EDUCATIONREFORM

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 201, 20 May 1921, Page 7

EDUCATIONREFORM

( ’ SURVEY BY THE MINISTER

TEACHERS’ RECOMMENDATIONS

APPROVED

THE BASIS OF SALARIES

A statement covering various educational matters was made by the Minister of Education (Hon, C. J. Parr) yesterday afternoon, in. the course of a reply to a deputation representing the New Zealand Teachers’ Institute. The deputation, which was headed by Mr. Purchas, president of tho institute, had assured tho Minister that he had the support of the teachers in hia schemes of educational reform, and had urged him to continue hia efforts for the improvement of the ■educational system. Child labour, the physique of entrant teachers, and the

supply of school requisites were among the matters that were mentioned 'by- the speakers, who placed before the Minister the resolution', adopted at the recent ■conference or the institute. The Minister said ho appreciated the fact that tho teachers, through their organisation, were seeking to assist in securing the educational reforms that the times demanded. So long as the teachers were not merely demanding higher wages and shorter hours, so long as they were giving practical evidence that their aspirations ran higher than that, they would have the sympathy and respect of the Department and of the general com-

munity. The teachers were experts, and they undoubtedly could help in the betterment of the education system of the Dominion. The fact that they were keen* to do things better in the future than they had done in tho past was all to the good.

Reference had been made continued the Minister, to the programme of educational reform that he had laid down in May, 1920. He felt that the discussion that had since taken place among teachers and other educational authorities and in the newspapers had shown that the changes then proposed had general support. They were changes that experience dictated as being necessary. His task was to endeavour to bring about those changes with as little delay as possible. He had hoped to make some beginning next year, and he still hoped that notwithstanding the financial situation he would be able to initiate some experiments in the various centres. The matter was complicated by the fact that he probably would not have tho money to erect 'buildings or buy equipment that would be necessary to put the reforms into full effect. But he hoped still to be able to make a beginning, and he had no doubt about the ultimate result. The recent visit of Mr. J. Caughley, Director of Education, to Australia had been undertaken for the purpose of seeing what was being done there in the recasting and revising of the primary course, and the rearrangement of the post-primary courses. Mr. Caughley would shortly present a report. The Minister added that ho felt confident he had about him officers who would give loyal support and efficient assistance in bringing about the changes that were required. He was convinced that the teachers were entirely with the Department in the matter. The teachers were, if anything, a little fur-

ther advanced than the Department in opinion, and this was as it should be. They had not io carry the burden of cost and responsibility, and could make plans that might not seem immediately practicable to tho men in charge of affairs. ■

Mr. Parr proceeded to say that he agreed that the matriculation standard should not entirely dominate education prior to the matriculation examination. This- examination should not be the sole goal for "tho post-primary student. The time had come when there should be a certificate to mark a completed course of education parallel to the ordinary high school course. This certificate should be of equivalent value to the matriculation pass and should be placed In tho hands of the boy or girl who had completed a course on different lines from the matriculation course. The old literary ideal could not be allowed to dominate the education system as it had

done in the past. The system must fr the times.

The deputation had repeated the old request that the salaries of teachers ■ should be paid, on the basis of attainments and not on average attendance. The Minister said he could not add much to what ho had said already on this subject. The teachers were asking that their salaries should be based upon,capacity, qualifications, and experience, and not upon the number of children at-

tending the schools. He was free to confess that he thought it logical that men should be paid according to their worth, their classification, and their value to the State. Tho Department bad told him that there were considerable practical difficulties in the way of a change from the present system.

There was something to be said against the change, and he had not seen his way to over-rule the Department on the point. He would place the teachers’ renewed application before the Departmental officers, nnd would confer with them with the object of seeing if a more logical scheme of payment than tho existing one could not be devised. He

could not promise that the effort would bo successful, but a real effort would bo made to devise something loss anomalons than the present system of payment. Mr. Parr said that as Minister of Education he naturally would resist any proposal for the reduction of education expenditure. He would not do this from a selfish motive, but because he really dreaded to apply the pruning-knife drastically to educational expenditure. He believed that to save money on education would h» false economy. Tt was possible to take nwav from a child two or three years of school life, or to give the child two or three years of indifferent and unsatisfactory instruction. But if was impossible to make up to the child what han been taken a wav from him in those years. The life and future of the child were affected. He felt sure that this consideration would weigh ns heavily with tho other members of the Ministry as jt did with him. and that tho Government would not lightly undertake retrenchment in tho Education Department. He could not look into tho future, and he did not know what the financial position of the Dominion would be in a year’s time. But he was hopeful that the sun was going to shine. Things would have to get pretty bad before any serious reduction in the expenditure on education would be justified. ft wis true that already there had been a reduction in the amount of money available for tho erection of schools. Nobody regretted that more than he did, but he could point out that last year the Government had done excellently in the matter of school buildings. If expenditure could have been main-

tained on tho same level for another year, tho problem of school buildings would largely have been overcome. As it was. the authorities already issued and not yet brought to charge would make a considerable improvement all over the country. He was hopeful that Cabinet would allow these authorities to stand, although the work might not have been begun in all cases. It was his en'rnest desire that nothing should be done to disturb these authorities, which represented a very large sum of money. If the Prime Minister came back from London with some borrowed money in his pocket, tho Education Department would pnt in a modest claim for a share. The Minister added that evidence from all over New Zealand convinced him that the average parent would rather have any other form of retrenchment than n reduction in the expenditure on .the education of the children. The Minister admitted that, the physique of some of the young people

entering the teaching profession was not satisfactory. He would not have passed some of the students who had succeeded in passing the doctors. Some of tho young people undoubtedly wore weedy, and it was important that teachers should Be possessed of good health and physique. He agreed that the teaching profession wanted the best men and ■women in the community. A healthy, vigorous teacher was an object lesson' to the children, nnd he felt that some of the young teachers did not look as if they wore sufficiently vigorous to warrant further expenditure on their training. He was not suggesting that this

criticism applied to many of the recent entrants in the teaching profession. Referring to the employment of children of school age, Mr. Parr said he had a Bill on the stocks dealing with this matter. He believed that there was need for the intervention of Parliament. He could not give details of the proposals that would he contained in the Bill, but he could say that there would be provisions that would make if. impossible for any person to exploit children, while giving every latitude for the reasonable

employment of young people. Mr. Parr mentioned that there were about 1000 teachers in the training classes and model schools at the present time. If he could maintain this number next year, he would be able to overcome the shortage of teachers and thus make possible the reduction of the size of classes. The reduction of the classes to a size that

would permit of maximum efficiency in teaching was one of bis objects. Several other points that had been raised by the deputation were mentioned briefly by the Minister. He was in entire agreement with a suggestion that every teacher in New Zealand should have the opportunity of applying for every appointment that became vacant. He bad thought of establishing an educational gazette, in which all appoint-

ments could be advertised for the information of teachers. Such gazettes were already being issued in some of the Australian States, nnd he had been informed thaf> the cost to the Department would not exceed. £4OO or .£5OO a year. The educational service ought to bo on a national basis. Mr. Parr congratulated the teachers on the work that had been done at their last conference, and assured them that all tho points they had raised would receive the careful attention of Minister and Department. Ho valued very highly tho support nnd the assistance of the men and women engaged in the teaching profession.