EDUCATION BOARD.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4410, 8 May 1875, Page 3

EDUCATION BOARD.

An adjourned meeting of the Board was held yesterday. Members present : The Hon. C. J. Pharazyn (chairman), Mr. Andrew, Mr. Bunny, Mr. Brandon, Mr. Hutchison, Mr. Toomath, and Sir. Watt. THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. The discussion upon the proposal of Mr. Brandon, with reference to the appointment of a nominated hoard, and the amendment of Mr. Hutchison, was resumed, but, as will be observed, it was proceeded with in a highly irregular - manner, irrespective of continuity or the proper order of business. The amendment of Mr. Hutchison is reprinted to refresh the memory of our readers. It is as follows :—“ That as a Central Board cannot efficiently cany on the education business of the province without local committees, the Board suggests to the Provincial Council that the Education Act should be amended to the extent of enacting that the Education Board should divide the province into suitable school districts, in each of which a committee of five members shall be elected annually under such regulations as the Board may determine, and to'these local committees shall be given the power of appointing teachers to the schools in their respective districts, and the general management and supervision of these schools, without interfering with the teaching or internal discipline therein. That education shall be compulsory, and that the teachers shall report to the local committees, from time to time, as to the attendance or non-attendance of all children of school age in their districts.’* Mr. Andrew : If we carry this amendment, does it do away with Mr. Brandon’s proposal altogether ? Mr. Hutchison : Yes. Mr. Bunny : .There are certain things the amendment to which I cannot agree. Eor instance, it says that we are to entrust these local committees with the general management of the schools and the appointment of schoolmasters. What good would there be in having an inspector if we carry such a proposal as this ? Mr. Andrew ; It appears to me that the amendment is so comprehensive that we cannot accept it under present circumstances. The Chairman : Experience proves that we must have a nominated board, as it is impossible under the present system to secure regular attendance of members. Mr. Bunny - : But this amendment proposes that there shall not only be a Central Board, but that there shall be a local committee of five members in each district. Beally the whole power would be vested in these local committees. The Central Board would have little to do beyond looking after the finances. We might save the salary of the Inspector, but we should bring the whole system into a pretty muddle. Mr. Hutchison : The Board will observe that I have excepted the internal management of the schools altogether. The first duty of the Inspector would be to see that the masters were qualified. Mr. Bunny : If we carry this amendment we shall be bound to do what is there specified. I hope the Board will not come to a hasty conclusion in regard to such a’ matter. Mr. Andrew : I thoroughly agree vvith you. Mr. Hutchison : The whole business of Inspector is left entirely untouched. Every person who applies for the position of master under the Board Yvill have to pass an examination hy the Inspector. Until a person obtains a certificate he cannot be appointed to the charge of a school, and it would be the duty of the Inspector to see that he did his work properlv. All the local committee would have to do with the appointment of a master would be to see that his moral and social capabilities were satisfactory, the Inspector first having satisfied himself of his scholastic fitness. The Chairman : I doubt whether the local committees would accept such responsibilities. Mr. Hutchison : The people wish it themselves. Mr. Watt: I regret I was not present when the former discussion upon this question took place. I regard the original proposal and this amendment as an attempt to interfere with what we have done. The Board has been a long time getting things into proper working order, and we have had the assistance of an able Inspector,whose services we were fortunate to obtain. As to these local committees, I know of no district where the people would care to have such a responsibility thrown upon them. However, I don’t object to the appointment of these committees, but I do object to their interference with the Inspector. It is an unnecessary attempt to disturb a satisfac-. tory state of things. Eor instance, where are these local committees to find their teachers ? Take the Bangitikei district. There the inhabitants have as much as they can do to manage their own affairs, and I question very much whether they would care to be bothered looking after a fresh teacher every time one was wanted. Besides, I have not heard of a single schoolmaster appointed lately being unfit for his position. Even in the case of Mr. Halkett, whose place it was thought impossible to fill, so highly did the settlers regard hbn, a successor has been found who was quite competent to fill the vacancy, while Mr. Halkett had been benefited pecuniarily by the change. Every day the people are becoming more reconciled to the present system, and I am at a loss to conceive why we should seek to overturn it. We heard complaints last night, in the Provincial Council, from Messrs. Ludlam and Milne, but we must always look for a dissatisfied feeling at the Hutt, because they are a most cantankerous people, and always have been, from the first day we had a Constitution in the country. But even in that district the condition of things is much improved, and they are in a lair way to get along better. In townships the local committees may be very useful but to attempt to make them work in outlying districts, where there are perhaps only ten or twelve children attending school, is ridiculous. The Inspector has done admirable work, but we cannot expect to perfect the system all at once. All that is wanted is the disposition to carry out the system properly, instead of trying to throw obstructions m the way. I see no necessity for these- changes, and I shall oppose them. Mr. Hutchison : I may explain that the proposed changes originated with Mr. Brandon, and not with me. We have placed before us a proposal to effect a radical change, and I met it with another proposal to introduce a system which I believe meets with the approval of the people themselves. . , , Mr Watt ; I was surprised to hear the remarks made by Mr. Brandon the other evenin,, hut we are not bound to do everything he proposes. Very likely when he hears the opinion of members from the country districts he may modify his views. As to the nominated and elective principles, we are an elective body at present. It is only in the case of a district failing to fill np a vacancy that the Superintendent nominates a member, and l don’t know that we have suffered from the exercise of that power. . Mr ANDREW : Mr. Bunny is a nominated member, and he’s not a bad specimen. ber, too, Mr. Pharazyn, are you not ? The Chairman ; No, sir; I was elected. Mr Watt ; Then, as to the difficulty of netting members, I have no fear that we shall not be able to get them when they are re(l'The’Board then went hack to the consideration of Mr. Brandon’s proposals, and on the H‘The Board’ is of opinion that provision should be made for the Sed education of children residing more than four miles from any public school, and that one means of doing so would bo y grant in aid of private tuition, which should pot exceed the amount of rates paid by the first* clause of the second section was then proposed. It reads thus • That, after nearly three years’ cNpcrlcncctlicylmv-o come to the conclusion that a Central board, as under the present system, is a mistake. Mr Andrew ; When one votes upon a question such as this, it is necessary that he should offer some explanation of the vote ho intends to give. I vote for this clause, because whereas the meetings of the Board are supposed to represent the whole Board, it is an admitted fact that they do not. Meetings are

frequently held at which the country members are unable to bo present, unless at considerable expense to themselves or the Board, and they do not care to incur such expense. If the system were so altered that important subjects should-only be discussed at a limited number of meetings in the year, say four, I should not vote for tins clause, but I vote for it because the system is unsatisfactory in this respect. Mr. Toomavu : .1 think the Board will stidtifyilsolf if it dcolaw^that.thopivsontsystem ia a mistake, when WO have the statement of Mr. Watt and other members that it has done a great deal of good. Mr. Ax misW ; V agree that the Board has done a great deal of good, but it it ia possible to do more good, which has not boon done, then it is a logical conclusion to say that it has been a mistake. I grant that it might have been a greater mistake. We have done a good deal, but if we had been differently constituted wo might have done a good deal more. Mr.'Watt; I think" it undesirable to proceed with the discussion iu the absence of several members. Mr. Cash, of Bangitikei, will be hero this evening, and it is a pity to si"ii our death warrant hastily. I move that tlTe further consideration of this clause be postponed. Mr. Andrew : I will second that, and at the same time mention that the fact of our having to adjourn, on account of the non-attendance of Mr. Cash, brings about the possibility of our throwing away an opportunity of amending the Education Act for a whole twelve months.

Mr. Hutchison : If you are anxious to amend the Act, it is open to you to bring forward a Bill in the Provincial Council to-night. Mr. Andrew ; It is quite open to me, but it would be said that Mr. Andrew is a very crotchetty old fellow to bring In a Bill without the sanction of the Education Board, and I should be put down. Mr. Hutchison : I don’t see how this clause can be dealt ■with separately in any way. My amendment traverses the whole of Mr. Brandon’s resolutions. Mr. Andrew : I think it would be better to postpone the further consideration of the whole subject. CThere is no certainty that the Provincial Council will bo prorogued to-mor-row. The Appropriation Act and several supplementary estimates have yet to be brought forward. Besides, any member of the Council can, according to strict parliamentary practice, delay the prorogation for a week. 1 will undertake to protract the session for a week, provided any good can be done. The discussion upon the whole question was then postponed till Monday next. INCREASE OF SALARIES. The Secretary stated that as Mr. Bunny had been compelled to leave the Board it would be impossible to proceed with the discussion upon the motion relative to the twenty per cent, increase on the masters’ salaries. Mr. Toojiath inquired whether the Inspector had prepared his scheme for the payment of masters according to results its well as numbers.

The Inspector stated that he had prepared a scheme for a better system of payment of teachers, framed partly on the particular class or division for which they were certificated, partly on the average attendance of their respective schools, and partly by results, as shown hy their success in passing pupils through standard III.; also, granting £2O per annum to head masters iu country schools, and £lO per annum to masters of town schools, in lieu of residence where no house is provided. He had also prepared a table, showing the present actual salary of every teacher, the amount of each such salary increased by the simple addition of twenty per cent., and what it would be under his proposed scale of payments, the two latter coinciding most closely. Mr. Toomath asked whether that included any payment for teaching pupil teachers. The Inspector said it did not. He was preparing a scheme modelled upon the Otago plan, under which masters would receive £lO for teaching the first pupil, and £5 [for every other. certificates of qualification. The Inspector recommended that certificates should be issued by the Board to the following gentlemen, in consideration of the scholarships set forth in each case :—Ernstclass certificate to be issued to Mr. William Mowbray, who passed his examination as student in the third year at St. Mark s College, Chelsea ; first-class certificate to A. W. Williamson, 8.A., Otago University ; second-class certificate to Mr. W. H. Holmes, who holds a third-class certificate from her Majesty’s Privy Council]; second-class certificate to Mr. G. Williams, who holds a thirdclass certificate from her Majesty’s Privy Council ; second-class certificate to Mr. J. Hurley, who holds a second-class certificate from the Irish National Board; second-class certificate to Mr. William West, who holds a second-class certificate from the Training Institute, Glasgow ; and that it be an instruction to the Inspector to issue certificates of the third-class to candidates possessing certificates issued in Great Britain or the colonies, of equal value to a third-class certificate. The recommendations were adopted. general suggestions. The following suggestions of the Inspector were adopted I That no school be opened at the Bonny Glen at present.—That Makirikiri school be made a full-time school. —That Greatford school he re-opened.—That the proposed extension of the school at Bull’s he delayed.— That the proposed new school (No. 2) at Caernarvon he not established at present. taeatahi. The settlement of the dispute as to the site for the Taratahi school was further delayed till after the return of the Inspector from his visit to the Wairarapa. woodside. A similar difference in regard to the site of the Woodside school, was left over till the receipt of a report from the Inspector, who will visit the district probably next iveek. wainuiomata. A vote of £l3 was passed for the erection of a chimney at the Wainuiomata school. kaiwaera. _ ■ The Board having agreed to allow Miss Stevens, the mistress of this school, to withdraw her resignation. Miss Stevens intimated that she was willing to do so, upon condition that some necessary alterations were made to the residence. The Inspector stated that the alterations were very much required. It was decided that the local committee should bo asked to report as to whether it would be better to carry out. the alterations or build a new cottage. scholarship certificates. Adam Grant and other scholars at Taratahi applied to the Board to allow the Inspector to conduct an examination for scholarship certificates. The Board considered it desirable to encourage such a feeling on the part of the scholars, and the Inspector was instructed to conduct the examination during his visit. remission op pees. In the case of certain widows who alleged that they were unable to pay school fees for their children, Mr. Holmes, of Te Aro school, was instructed to use his discretion in regard to the applications. The Secretary slated that the number of children for which remission was asked was fourteen. The Board then adjourned till Monday next.