NEW EDUCATION BILL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 309, 25 September 1919, Page 7

NEW EDUCATION BILL

MAIN POINTS REVIEWED

TRANSFER OR PROMOTION OF

TEACHERS

Some important amendments are contained in the Education Amendment Bill introduced in Parliament yesterday.

One proposed change has to do with the qualifications for taking part in the election of school committees. Tho old definition of householder, which never was widely, understood, hr.s been repealed, and the right to voto' is given to any adult occupying a house as owner or tenant within the school district. Concerning the election of school committees also the Government in asking for power to declare two adjoining boroughs to be an urban area, provided the nearest distance between them does not exceed six miles. A new clause prescribes the form m which the education boards arc to supply to the Department particulars of their accounts.

There is an important new clause re- ' garding tho . promotion and transfer'of teachers. It runs as. follows:— If at any tirno the grading of any school is altered pursiant to the provisions of the principal Act in that behalf, no teacher employed therein shall by reason of the alteration be entitled, subject to the provisions hereinafter contained, to claim any increase in salary in respect of his position iu that school. At any time within one month after such alteration in the grading of. the Bchool, the board may notify the teacher of its intention to transfer him to another position, and the board may, subject to tfio provisions of this section, transfer that teacher accordingly. Such notice may be a notice of intention, to transfer the teacher to a position specified in the notice, or may be a notice in general terms of intention to transfer him to a 'position not then ascertained and determined. If such transfer is not actually effected within six months' from tho dato of the alteration of the grading of the school, the teacuor shall be entitled''to claim the higher, salary (if any) attached to.his position in that school as from the date when the alteration of the grading vis effected. Tho power of transfer conferred upon the board ... may be exercised by tho hoard on the ground that any teacher is, more suitable for, or has a better claim to bo appointed to, the position than- the teacher whom tho board proposes to transfer. The right of appeal against a transfer is reserved to the teacher. It is provided that secondary schools may not admit pupils *,vlio have not ob. tained competency certificates in Standard VI. No scholarship shall be ten. able after tho end of tie- year in which the holder has attained the ago of 17 years in the caso of a junior scholarship, or 19 years in the case of a senior scholarship. _ , ~. i Provision is made for the establishment of . scholarships in agriculture, domestic efcience, or other technical or industrial course, to bo taken .at any college aitiliated with the New Zetland Ij Diversity, or at any agricultural or other Approved college. " Another basis is proposed for the payment of annual grants :o technical high schools. .The Government is to jJlow a sum not exceeding in any ■ case *500-tor a school, and, in addition, a further calculated at a rate not exceeding .£ls in respect of every freo pupil and t iu respect of every other pupil in. attoTwlaiiee at tlio school. The Department is to be empowered, to make grants for the acquisition of land or 'buildings, 'as well as for the erection, equipment, or maintenance of buildings. Anoth«r clauso provides fori tlio appointment and pay of inspectors. In brief, the salaries of inspectors may- bo fixed in the same way ns those of other officers of'the public service. . The Government asks ':'or power, to deal with many matters by regulation, in. eluding the gracing and utafhng of Native schcolsj prescribing the rates of salaries, allowances, and increments to ly. to any teachers, including training col:leie etudonts, conditions for the granting of leave of absencn on pay to teachers and the rates of allovar.oej? thn.fc'mny be paid towards the ramcval expenses of teachers on transfer from one school to another. Increments and .allowances to be given under these .regulations are to •bs deemed to have been in forco as from April 1. IM9. , , , , , A new basis is proposiKi for the determination of Hie amount to be allowed to education boards for general purposes, awl for assistance to school committers. The grant is to be -£Vso' a year, and three and sixpence for every child in average attendance at any school within, the district. ~ A schedule of the Bi.tt prescribes the BOidie of grants to lie gi"en to secondary schools, and another nxo? tho scale of allowances payable to education boards in respect of expenses of school committees.