SCHOOL TEACHERS AND PROMOTION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 197, 15 May 1920, Page 7

SCHOOL TEACHERS AND PROMOTION

♦- REVISED GRADING LIST

DIFFERENCES OF OPINION The conference of inspectors and representative teachers to consider amendments to the grading scheme was concluded yesterday. The conference arrived at a revised sch'eiw, the effect of lrhiclu is contained in the following resolutions carried by the meeting:— "This meeting considers that the time a teacher or an inspector has spent on active service should be reckoned as double time for superannuation and grading." "That the infant mistress and the senior woman assistant in schools of Grade 50 or higher be placed for grading purposes in a group not lower th.in group -4. "That the appointment of teachers by i education boards shall be made in accordance with the grading list with provision for special positions as defined by the senior inspector." "Provided that the salaries he brought into better relation than at present to the value of tho various positions and provision be made as far as possible for placing teachers in positions corresponding to their efficiency, the committee recommends fcbht the grading' groups bo made on the basis qf the position." "That when groups are based 011 position some of the present group 2 teachers ba placed in group 3; some of the presvnt group 3 teachers, in group i; that tho present groups 5 and G bo combined, and that 6ome of the present group 4 teachers be placed in Ihat group; that teachers receiving salaries of grado 7 be placed in a- separate group." "That .tlic marks for the various groups be as follow Group 1: Teaching, 40; personality, 30; organisation, 10; service, 12; academic attainments, 8; total, 300. Group 2: CO, J5, 15, 12, 8-140. Group 3: 80, CO, 20, 12, 8-180. Group 4: 100; 75, 25, 12. 8-220. Group 5: 120, 90, 30, 12, 8-260. Group 0: 140, 105, 35, 12, 8-300. Certificate marks to be as follow:—El, D 3, C 5, 87, AB. 0113 mark to be given for each two years of service' up to 12 marks." ' Mr. T. Forsyth (ohairman of the Association of Education Board-:), speaking vritli reference to the resolution passed in connection with! the appointment of teachers, said the boards would welcome tho provision of a reliable grading list, and, provided the teachers-wished it, t the boards would oiler no objection to tho appointment of all teachers by some central authority. At tho rising of the conference, Jlr. J. Caugliley, Assistant-Director of Education, and tho officer who devised and carried through the system of grading which is the basis of the amended scheme, asked that tho meeting should appoint a standing committee to assist tho officers who would have to operate the iiiiv scheme, Mr. T. B. Strong and himself. . I£e said that the conference had devised a scheme of grading., which ho knew from experience would break down ol' its own. weight, and lie thought that all the onus of success or failure should not be left to the officers of the Department. The teachers hud throw 1 away a quota of ten marks and hud adopted a quota of forty marks, and th's lie knew would be unworkable. Tlu Minister said that he did not think that Mr. Caugliley should tako such a gloomy view of the outlook. At any rate it was somewhat unfortunate that Mr. Caugliley had not raised these points when the matter was under discussion. Mr. Caugliley: I did raise it, Mr.' Chairman. Mr. Parr said that the conference had come to certain decisions and he would insist that they be considered by the Department. He regretted the tone of Mr. Caughlcy's utterances. He hoped to have the support of Mr. Caugliley and the other offioers of the Department in overcoming Buch difficulties as might arise i,l the working of the new scheme of grading. Ho regretted extremely that Mr. Caughley-should at this stage have made the speech he had just made. Mr. Caugliley said that he had not thought, it necessary to state that everything that was humanly possible would bo done to carry this scheme through. Ho liad assumed that that would be taken for granted. A committee was appointed consisting of the same three teachers and three inspectors who had framed tho new scheme. At the conclusion of the conference a vote of thanks to tho Minister was carried bv the meeting. -