Educational Questions.

Manawatu Herald, 18 September 1894, Page 3

Educational Questions.

A deputation of members waited on the Minister of Education gome days ago to confer with him on certain educational ques tions. Mr Reeves said it would be useless to bring down a measure this session equalising the salaries of teachers throughout the Colony and providing for the marking of moneys voted by the House for salaries in auch a way as to prevent them being being diverted to other objects, since there would be no chance of it passing. He would ask the Cabinet that one might be introduced next session, and he would look to have the support of members in carrying it through. There would be, he said, some difficulty in drafting the Bill, chiefly for financial reasons, and before it came before the House he would submit it to the various Boards of Education and Teachers' Institutes so as to obtain their views. The finances of Boards throughout the colony were not in a satisfactory position. Many had been living by transferring money from the building fund to. the fond for- teachers'*

salaries, and vice versa. He admitted that in many cases the Boards were hardly to blame, as they had got themselves into diffi culties through demands made od them by country schools. Mr Reeves expressed himself strongly in favour of the classification of salaries. Such an arrarig-thent would make Boards ittqre careful; as they would pot have a fund* to citt irito. The Minister Said he had consulted the tiatfl' Officers pf the Crowp and had put a stop to Education Boards charging for teacherss' residences. He could pti\j ; intimate to them tfrat such i>t ; abti.e Ms #ror_gj tis He had aoiie in the case of transferring money from the teacher-*' fund to the build ing fund. Mr Reeves also expressed the opinion that there should be legislation introduced in the direction of centralising inspection.