EDUCATION BOARD.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2381, 3 November 1880, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

A meeting o£ the Board was held today. Present —Messrs Uelfield (chairman), Barclay, Postleth waite, Barker, Goldsmith, and Gray. The Chairman stated that the committee appointed to draw up a revised scale of! salaries for teachers had met, but they were not prepared at this meeting to make any definite recommendation. The secretary, however, had prepared a scheme of salaries in accordance with the provisions of the Act, which if adopted would effect a saving of £I2OO a year. It was desirable, as the Board was getting into financial difficulties, as things were at, present, that the matter should be dealt with as soon as possible, but it would be for the Board to say whether they would consider the secretary’s scheme at once, or defer the matter till the committee brought up their report, Mr Post.'ethwaite suggested that the proposal referred to should be considered at once, as it was desirable that expenditure should be kept within the Board’s income. The Sccretaiy proceeded to explain the financial position. lie estimated that under the present scale of salaries, the Board’s accounts would shew a deficiency at the end of the present year of £3OO. He did not propose to reduce the salaries of teachers but to reduce the number of teachers by altering the present maximum of pupils per teacher from do to 30. He also proposed that in large schools where there were a head mistress and second master one should bo abolished. Under the scheme be had prepared schools with an average attendance under 2d would be placed under the regulations for aided schools. According to the present quarter’s attendance the annual income would be £9332, and under the scheme proposed the expenditure would be £8307 leaving £1173 for the Board’s official expenses. He recommended that notice should be sent to all schools with an average under 2d that the services of the teacher would be dispensed with at the end of three mouths. Five schools would be affected, but under an}' circumstances, if the attendance at these schools was improved so as to reach the minimum of 2d the saving under the new scale would be over £IOOO. He proposed the following scale : Average Salary of attendance. Teachers. 2d to 30 £l3O 30 to 10 13d 40 to d 0 ... ... 13d to 140 do to #0 140 to It;o 80 to 120 104 to 200 120 to IGO 200 to 23G Schools with 80 children to be allowed a mistress at £BO a year, the salary to be raised gradually to £ 100, as the attendance increases. The maxiuin salary for head teachers would be £3do, viz., for schools with 800 children and upwards. He estimated thattiic alteration would give the Board a credit balance over and above all expenses of £OOO per year, and the efiiciency of the schools would not be materially interfered with. As an illustration of the operation of the new scheme he cited the Geraldine School, as follows : Present system. Now scale. £ s. £ Head master ... 231 8 ... 23(! Headmistress... 93 0\ Seed master ... 93 0) Assistant ... 03 0 • ... GO ) Two ) Pupil teacher... 40 0 - pupil >BO —J tclir *- 3~ur: £d2o 8 £470 In effect the teachers retained would be in a slightly better position as regards remuneration than they are at present, but schools with a head mistress and second master would have to dispense with cither one or the other, leaving the work to be provided for by an additional pupil teacher. Mr Gray moved, and Mr Postlethwaite seconded—“ That the new scale of salaries to teachers as recommended by the secretary be adopted, and that notice of change of salary or dismissal be at once sent to the various teachers. That committees of schools having an average attendance of under 23 be informed that their schools will in future be constituted aided schools, and requested to furnish information as to whether they are prepared to carry on the schools under that condition.” The following amendment was moved by .Mr Barclay—“ That the committee appointed last Board day be requested to continue their investigation as to a scale of payment of teachers, and to report at a further meeting.” Mr Goldsmith seconded the amendment pro forma. The original resolution was carried. It was idso resolved —“That the committee be authorised to meet again, and, if they find it advisable, to suggest any slight alterations in the revised scale of salaries, provided the money saved is not materially interfered with.” [Left sitting.]