STAFFING OF SCHOOLS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2129, 11 July 1907, Page 1

STAFFING OF SCHOOLS.

DISCUSSED AT EDUCATION BOARD. At Monday’s meeting iol the Hawke’s Bay Education Board the staffing of schools was discussed. Mr. Darton said r The question of staffing of schools is so important that I need not olfer any apology for bringing it forward, or for asking members to consider any proposal that might benefit that system. It is almost universally admitted that our present system is, to say the least of it, faulty. This has practically been admitted by the Educat-

ion Department, but the question is, .llow can this be remedied? Before suggesting any ret onus, we might first of all see where the defect's in the present system lie. The whole question of staffing is at present regulated by the fourth schedule of the Education Act and I’art VIII of the regulations. Under the fcjiirth schedule, schools arc graded from 0-30, and the salaries and staff arranged accordingly, subject of course, to the regulations in i’art VIII. When grading schools. I admit, a

line must be drawn somewhere, and it is not where the- lines have been drawn that I am at present proposing to deal with. 1 will leave that to others more qualified to criticise. 1 will assume that grading has been done in the best possible manner Ten grades have been provided lor, average attendance varying from 1 to 150, with a different staffing and different salaries for each grade. I wish to point out to you the .difficulties aiifj hardships that schools have to go through while paging from

one grade to another, and, in order to make the matter clearer, I will ■ show you how the Act works out in some of our schools. Take for instance Te Auto, with an average attendance of 41 .Porangaliau with 44, Petano with 38, Mangatcretere with 46. For the last ouartcr, each of these schools has t'wo teachers, while Pukahu, with a roll number of 57 and an average of 45, and Pu'ketapu, with a roll number of 58 and an average of 49, have only one teacher each. And bear in mind that this is ill accordance with the Act; I would ask you, Is it fair to expect

one tcaclier to teach 58 children in the various standards? You must admit that it is slavery for the teacher and an injustice to the children. It would, under the Act require an average of 47 for two quarters (practically a roll number ol 60) before any rise in salary or addition to the staff can lie obtained. Take as an example a school in Grade 1., with an average for the year of 18 children. The salary is fixed at £llO. If settlement takes place (and we have many instances in Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay), and the rol Inumber goes up to of), with an average of say 40, the teacher get's no rise in salary or assistance for that year. Then even if the average attendance for the first quarter of the next year goes up to oft, the teacher Jins to battle along without any rise in salary and without any assistance. It would require an average of 47 (say a roll number of 60) for two quarters be fore any addition in staff is given, but it does not matter what the at-

tendance may list* to. even 000, the salary remains tlie same for the year. The case of A!angana|>a clearly illustrates this. Although the average attendance for last quarter was 130, the salaries and staffing are just the same for a school of 91. 1 could give you very many more instance; ; of injustices that tlie regulations inflict on schools which are struggling • to get ijito another grade, hut' 1 think • I have given sulUeient to warrant ns in asking for some remedy. In

my opinion, the greater part of the evil is caused by stalling on “average attendance.” I think you will admit there is not' one argueinont in favor of “average attendance.” li 20 out- of a class of 00 are away, the average attendance comes down,, but it is all the harder for the teacher to bring up those children that were away—it practically means teaching that many more children. A very much more fair way would

be to staff on tlic “hijgest attendance’' of- each week. This would 1 claim, be a fairer "aiiee of what a teacher has to dp. Wlplp a sellout is battlinp from' one grade to another, the Education Hoard should he empowered bv the Department to send assistance to any school that needs it, and yet is not entitled to it under the Act. I would therefore move as follows: “That- the attention of the department be caller! to the present unsat-

isfactory system of staffing, that the department he asked to consider the advisability of stalling on the average highest weekly attendance, and that the ICducation Hoards he authorised to send temporary assistance to those schools that require it.” The motion was seconded by Mr. Morgan and cgrriejl unaniijiopsly.