EDUCATIONAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2079, 14 May 1907, Page 3

EDUCATIONAL.

DUNEDIN, yesterday. Sovorul members of tlie School Committee's Association waited upon tlie Hon. G. Fowlds this morning for tlio purpose of congratulating him on Ins appointment as Minister in charge of tho Education Department. Tlie deputation stated that tlioy recognised in Mr. Fowlds a man of wide oxporioneo and advanced ideas, and a man who was a true friend of education. They hoped during his torin of offico that all now schools would be provided with modorn school furniture. Mr. Wilkinson, the chief spokesman, said lie. noted with pleasure tlio roforonco rnado by tho Minister in one of his speeches on tjio necessity for making some provision for endowments for educational purposes, so that there would always be an assured fund. Mr. Fowlds, in roply, said lie recognised that the best thing a Minister could do was to come into personal contact with those who pore co-work-ers with him in tho work of his department. As to teachers’ salaries, ho was trying to devise some means of recognising efficiency and length of service of teachers without interfering with local control. Ho would lie the very last to take any step that would reduce local interest in schools. The School Journal was intended to meet effectually by expense to parents in tlio matter of school books

i (sic), and was not intended to take the form of a magazine or a newsi paper. Altogether, ho believed it would servo a useful purpose in the educational system of the colony. A deputation representing tho teachers complained that teachers now had to pay postage on| returns, examination schedules, and other official communications forwarded to their Education Boards. Tho Minister said tho Boards are going altogether wrong in asking teachers to pay this postago. Boards of Education should pay tho postage of teachers’ communications and returns. I think in somo districts tlioy do so, and tho question twasl whjojtlite.r the Boards should get a grant for this is a matter tlioy should fight with tho Government; but tlioy should not tr'y and penalise the teachers. Messrs. A. Marshall and W. Davidson, representing tho Teachers’ Institute, brought two questions before the Minister of Education. Mr. Marshall said tho first matter was that teachers now had to pay postage on returns, examination schedules, and other official .communications forwarded to the Education Board. \ The Minister said the Boards are doing what is altogether wrong in asking teachers to pay this postage. Teachors could post their official letters without stamps, and leavo it to the Postal' Department to collect postago from the Boards. • I think Boards of Education should pay the postage of teachers’ communications and returns. 1 think in so mb dis-aV-’icts they do so, and it should he done in all. The question of whether Boards should get a grant for this is a matter they should fight’ with the Government; but they should not try to penalise the teachers. Mr. Davidson then brought up the matter of payment of teachers on the basis of average attendance. Ho said lie fully appreciated the improved condition of teachers to-day as compared with six years ago; but the fact remained, however, that there was a feeling of discontent throughout the colony, and there was constant changing from place to place on the part of teachers. The Instil tute’s suggestion was to re-grade tlie schools into nine instead of thirty grades, having a considerably smaller fixed minimum salary in each grade than at present, and rising by small increments to a somewhat higher fixed minimum than at present. Tlie Minister replied that lie was gathering information on the question of alteration of teachers’ salaries, and was hopeful of being able to arrive at an improved system on the present one. The great difficulty in connection, with instituting freed salaries was that of transfer of teachers of increased efficiency. As long as we had local control (a valuable factor in our education system), that difficulty would Tm? hard to get over. He was hopeful of finding a way out on the lines suggested, viz., reducing tlie number of grades of schools, and ;a elding gradual increments to salaries within, that school. Even tho grades would have to be based on average attendances. That must always be. He had asked those who had been studying the question to give him suggestions, and as soon as he could see a method of effectively dealing with the ease he would adopt it. “I think,” he said, “that on the line you have suggested this morning we shall be able to get something done.”

NO-LICENSE IN THE SOUTH. DUNEDIN, last night. Speaking before the Council of Churches, Mr. A. S. Adams, president of the Temperance Committee, referred to certain abuses which he said called for removal at once. Beer shops, he said, were in existence on the Invercargill border, and another brewery was being built on the boundary. Invercargill, however, was a glowing euamplc of the benefits of No-license. Tho Oamaru .experiment had been a brilliant success, and 47 imminent' business moil of Ashburton lad signed a statement that trade was never bettor than at present under prohibition. . It was resolved that, this meeting approve of the appointment of the No-licenso Committee of Otago to be appointed at Dunedin at the convention on June 5 and 8 oho of tlie proposed petition to Parliament to abolish bottle licenses now in existence in Otago, Nelson, and Marlborough.

OBITUARY.

NAPIER, yiYterday. The Roy. Alexander Shepherd, one of the earliest Presbyterian ministers in the province, died this evening, at the age of 82. He arrived m N.Z in 1865, and was soon after inducted to the church at Waiinikurau of which place he became the first clerk. of the Hawke’s Bay Presbytery. He afterwards filled for many years the position of pastor of the Havelock Presbyterian .Church, and lias also preached in the Geraldine and many other South Island churches. He was wildely esteemed by all who knew him. ■ He leaves a widow and one daughter.

THE TARANAKI SEAT.

NEW PLYMOUTH, yesterday. Interest in to-morrow’s election hasalmost reached fever beat. To-night the Hon. Mr. Carroll, addressed an overflowing audience in the Theatie Royal in the interest of the Government candidate, Mr.' Dockrill, appealing to the party to close its ranks to prevent a split in the vote, "hick would let the Opposition win_Uhe seat. A vote oi thanks in the Ministry and Mr. Dockrill was carried, the meeting concluding with alternate cheers to Messrs. Doekrill and Malone, the Jjiberal candidates. Mr. Massev; with the Opposition candidate, Mr. Okcy, addressed a somewhat smaller meeting m tin Drill Hall, the former dealing mainly with the Land Bill. A vote of thanks was carried. *