WELLINGTON EDUCATION BOARD.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4320, 25 January 1875, Page 3

WELLINGTON EDUCATION BOARD.

TO TIIK EDITOR. Sin,—Your leader on the Education Board, conta'oe.l in Thursday'* issue, ha? drawn from tho Tribune a feeble excuse for tho action taken by Messrs. • Fbarazvn. Hutchison, and Toomath concerning the mmnrcntlv honest—but ren'ly cuiminc—motion of the latter gentleman. The resolution, that was carried by a majoritv of ono, showed its seeuimsr o]«n---lie-s In the excuse that wan offered for it. viz.. that it was imperative that the cxpen 'ihire should be curta'lel* its real disinscnunnsness is c'earlv manifested bv the fact, that a few hours after "Mr Toomath s resolution was carr'et. the " Mercnrv of the ends (who Is either marts a convenient'afde-de-oamn or natura iy lias a taste for doimr odd jobsl purchased a town acre for the Board for £4OO. which sum will, no doubt. swll to .61200 or £I3OO before a suitable school building can be erected as a monument, to the diplomacy an 1 skill o' the member for Karori. Now. although I cnrlla'lv nirree with Mr. Toomath in h'« desire to obtain better school accommodation in this city, yet I can-not but re-ret that it should be bought by the dismissal of a valna' 1" officer in the employ of the YV ellin"ton Vacation Board. The Trilmne in an off-handed manner, implies that the duties of Inspector and Secretary ran easily bo ner'onned by one pcr<on. Now, if such be the e% , o _which I d-nv—how cnlnab'e has the Board been during tlie past vear. ■ unless amnle nrnnf can be ail luce 1 to show that the clerical work Ims decreased l,v one-ba'f in that period For. before Mr. I,ee was anointed Tnw-tor. Mr. Graham's time w.ss so much taken un. that Mr. Toomath kimltv rave his services (f-r travelling expenses onlyl to the Education Ttnarl, aid ins'i»cted the schools of the province. With what success " history recorded not " T have henrd disrosncctf.il rnmors-upon which however. I place D n reliance—to the effect that, when actinir as amateur schoolmaster at a n-ightiorinir township, the "nauchtv little vulear bovs" saluted the member for Karori with mud and stones. The common school system certainlv existed, as ymr evening contemporary asserts : but it was in a far tess perfect wav. unle-s the people's monev and the Inspector's time have been thrown away : a supposition which T do not think will be answered in the affirmative, for I am assured that not tho slightest bint of neglect or incapacitv has been thrown out at an" of the meetings (called to dismiss Mr. Toomath's motion) against either of tho dismissed ofi'icers. I have no idea of imputiti'.' harsh motives either to Mr. Hutchison or to Mr. Toomath, but it is barely possible that the former gentleman mav have drawn unfavorable impressions of Mr. Graham's abilities through hav'ng materially differed from him concernin" Mr Hu'ke's case, and the distribution of the Board's printing, upon which subject von pnb'tslicd a letter from Mr. Hutchison a month or two ago. Mr. Tooulath's views seem to differ verv much from tho=e of Mr. T-ee, who has. on more than one occasion, felt oblige 1 to state that such and. such a school or master ■was good or bad : a course (not coarse, as the Tribune has itl that has invariably drawn opposite views from his bk't voir. I think that Mr. Toomath would ease the min is of teachers (and taught} if he were to state his de'erminatfo* never asrain to inspect a school. Concerning the report of August, if I mistake not, the Inspector was present on one occasion (if not several timesl when the discussion upon it wa3 postponed to suit Mr. Toomath'sconvenience. In conclusion. I can onlv echo the hope expressed bv vou, that the Wellington Klucatlon Hoard will abandon the i iea of parting with two valuable oncers, an ' will endeavor to find means to meet outstanding debts by coaxing a few town, or suburban acres, from th' Provincial Government, before all the available and is alienated.—l am. &c.

S IK —Very prohMdv few w'll r»«d your vigorous condemnation of tli- Education Eonrd's recent action w<>h"iit ngreeing with you tJ>n.t it menus t.-ic over-th-ow or serious disturbance, of ft system just established! Not having heard tlie arguments adduced by Sir foomtth and his colleamcs or supporters, wo cannot, knnw fully upon what sufficient ernnnd it is eo'nl'ered advisable to combine the inspectorship of ic'-.ools and secretaryship to the Board. It is cronomy we aro to mmw. The Inspector receives £451. the B.vretary £"!0!>. per annum. If the Inspector undertakes the Secretary's responsibilities, he wants £SO per annum mo'e at least, and a clerk at £lsl per annum, go that the economical arrangement proposed saves £IOO per annum. No sensible person will agree that this is any real savin", taking into account the object for which ho=e officers are appointed. On the contrary, it is pn.liable that would be willingly added to tho=e amounts already paid, to secure a more liberal and cord'a' attention to the duties required and a more thoughtful consideration. I should hope, to assisting the tea"hers throughout the province, to improve the condition of elementary school instruction. Any stricter economy in maintaining schools mil be parsimony. Though I have somo oflicial information concerning most of the Canterbury and some of the Punedin and other schools, it is not complete. If I am not mistaken, however in my calculations, the head masters of the seven leadinor elementary schools in tho province of Canterbury, receive on an average—taking everything into account—salaries equal to that of our Inspector. Tho head masters of three principal elementary schools in Dnnedin received respectively £370, £357. and £331, and they may have had residences provided. Allow me. however, to give one example in full—Dnnedin Middle District School, the largestsalaries of teachers ; first. £370: second. £270; third, £200: head mistress, £IOB ; second mistress, £146: one assistant £75. another £75, and seven pupil teachers on an average £4O a year each. Total, seven teachers and seven pupil teachers. £ISS4; attendance, 529 scholars ; cost per scholar, £3. The largest Wellington, Mr. Holmes', Te Aro, 400 scholars: head master about £3OO, assistant £IOO, two at £6O and two at £"0 : total, six teachers and pupil teachers, about £SBO : cost, about £1 10s. per scholar, or just half of what would be paid according to the Dnnedin scale. No further step can be made towards economy In the province of Wellington. In Otago there are two Inspectors, I think one Sub-Inspector and one Secretary, all well paid, I believe. How many schools I don't know. In Canterbury, one Inspector, one SubInspector, one temporary Sub-Inspector, and one Secretary, seventy-five schools, 8000 scholars on books. In Wellington, one Inspector, one Secretary, fiftyeight schools. 3 1 00 scholars on books. As a resolution of the Board disallows blame to be used by schoolmasters towards members of the Board and. I think, the Secretary and Inspector, I cannot say anything as to the conduct of the Board or its officials, a 3 I shall not be so unjust a 3 to give generally due praise without giving due blame. I must say, however, that I hope the system inaugurated, however much of alteration it may require, will now be worked out carefully and not be disturbed to any extent Thanking you for giving so active a consideration to the question, am, &c, Schoolmaster.