EDUCATION PROGRESS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 238, 26 June 1918, Page 6

EDUCATION PROGRESS

REPLY TO RECENT CRITICISM

ADMINISTRATION DEFENDED

ADDRESS- BY DR. ANDERSON

Tho Government has been criticised adversely on all hands of late for alleged niggardliness in providing funds for education. In his address to the\Council of Education yesterday, the Director of Education (Dr. \V. ,1. Anderson) replied ill some detail to those criticisms, and stated tho caso for the Doparlmont 01 which ho is the head, with the ol>ject of ghoTijng that tho education of tho children of tho country hud not been altogether neglected in recent years, and that somo real reforms had been achieved.

"It is generally agreed," ho said, "that a great effort must be made not only after tho war/ but before tho war is concluded, in order to remedy as far as possible any defects in national efficiency which the presont tremendous strain on our resources has revealed. It is also generally agreed that in any reconstruction tliat-nmy bo attempted, advances and reforms in education must play a very important if not a fundamental part. .1 have thought, therefore, that as the Council of Education would inevitably bo one of tho chief bodies on whoso advico educational reconstruction would bo undertaken, it would be of eervico at the present tiino to give to the council a brief outline of tho trend of tlie changes that have been made in recent years, and perhaps of tho naturo of somo of the more pressing problems which will need to bo solved in tho near future. "As a, considerable amount lias been -said and wTilten in Now Zealand within tho past few months regarding what are considered as the main deficiencies, especially of the primary school system, tho attention of the members of the. council will, no doubt, have been turned in tho direction of the defects pointed out and of the remedies suggested. It nfay bo advantageous, therefore, if, in the first instance, my remarks relate to somo i.\tent to the lines of investigation which have been so energetically and prominently placed before the public.

I Size of Classes, "There is no doubt that in the larger sehoolsi there are classes so large I hat instruction on modern lines is seriously hampered. It would be a great mistake, however, to assume that little or uoiiiing has been done to remedy this defect or (hat it is necessary to convinco those responsible for the administration of education that improvement is necessary. I would point out that in the year 1,10(1 the average number of pupils in average attendance per adult teacher was forty-two, but that as a result of successive improvements in staffing schedules there i 6 now au average of thirty-two pupils per adult teacher. This represents a reduction of 25 per cent, in the average size of adult classes. It should further be pointed out that if the scales of staffing which were in oporation in the year 1900 had still been in force, there would in 1916 have been 11831 adult teachers, whereas the various improvements in scales'of staffs provided 503S adults in tho year 1916, or has an increase of 1201 adult teachers in addition-to providing for the natural increase under the old scale. The staffs of schools, however, have been strengthened in another respect. In 11100 there were 1060 pupil teachers to 2601 adult leachers, whereas in 1916 there were only 656 pupil teachers to 1710 adult teachers. It the old scales of staffing had still been in force tho number of pupil teachers iu 191G should havo been 11S4, with 3415 adult teachers, whereas there were 1500 pupil teachers, probationers, and training college students, and 1710 adult teachers. In Other Countries,

"Satisfactory comparisons between the numbers of pupils per teacher in the various countries arc very difficult to make owing to the widely varying conditions of school administration. It may be slated, howcier, that the number of pupils per teacher is given for England as 3ii. Ireland 32, Switzerland U, Ontario 28; United States 21, New South Wales 28, Victoria 31, New Zealand 32: One of the disturbing factors in sucli a iomparison is the differing proportion of small to large schools in various countries. In England, also, the overlapping of tho denominational and State School system is another disturbing factor. In the case of the United States it should bo noted that in numerous States the administration of education in the cities is entirely separated from that in the country districts. There is no uniform staffing for the whole country. It will thus be seen however, that with regard to the size of classes New Zealand occupies a not unfavourable position as compared with other countries. It may be urged that because a considerable number' of very large classes still exist' the matter has not been energetically dealt with by the Department. It should be noted, however, that large classes iu proportion to attendance were far more numerous prior to 1902 than they are now, and that fouuerly, as I have just shown, nearly 30 per cent, of the leaching staff consisted of pupil teachers. The Cost. "In order to show what the improvements already made, have cost, it may be stated that tho salaries of the additional 1201 adult teachers referred to would cost at least J;15G,(I01) per annum, and that the Training Colleges established largely to train the nrobationcrs who now constitute an important source of supply of future teachers cost ,!53,000 per annum, making a total of ,£219,000 per milium. The substitution of assistant teachers for the remaining pupil teachers was proceeding steadily up to the outbreak of the war, and provision had been made for a further substitution in the year 1015. The abnormal drain on our stairs due to the enlistment of teachers made it impossible, however, to procure the additional teachers to be substituted for the pupil teachers. With regard to future changes, it may be stated that to complete the reform now partially accomplished the Department would require three, hundred adult teachers with a corresponding increase in the number of probationers and Training College students. The cost of providing for this, together with higher initial salaries required to induce a larger number of young people to enter tho teaching profession, will cost not less than ,£120,000 per annum. These fasts have been stated not to show that nothing more should he done or that it is impossible to carry reforms further, but to show that in the fourteen years prior to the.outbreak of the war a very considerable advance has been made, and that but for the war there would have been little to complain of regarding the the, if classes.

. Effect of the War. "As the result of the war wo havo liad to replace at least seven hundred teaehcrs who have enlisted, and in .addition lo this tlie depletion of the ranks of pupil teachers and Training College students—also dun to tlie war—lias, to a large extent, diminished our source of supply of future teachers. Tt was, therefore, impossible to meet this abnormal demand, for seven hundred additional teachers' mil also to add three hundred teachers to the school stalfs. The difficulties of the education boards in this respect may. to some extent, be estimated •when it is stated that during the past three years there have been no fewer than 10(W teachers who have left the service for various reasons. The Department hones, however, to reduce still further the size of classes, especially in the Grade VT and VIT schools, lipl- in order to do so it will bn neecssurv lo provide better initial salaries to, attract, young touchers, provision for a chusirViable number of additional rooms or f->v subdivision of existing rooms to p"ov"l'fnv esirn clashes and for at .lor'.'r. the present accommodation, and facilities for the trainins of teachers.

School Buildings, "Prior to 1902 education boards received and expended almost entirely at their own discretion the whole of' the grant tor buildings. They planned n ud erected schools according hi the ideas prevailing in the various districts regarding accommodation, heating, lighting ventilation, drainage, furnishing, null playgrounds. It must, therefore," be re-

membcred that conditions at present existing arc tho result largely of administration over which the Department had very little control. Shortly after 1902 the Department took •..irtaiu powers in order to direct improven -nts in connection with buildings to some extent, >«t even now tho Department can oirecively mierveno only when a school has ueen burned down or when a school is erected where one did not exist before. J no education boards no doubt did their best with the funds at their disposal, '"(. tho needs of the country have rapidly increased, and modern ideas of school achitecture are far in advance of those of thirty years ago. It could scarcely bo held, however, that buildings which are still sound and serviceable, should be pulled down nt onco, even if (hey could bo replaced by others of a more modern character. A great (leal, however, has recently boon done in order to im'piovo the situation with regard to buildings. I'ram the year 1900 to 1914 the .school attendance increased by 41 per cent., but in the sarno period the expenditure protided for education boards for buildings, silos, and equipment rose from .£58,001) to .£219,000 per annum, an increase per annum of over 275 per cent. This ineludes an inerense per annum of .£70,000 lor new buildings alone. Floor Space per Pupil. "Prior to 1902 several of the boards fixed tho minimum of floor space per pupil at eight square feet. The minimum hxed by the Department for tho whole of New Zealand was, in 1914; twelve square teot.per pupil, it might be pointed out that in England tho standard of accommodation provided has recently been fixed at ten square feet per older pupil, and nine square feet per younger pupil. The overcrowding in some of the rooms in certain schools is largely duo to Iho increase of 1204 adult teachors previously referred to, Many of tho old rooms were lmsmted tor subdivision, and there is often a considerable amount o£ spare floor space'in some rooms while others are overcrowded. The almost complete substitution of single and dual desks for tho old long desks and backless forms lias further accentuated the difficulty. L should like to warn the members of tho council that when they hear of a room seated for fifty pupils holding sixty, it should ho remembered that if the old long desks were used tho same room would probably have had to seat seventy children. The Department has also recently taken sieps to provide for a more definite allocation of the amounts in. tended respectively for maintenance and repair to school buildings, and for new buildings. High Building Costs. "Tho diflioaltics in the way of providing new sites and increased building accommodation under existing conditions, except in the most urgent eases, should bo gathered from the fact that the addition of oiip room to a school recontlv cost about. £900; that a two-roomed school to acco'inmorlale fifty pupils cost iflliO; that in one. of (he lessor (own? c-f (he Dominion the Education Board r.pplied for a giant of £13(10, in order to add a quarter of an acre to a school playground situated a mile from tho centre* of the town, and quite outside the business area, and that for another school it wiis estimated that JtfOOO would have to-be spent solely for the/ purpose of adding half nn acre to the playground of a school outside the l)usi;i?ss area of a medium-sized town. When circumstances permit of dealing more completely with tho question of buildings, it seems desirable that, provision shouid be made for standardising many of the features of school buildings, such as the heating, lighting, ventilation, and sanitary arrangements. It is also desirable that (he designing of all new school buildings should be undertaken by some specially equipped author, ity, and that the supply of a largo amount of the equipment and accessories for school buildings should be carried out either, by tho Government or by the purchase of large quant.tios ur.der contract Salaries of Teachers. '"there is no doubt that in order to provide for the kind of teachers necessary for canying on the work of education under modern requirements, and under present economic conditions, certain increases in salaries "To teachers may have lo bo considered, but I would again point out that recent criticisms regarding this matter might wrongly lend members to suppose that this important matter had received little or no attention, or that the needs of the situation have not been considered. I would point out that in the year 1900 tho averago salary for the adult teacher wns £121, or £8 less than in 1891. Owing to the successive increases provided under the colonial scales of salaries framed by tho Department in 1902, 1908, 1912 and' 191-1, tho average salary per adult teacher has been increased to £161. This represents a total increase of 37 per cent. In 11102 the total salaries and allowances for teachers amounted to £119,700, while in 1910 the total salaries and allowances amounted t0£926,000; thus while' tho attendance increased 43 per cent., tho total salaries increased over 120 per cent. In tho year 1900 over 1,000 out. of 1,832 adult teachers received less than £100 per annum, while in 191G only 190 out. of 4;0G8 adult teachers {received less than £100 per annum, Ami these were all in schools with less than nine children. In 1900 only fifty-two teachers out 0f'2,832 adult teachers received between £300 and £100 per annum as compared with.3Bo out of 1,608 adult teachers receiving such salaries in 1910. Again, in tho year 1900 only four out of 2,832 adult teachers received over £400 per annum us compared with seventy out of 4,008 in 1910. It should also bo pointed out that for the year 1917-18 a grunt of £40,000 was shown to bo necessary to supplement tho teachers' contributions to the superannuation fund, and for the year 1917 a special grant of £58,000 was "made to provide for war bonuses. It may bo stated, therefore, that for the yeiir 191" a sum of £390,000 wns pay-' able' for teachers' salaries ami allowances in excess of what would have been provided under the scules of salaries in forty; prior to 1002. The expenditure on salaries per head of tho school roll for the schools of the London County Council comes to £1 2s. 2d. In Ontario on the'sit me basis £4 Us. 2d:, and in New .Zealand £5 os. Id. Whatever may be said, therefore, with regard to the need for further increases of salary, it must be admitted that a great deal has been done, and thnt up to tho outbreak of the war the progress mado was continuous.

An Instructive Summary. "A summary of the progress rao.de in tho direction I huve just referred to will give a better idea of the result of the efforts of the Department as a whole. The following table deals with items of expenditure relating almost entirely to primary education. The first coliimji shows the expenditure for 1002 with respect to these items. The second column shows what the expenditure on each of these items would have been if the scale of payment for 1902 had been adhered to, but with 111 per cent, added to the total amount to provide for the increase due to an increase of tl) ,per cent, in school attendance from li) 02 to 11)10. The third column shows the actual expenditure under the improved scales or grants introduced since 1902. The difference between this and _ tho preceding column is shown in the fourth column, which indicates, not; the gross increase of cost, but the increase in annual cost for 1!»1(i beyond'the natural increase due lo increased attendance allowed for |in the second column. A similar statement is given for secondary schools.

Anmial Actual cost Plus 43 cxpen- above For p.c. for diturc, nat. Item. 1%2. nal. inc. 1916. inc.. £ £ £ ,E Teachers' salaries 412.568 539.972 935.000 343,028 Grant !'-> superannuation - - 40,000 40,001 Training colleges 1,000 1,430 43,rC0 41.570 M'Minnl and technical ... 9.025 14,050 129,265 115 215 BuildingsSites furniture 67,628 96.7C8 :1 189,C00 92,292 ■Mais wi.f2! t:-•');.:;;"65 632.inr» 'Avcrapo for 3 vir years, Plus 162 p.c. Secondary educ'n capitation. 19M 15.170 39.745 12M24 86.679 \ Free Secondary Education. "With regard to capitalisation paid by Government grant for free secondary education, tho totals for the first, table bliow the following results

which will, no doubt bo somewhat surprising; to. those who have so vigorously denounced the alleged apathy of the Government and of the Department. Thus wo set that for the items stated the expenditure tor 101)2 was .£191,021. On the same scale, but adding; il3 per cent, for natural increase, the expenditure in 1916 would have been £702,100. whereas in that year the expenditure was actually £1,331,265, showing an increase of .£032,105 per annum over and above the provision for natural increase on the scale of 11)02. Frequout references have been made to tho recent effort of the Minister of Education in England to provide for increased educational facilities, and comparisons are made with the view of showing that New Zealand is lagging far behind England in providing for educational progress. It may be stated that Mr. Fisher's recent application for the large additional sum of .£9,000,000 was intended chiefly to provide (a) for full-lime primary, education for children up to fourteen years of age, and (b) for continued education after fourteen years of age. The former advantage has been possessed by children of Now Zealand for very many years. "With regard to the eecond, it may Ixj stated that in England there are about six and a half million children in tho primary schools and 212,000 in secondary schools of all kinds. The proportion between the number receiving secondary instruction and the number receiving primary instruction in England is, therefore, represented by 31 per cent., while in New Zealand the proportion is 7 per cent, i, thus there were in New Zealand in the year 191G thirteen thousand children receiving secondary instruction and 187.000 receiving primary instruction. Further, in New Zealand nearly all secondary education is free, while only a small proportion of children in England receive free secondary education. In New Zealand the actual number of children in the primary schools who go on to secondary schools is 35 per cont., or/about 70 per cent, of those who pass Standard VT. Thus even if the largo amount, applied for ny the Minister of Education in England had been granted, it would scarcely hr.vo been sufficient to bring Great Britain up to the present level of New ftclnnd. in the two main respects above referred to. Unfortunately. Mr. Fisher's programme has already been very largely reduced on account of war expenditure. The Education Vote."I might farther point out that if from the yeny 1902 to the year 1916 thoi educational expenditure of New Zealand had increased in the same proportion as tho population of tho Dominion, the expenditure in the latter year would have been .£939,000, whereas the actual expenditure was ,£1,772,000, or nearly double the rate .of increase that would be due lo increase of population alone. Ajsun, if the expenditure on education in England boro tho sarno proportion to its population as does that, of New Zealand, it would amount to ,£61,000,000, whereas the actual expenditure from Government grants and rates combined is only £ffl,000,000. Those, figures surely do not support the contentions made by numerous recent critics that, interest in education in New Zealand, as exnressed in expenditure, lags far behind that of England."