SECONDARY EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 204, 24 May 1920, Page 6

SECONDARY EDUCATION

MANY PHASES REVIEWED ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF TEACHERS The annual conference of the Secondary"! Schools Assistants' Association of New Zealand took placo on Saturday. Mr. J. Drummond, M.A.., the president of tho association, -was in the chair. X'/The annual report for the year 1919, >liich was adopted, disclosed that tho total of subscriptions received constituted tt record, 304 for 1919, as against 29 for 1916. 81. for 1917, and 135 for 1918. The expenditure for 1919 surpassed that of all.-other years. This was only to be expected as the executive last year embarked on n course of propaganda -work previously not attempted. Tim past year was also noteworthy, through the secondary teachers having fought and won their first caso under the Court of 'Appeal Act. Tho executiye had asked tho Government for an increased expenditure of JC51.000, and a Dominion scale of pay, only to get an increase of ',£21,000. and only such a scale as rendered the disbursing of the .£21,000 farci-. cal'an'd iniquitous. The statement of finances showed a, credit of J3149. Presidential Address.

■ In his address to the delegates_ the president said that in this Dominion secondary: education bad not hitherto received the consideration due 'to it as intermediate between primary and university eduoation. "At present, generally speaking, the primary schools offered greater advantages to teachers. _ A. Dominion scheme of salaries, -was tirgently needed in New Zealand. One of the most pressing needs of secondary education was some system of training its teachers. Secondary school teachers were deeply, interested in the proposals made at the retent conference between the teachers and inspectors and Minister of Education, because the finished product of the primary 'provided the material for tho secondary schools. Time was often lost in the_first year at a secondary school because it took a. year to- classify pupils. The establishment of.a central promotion board did not appeal at present to secondary teachers. While' he felt sure that secondary teachers were willing to co-operate with primary in the interests of education, the proposals for affiliation with the New Zealand Educational Institute met witX no favour 1 among secondary assistants, because they involved submergence of the ■ association. It would be a forward move in education if representatives of primary, secondary, and university .education met together on something like an ; equal footing to discuss, matters of comimon interest. The.present Council of Education, with a' somowhat altered construction, might serve such a purpose. The president went- on to urge that factors of supreme importance were the personality, and efficiency of 'the teacher. Incidentally, he said that on account of ■ the inadequate salaries offering'there was a shortage of teachere not only in New

Zealand! but in America as well. - The reduction in tho average size of classes jjn (Primary schools was also strongly urged by Mr. Drummond. j Mr. F. W. Renner, of Wellington, was re-elected honorary secretary and treasurer. Remits.

As a prolude to a trenchant attack on the "so-called professional statue" of teaohers, particularly in'., secondary, schools, Mr. P. Martyn Rennor moved the following remit: "That, 'if the present method of capitation payment be .retained, the. Government he again strongly urged to raise such payment to jBl9 per head per free-place pupil for salaries only, in order to ensure: (1) An 'adequate professional remuneration- for all secondary teachers; (2) the introduction of a grading scheme such as is outlined in the association's pamphlet 'Tho Status and Pay of the Secondary Teacher , in ; New Zealand.'" '

. vAliV'Kenner pointed out that the secbndary teachers were placed, in a humiliating and" degrading position through continually having to ask for money.' .Year after year they were fobbed off. He could foresee only one end, the sinking of the profession to a state of mediocrity because the men and women of 'ambition would not stay in it, and what was infinitely worse, veiy many teachers— in iustlce to the younjj people's future ■ prospeots—wero persuading boys and girls 'of ability to talce up some other wait ifa life than teaohing. , The Temit was carried? as was also lthe following motion moved by. Mr. 'Laing (Christohurch): "That as this association strongly disapproves of the proposal :to initiate a grading scheme for •promotions and transfers on the lines of the primary schook 6cheme, the scheme, (for grades and salaries as outlined in the pamphlet be reaffirmed." , v > Incidence of Grading. . On the motion of Mr.- E. Caradus fAilcMand) the conference affirmed that if the staff of each school shall be initially classified into three grades by the /principal and inspectors in consultation, jiand 'the -classification shall be based lllpon: (1) Ability in teaching; (2) TTniyer;sity degrees or diplomas; (3) position in '$io school; (4) length of service."- In ! coniunction with the same remit a num-ifcer-of machinery clauses were adopted, with recommendations that: ■'Two years of teaching in any recognised public primary scnool shall count as on® .'year of Bervice' in a secondary school; 'except at the beginning of a teacher's career, when any number up lo five years of service as assistant in a primary school shall count as full years of service;" and, further, that "An appcal board on the lines of the 'Public Service Appeal Board shall be set up to consider the case of any teacher who is 'dissatisfied aa to his or her grading ajid salary." Capitation and Salaries, • % series of remits under the above head were adopted as follow, on the motion of Mr. E. Caradus (Auckland):— i "That if the association's proposal for 'the classification of teachers into three grades be adopted by the Department of Education, it shall be recommended that the maximum and' minimum in each grade be fixed, the maximum to be reached-by'fixed annual increments." "That the following recommendation foe brought under the notice of the Minister of Education:—That the present system of fixing secondary school teachers' salaries on the basis of capitation be abolished, and that salaries be paid through the governing boards by the Department at Wellington." "That it be recommended that teachers in charge of subjects or departments throughout a school shall receive an additional payment dependent, on tho size of the school."-

"That until an adequate scalo of salaries for all secondary school teachers_ is Drought .into operation, the capitation allowance for Tjovs be increased in order that tho governing bodies of secondary schools may be enabled to pay married assistants' salaries commensurate with the increased cost of living." Emphasising that tho cost of living affected women to the same extent as men, Miss Coad (Wellington) asked tlie conference to affirm: That in tho_ event of further increases of salary being given to secondary teachers, it would not be in the interests of secondary, schools to increase further tho discrepancies already existing in the' salaries of men and Women teachers, and that therefore the 'increase should be a flat rate." ' Tho remit was rejected, the voting tifchig 55 to GB. i;. : Appointment of Teachers. I 'Some discussion ensued when Mr. P. (M. Eenner moved: "That no appointment be mado or terminated by any (board without the sanction of tho Dejpartment. Nothing in this clause shall Hefeat the right of appeal undor the Act. In opposition to tho remit the danger of was stressed, and the opinion was expressed that the interests of ■teachers' were already sufficiently protected in the matter under review. Ihe rfiWbrivas'^ejectedj"'■ • '•I'j 1, ; Remits were carried relating to the pay■Bient of travelling oxpenses; thfl advertising throughout tho Dominion of all ■positions of <£200 per annum and oyer; jnrging the amendment of the regulations ito enable bone-fide secondary teachers !to obtain , educational bursaries; and 'drawing the attention of tho University Jtonatfe to the character of the papers s«t

at tlio December examinations, 1919, particularly tho French paper. A number of other remits relating to superannuation and secondary conditions geneally wero adopted. Officers Elected. The election of officers resulted as follows President, Mr. J. Drummond, M.A. (re-elected); vice-president, Miss F. Coad, M.A.; secretary and treasurer, Mr. P. Martyn Renner, M.A.; hon. auditor, Mr. \Y. A. Alexander, M.A., LL.B.; executive. Messrs. A. C. Gilford, M.A. (Wei' lington), F. H. Campbell, M.A. (Dunedin), JI. Eobson, M.A. (Marlborough), R. M. Lain);, M.A., B.Sc. (Christchurch). This morning the new' executive with certain specially nominated members will meet in committee to deal with an appeal case, and also to nominate finally the delegates for the conference with the Minister on June 5. So far only two liavo been definitely selected, viz., Mr. F. Martyn Renner, to represent tho senior male assistants, and Mr. H. Eobson to represent tho mixed schools.