TARANAKI TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8168, 30 July 1906, Page 2

TARANAKI TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Taranaki Teachers' Institute was held in the Education Oilices, New Plymouth, on Saturday afternoon, when Mr F. A. I'yrer presided over >m attendance of between thirty and forty members. Mr Gray (Opunake) moved, according" to notice, that the Institute be reconstructed. His motion provided for three centres, New Plymouth, Stratford, and Opunake, for branch meetings, members to be allowed to attend any branch they pleased;. the branches to be governed according to the rules of the New' Zealand Educa - tional Institute and to each have its

own officers and secretary, who shall not hold similar positions on the general body; that the general officers of the Institute comprise a president, secretary,, and treasurer, auditor, and an executive committee of six, being two ■representatives elected by each branch. Mr Gray, in explaining his scheme, pointed

to the disadvantages of the present construction, distance from the centre being an obstacle in the way

of getting full meetings. Mr Dempsey supported the scheme. Something like this was needed to resuscitate the Institute, which had become very much a dead letter until recently. A similar plan had been adopted in the Dannevirke district, with the result that out of 54 teachers there were now 52 members. By cutting this district into sections better attendances would be secured, for it was very difficult for teachers inland of Stratford to attend a meeting at New Plymouth, and for, say, an Opunake teacher to come either to New Plymouth or Stratford. He hoped the suggestion would be adopted, and believed it would give the Institute a new lease of life. The motion was carried without dissent. Mrs Dowling suggested that meetings of the New Plymouth branch might be held on Friday evenings. This would give teachers their Saturday afternoons free for

shopping. Mr Gray: I know when the Opunake centre will meet next Saturday. The election of officers resulted President, Mr W. A. Burnside. M.A. (Inglewood); secretary and treasurer, Mr A. Gray (Opunake); auditor, Mr VV, ]. Evans (Ngaire); delegates to the New Zealand Educational Institute, Mrs Dowling and Mr Gray.

Mr Dempsey brought up the matter o£ making a refund of legal expenses to a teacher. He detailec" the circumstances. In an Okatt truancy case, Mr Boycc's registei was challenged, and he engaged r solicitor to watch Court proceedigs for him, paying the expenses out o ! his own pocket. Then a petitior was cirulated among parents wilr the object of removing the teacher and the Institute was approcahed It was thought the petition container libellous matter, and a solicitor was consulted. Although this cost was undertaken on the motion .of the Institute, Mr Boyce had since hat to pay the fee. Under the circumstances, he thought a refuno should be made.

Mr Boyce said he was not anxiou; for the refund, and would hand thr sjuinca to the Institute funds. Bu' 3e wanted the matter settled t< establish-the principle.

Mr Sims and several other speakers thought the Institute 0' little use to teachers if the refund were not granted. Mr Tyrcr spoke in a similar strain and on the question being put a refund was made.

A remit was discussed, to the effect that in the opinion of the Institute it is not desirable thai relatives of a teacher should si! upon the committee of the school a' which such teacher is engaged. The meeting affirmed the principle, the tone of the discussion being that the teachers woulc' rather be independent. It wa; mentioned that at one school a lady teacher had "got a bad time" because a relative happened to be or the committee. On the other hand a tea< her might expect undue favo rr s from a relative so situated. A proposal that the Minister foi Railways be asked to make concessions to teachers travelling on the railways during the currency of the International Exhibition was discussed.

Mr Dempsev strenuously opposed the motion. He could not see why teachers should get preferential treatment. They were as well paid as other people, and, at any rate, any concession made would be so trivial as not to be worth troubling about. All fares would, doubtless, be greatly reduced at Exhibition time.

The President said the teachers got lower rates on steamers ; why not on trains ?

The motion was carried, two dissenting'.

On the question of asking- the Minister of Education to frame the teachers' holidays, so that they should be uniform in all districts, Mr liurnside supported the remit. It was unfair that in some districts teachers got more holidays than in others. In Auckland, for instance, teachers were holiday making whilst Taranaki teachers were working. Mr Sims said that there was no chance of forming a universal lioli day system. In Canterbury, holidays had to be given to suit the harvesting; in Nelson, to suit hop picking; and so on. Mrs Dowling explained that a uniform amount was aimed at, not uniform dates. The motion was carried. On the question, that the Minister be asked to amend the scale of salaries,_ so that no certificated teacher in sole charge shall receive less than /'no per annum. Mr Gray said he would second if the words "in sole charge'' were deleted. In schools where there wen 1 , say, two teachers, they had more work to do than manv sole teachers. Mr Sims, in supporting, referred to the 'Daily News 1 report of MiWeiss' case at where

on account of the bad roads and impoverished (attendance, the teacher's salary had fallen from £go to /66 per annum. Mr Clark said this was an unfortunate quotation, as Mr Weiss was an uncertificated I'-eher. Mr Sims ar-reed that the motion should refer only to certificated teachers, for they could easily obtain certificates.

Mr Tvrer favoured the proposal. The position of a sirl sent away into the backblccks as a sole teacher was not comparable with that of a junior assistant in a town. The latter had every advantage that the country teacher had not.

j Mr Dempsev mentioned the case [ of a young teacher in the backblocks who had to ride through two miles of mud to school every day, not being- able to obtain lodgings nearer. Such teachers deserved a decent salary, as the cost of living was twice that ruling in the towns. U was decided to ask the Education Hoard, in the interests of those teachers who have to sit fori examinations during the Christmas holidays, to extend the midsummer vacation to February 21st, so that the teachers may be given an opportunity of attending the Christcluirch Exhibition. Hie matter of grading members' subscriptions to the Institute on the basis of salaries was referred to the Executive.

Mr Dempsev moved that the Minister for Education be asked to amend the Superannuation Act, so that sixtieths would be obtainable for back service. Mr Tyrer seconded, and the motion wag carried, 1