EDUCATION REFORMS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2324, 4 December 1914, Page 16

EDUCATION REFORMS

GREAT MADE JUSTICE TO TEACHERS CLEAR RUN FOR CLEVER ■ CHILDREN •During;'twenty years of "Liberal" rule the : teaching,'-profession';..was.,loft to struggle along, ■ undermanned,' illpaid, and with a hoat of | grievanceß un- ' redressed. , . Simultaneously many defects and lmperfeotiona were allowed to accumulate in the eduoational system of the Pominion which greatly impaired its'working efficiency. /Governing, the country in years of untroubled prosperity. Sthe Ward Government did practically nothing to mend matters. Save for a few niggardly concessions to teachers in 1908 it left these developing problems practically untouched, and it remained for the Reform Government, in the years of stress and difficulty which it has had to face, to tackle in real earnest the problems of recasting the education .system on new and im-, proved lines, and satisfying the just demands of; the teaching profession. The most exacting critics of the Government are obliged to admit that it has met both demands with remarkable success. ■■ ' ' ; -'--.'lmproving the Teaohere' Lot. An ;inßtalment of reform, bo far as teaohers' salarieß are concerned, rwaa' effeoted in a small Act passed in 1918, but much more liberal provision for.additional staffing and increased salaries was made in the Education Aot of 1914, which, in addition, recasts the whole of the law relating.to schools under the control of the State, and embodies a number of progressive reforms. ' Apart from additional staffing, the pomblned effeot of the two Aots will be to raise the average salaries of teaoh-, ers throughout tho Dominion by £30 10s. per annum. The minimum salary for teachers (certificated or'uncertificated) is raised from £90 to £110. : Annual increments' have been raised from £6 to £10, so that it takes only half the time-formerly occupied to reach the maximum salary in any grade. : The total.prospective increase of cost of salaries and staff, (portion of it still

to be met under the Aot of 1908) is £164,1000. Of this amount £106,000 is on aooount of improvement in teachers' salaries and £68,000 on account of additional staffing. A Striking Contrast. Out of this amount of £106,000 (the ultimate cost of the increase of salaries) £2000 is due to the effect of the Ward Aot of 1908, £36,000 to the Massey Aot of 1913, and the remaining £68,000 to the estimated effect of the Massey Aot of 1914. Thus, Wardism gave the teachers an extra pittance of £2000, and the Reform Government £104,000. These figures speak for themselves. The Ward Government was one of fair words and the Massey Government is one of solid deeds. As things'' now. stand, the average male. teacher will be assured of reaching a salary of at leaßt £260, and in addition will have either a house or a house allowance of £30 a year. Safeguards are included in the Aot for the salaries and status of women: teachers. For instance, one of the first two assistants must be a woman, and the salary of the female assistants in twoteaoher sohoolß ("508 in number) has been raised a grade. Formerly it ranged from £90 to £120 by £5 annual increments; now it is £120 to £140 by £10 annual increments. One great injustice under whioh teachers have .abbured is removed by a clause providing that If a school falls In grade the toaoher's salary Is not to bo affected so long as he remains in that position, but if he a transfer the concession will remain in force for only two years. ; Improvements In the System. The Aot of 1918 reorganises the Education Department, one of the most important- provisions under this head being the transfer of all inspectors to the oontrol of the Department. This will make'a Dominion system of grading (of school teachers) possible, and provision is made for it ui the Act.' Other benefits anticipated'.,from. ■. the centralisation of the inspectorate are: Greater uniformity jin !the conditions, under which certificates of proficiency are granted. . .'.''' Encouragement of rural and agricultural courses in oountry schools.

■ "Stripped of political sugar, the policy of the Reform Party, as outlinedAn the Prime Minister's manifesto, is very sounds reasonably progressive, and tol erably satisfactory. .'.'.lt it a better .policy as a whole than the ill-considered programmt submitted by the Opposition, and that fact must have a proportionate effect upon the mindi of the electors?'— Comment oi the Opposition journal in Dun> edin, the "Evening Star."

Better control of grants for 'sohobis, residences, etc! ■■'_ '_ - Improved co-ordination between the various of the system. ■ The ,Aot provides for the • establishment of an Advisory National Counoil of Education to report to the Minister upon methods and developments in national education. Provision is made for the election of school committees in urban areas on the municipal franchise. .; ■ | Scholarships on Individual Merit. The scholarship 6ystem is simplified and,a liberal departure is made in the provision that any candidate who proves his fitness for a scholarship, will, gain cne, irrespective of whether he Is beaten by other candidates or not. .The task oi reducing the number of education districts from 13 to s Beven, eighty or nine, has been referred to aCommission' which will report to Parliament next year. The Act deals with a multitude of detail matters. 'Its tendency throughout is to place the whole education system upon a broadly national basis, marked by uniform administration, but at the same time making ample provision to satisfy the varying educational needs of the youth of the Dominion, as, for instance, in the extension of rural and agricultural courses in country sohools and in the matter of teohnical education. ' At a meeting last week Mr. Hogan, one of the Opposition candidates for Wanganui, violently condemned the two following statements:— "An Administration which, intoxicated with the' power of continuous office, , has for many years continually ignored and flouted Labour, made no effort _to cop© with the increased cost of living, or to relieve, the workers of the growing -burden'of taxation." "To-day is the day of days, tho Jjirth of the new party that will battle in the interests of all, against Belted Knights and Sham Democracy, who will give you the leasehold to-day, the freehold tomorrow—in fact, 'any old thing'—just for the sake of office." Unhappily for Mr. Hogan and Sir J. Q. Ward and Mr.' Veitch, the author of these statements was Mr. Veitch, during the election 'campaign of 1911. With Mr. Hogan in the field against him, it ib quite possible that Mr. Veitch, who has been burning incense to Sir J. Q. Ward, may revert to, his old form.-r-Christchurch "Press."