out. that members had spent most of the.time in criticising the: Bill,''arid-should not depart without placing on record their appreciation of the many good points in tho measure. Ho moved: "That we .express to the,. Minister of Education our "gratification , at his having included in the Bill such excellent features as provision for the Council of Education, reduction in • tho numbers of education hoards, centralisation of tho inspectorate, practical abolition of committee appointments, , * and promise of a grading scheme." The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. THE MEDICAL ATTENTION . , ' CLAUSE. . . (Br Telegraph.—Press Association.) Pahlatua, July 24. Tho headmaster of the Pahiatua District High School has drawn the attention of the School Committoe to tho clause in the Education Bill that if parents do not have tho recommendation's of the medical officers attended to, they will be liable to prosecution. He believes that this is absolutely wrong in principle and practice. If school committees throughout the country expressed their opinion against tho clause tie was sure that would have some influence in preventing sncli- a pernicious regulation from getting into the Act. The committee has decided to forward a letter to -the Minister of Education, niso the member for the district, objecting to the clause complained of.