TEACHING EFFICIENCY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2878, 16 September 1916, Page 11

TEACHING EFFICIENCY

POINTS ABOUT GRADING

, EDUCATION, DISTRICTS COMi'AIvKU

Some interesting facts regarding tho education system of Now Zealand aro brought 'to light'in tho report prepared by the Education Department concerning tho grading of teachers under tlio Dominion scheme. Tho certificated teachers, somo 3800 in number, were graded for tho first time early in the' present year, and it has been possiblo sinco tlicii to mako some comparisons that wero difficult, or even impossible, at a timo when each education district formed a distinct unit as far as tho classification of teachers was concerned. • •• One of tho points emphasised in tho report is that the comparative lack of opportunities for promotion in a district containing few largo schools may produce a particularly high stahdard of teaching in tho schools of lower grade. This means simply that good teachers aro reaching, a certain stage and aro then debarred from promotion by the lack of largo schools, unless tlicy can find an. - opening in another education district. The tendency of the present system of. appointment is to discourage tho transfer of teachers, since each Education Board likes to provido channels of promotion for its own teachers. The report mentions that of tho teachers in Group A (the lowest group) in one district, twothirds have "C" certificates, and from fourteen to twenty years of' service. There aro not enough higher positions in that district to allow of their'promotion, whereas larger districts have a lower grade of teacher doing similar work. ' Tho number of men teachors to each 100 women teachers in thp various education districts, varies as follows:— Auckland, 83 ; Hawko's Bay, 50; Taranaki, 64; Wanganui, 77; Wellington, 80; North Canterbury, 57; South Can-1 torbury, 39; Otago, 61; Southland, 58. These figures indicatp a great diversity in types of positions, siiicc 'tlio difference in tho proportions of men isaffccted chiefly by tho proportions of largo of the men teachcrs, 79 per cent, aro over thirty years of age, as compared with 57 per cent, of tho women. This moans that the average male teacher has had considerably more exporienco in his profession than the average female teacher, and tho fact is of 'importance in connection with the varying proportions mentioned above. • Another striking fact may be menI tioncd, that within the area served by the Auckland elcctric tramways, there are about 16,000 pupils, mostly attending schools of the larger type. Tliis is as many pupils as there arq ; iii the Wanganui Education. District, ! or in Hawke's Bay and Taranaki together, and nearly as many as in South ! Canterbury and: Southland together. ; These districts have a large number of small schools, and obviously their j conditions, from the point of view of j teachers and pupils alike, are very different from the conditions prevailing in Auckland City and suburbs. 1 All impression appears to prevail in somo'quarters that the gradinglist is j going to bo the basis of tlie appointment of teachers for the future. The Education Act-,'' as a matter of fact, I does not provide for the use of tho j list in connection with any scheme of . 'promotion.- The list will be revised | noxt year, and if tlie Minister for Edu- | cation and tho chief officers of his Be-; partment are satisfied with the results j then, Parliament may be asked to ' amend the Act in order to provide that I appointment's, be made ill accordance ; with, tho list.. But'no definite step,lias ■ been .taken ,in that direction yet'and probably a third grading will be effected before the list becomes the basis of promotion. ; v