GRADING OF TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 279, 19 August 1920, Page 5

GRADING OF TEACHERS

THE DISPARITY WHICH EXISTS

EDUCATION BOARD CHAIRMAN CORRECTS MINISTER ! The chairman of the Education Board (Mr. T.' Forsyth) at yesterday's meeting took exception to certain remarks made by the Minister of Education (Hon. C. i. Parr) in referring to the payment of bonuses to teachers on Monday last. Mr. Forsyth quoted from the Minister's statement as follows: "There were at least fiS) teachers in positions commanding higher salaries than their classifications warranted. Obviously, because of this there were 400 other teachers of higher efficiency .-being kept out of these jobs, and geiit.ing salaries lower than their classifications warranted. These anomalies were largely due to nine different boards of education making appointments and promotions, and each seeking to work in a water-tight compartment Such an anomalous state of things existed in no other branch of tho Civil Service." ~ Mr. Forsyth said that in making such a statement the Minister was hardly doing the education boards justice, for it was quite well known that the reason boards worked within their own districts

was that tho basis of grading by tflie inspectors differed so widely. It would ,be a srent relief and would rid them of a good deal of work, if, a national. grading list were to be taken as the <mly guide in making appointments; indeed, if the teachers of tho Wellington district approved of the suggestion he was prepared to accept it. He feared, nowerer,, thail a tremendous injustice •fould be done to teachers, and instead -sf the 400 mentioned by the Minister there would be'lflOO teachers who would not be getting a fair deal if a Dominion scheme were adopted. Practically the only teachers they imported from other districts were those who were out to seuure the plums; few came in from,outside for the lower paid situations. The whole trouble lay with the differences In the grading systems. There was no standard to which all the inspectors worked. He had attended uhe first conference of inspectors recently, and there T/a9 all the evidence present that a general scheme would-be -utterly unreliable, yet that was the scheme the Minister naid; they ought to adopt. They were out tfc> get tho best teachers, but he did not see how they could get them unless there was a scheme based on a carefully arranged work standard. To allow a not of inspectors to follow each his own ideas to classify teachers under four, or five headings—so much for personality, o;ic.—was preposterous. They could hot grade teachers like butter. Ho suggested that the various branches of tho N.Z.E.I. in the district be consulted. "Let us," said Mr. Forsyflh, "put tho matter straight and plain before them, for them to 6ay, as our servants, whether they desire this change to be made." Mr. It. A. Wrighti, M.P... thought the onairman had hit the nail on the head. The whole question was—wero'the teachers in favour of it? The only way to find out was to take, a referendum. The grading was most unsatisfaetiory now. It wonW bo better if the inspeotors all got fogofher and arranged some _ standard which would mete out justice iio all. Tlif-y should make it clear that .they had no intention of obstructing the Minister, bun would fall in with the suggestion if it met with the approval of the whole of the teachers.

Mr. Forsyth said that they did not wish to accept tho opinion of the N.Z.E.I. as representine; the minds ' of the teachers. Many of Oicir teachers did not belong to the institute. • Mr. G. London did not agree with the chairman. He advocated iihat they, should be free to get the best teachers, no matter where they eamo from. It was ridiculous to say they were not to se- . cure a man from Hawke's Bay or. Auckland, treating such places as foreign countries, ' Mr. C; I. r Harkness said that the Minister of Education had done a lot of good work, but in this case he had "run oif the rails." Mr. A. J. White thought • that tho board should go for 'the best man, whether he came from Timbuctoo or Timiwu, but how could ijhey tell who was the best with the basis of grading different in every district!? He could quote an instance where a teacher had been kept "stuck in a school" because fflia Inspector had refused to grade him hislier. The chairman: Perhaps he wa9 not fitted for it. Mr. White; Oh yes,, he was. There was-a personal grievance. , Mr. E. P. Eishworth-did not like tho idea of. the plebischle. If he were the head of a. big firm he would not go to his employees and ask them how they thought they should bo promoted. He would do it on the merit'of a person to fulfil ijJie duties of the particular job that was offering. Mr. Forsyth said if they had the opinion of the majority of the teachers they could not go far wrong. On the mot'ion of Mr. J, J, Clark it was decided to take a ballot of the whole of the teachers in the board's employ as to whether they favoured the Dominion sc'heme of grading or not. /