TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 3 June 1907, Page 2

TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

Me New Plymouth centre of the Taraniki branch of ihc Teacher..' Institute ™ on Saturday. Jlr Oscar Johnson (piesident) occupied the chair, and th«r. were twelve other teachers present. ihe secretary reported tint % l,i'.» r ot sympathy hud been sent by 'the branch to the relatives of the late Air tr. \V. Potts, and that a wreath had also been forwarded on behalf of the members. .-,

The statement of the year's' working showed a credit of £1 15s 7d.-Adopted. Ihe chairman said that there had recently been a good deal of discussion wllh reference to the payment, clussiiication and promotion of teachers, ~ud it was necessary that Taranaki teacher* should do their part in cndeavoriii" to hring about a better state of affairs. The sub-committee sel up to consider the matter had made certain recommendations to this meeting of the Institute, and suggested that the decisions of this meeting should be brought personally beforo Hon. G. Foylds, Minister for Education.

The sub-committee set up to consider proposals for the amelioration of the conditions of teachers delivered their report, and the various points were fully discussed. It was resolved "that the -pxyment jn average attendance is unfair to tae teachers, for the teacher is not responsible for nor can he control the causes which occasion irregular attendance, stieli as wet weather, sickness, home troubles, home duties, etc."

In discussion it was pointed out that the compulsory clauses of the Education Act could only secure attendance on eight out of the ten times per week that the school is open. Thus the law only enforced eight-tenths of the possible arttendanceß; or, in other words, a c!ii',d fully complied with the law if he attended school for 32 weeks out of the 40 school weeks on which he might attend. And if every child attended :n this way the teacher was paid on only an eight-tenths attendance. Thus oil the colony's own law the average attendance need only be four-fifths of the possible. On that system any school might be reduced a grade, which meant reducing the number of teachers and also the salaries of those remaining. For these reasons, the branch decided to recommend ".that payment and staffing be based on the average roll number.'' instead of on the average attendance. It was further pointed out th it it was the teacher's duty to prepare for teaching the whole available pupils,and if all' were there he had to teach all. Following on this came a resolution ''that no teacher be reduced in salary owing to the roll being reduced after the teacher takes charge." Numerous iustinccs were quoted in which teachers took charge of schools at a certain sal-

ary, based on attendance. From ro fault of the teachers, the number 'f children of school age fell off, and with Cue drop in attendance came a lowering of the grade of the schools, and also of the teachers' salaries/ Members considered that in such a case a teacher should be given a chance in a larger 1 school. The meeting unanimously preferred "a colonial scheme of classification and promotion, and n, central board of classifiers, to consist of the Chief Inspectors in the various examining districts, ~n equal number of teachers, and a member of each Education Board;" the idea being that the teachers' representatives from each district should be elected Ly the teachers themselves. It was pointed out that at present teachers in one district have very great dilliculty in securing appointments in other districts, the Taranaki teachers

faring very badly in this respect, the name Taranaki being considered quite sullieient to put a man out of the running. One member remarked that he had endeavored to get a school in the Xorth Canterbury Education District; and had been told he would have to take a small school and work himself 'ip in the Board's service as he had already done under his own Board. The colonial system would have the effect, of putting teachers of one district on a level with their fellows elsewhere. "That no held teacher receive a salary of less than £2OO a year," was adopted without discussion.

Exception was taken to the large number of grades into which schools are now divided, somewhere about. 30, and it was resolved "that schools be divided into (ewer grades, not more than six; and that a minimum salary be fixed for each grade." Mr Evans pointed out that there would be another anomaly here, that schools of all sizes would be in one grade, so that teachers whilst en a level as regards salary, would lie. te telling vastly different mimjiers of children. To meet this somewhat, Mr Penlington moved, and it was resolvid, "that for every year of efficient service in one grade a teacher's salary be :n----creased by £5, up to £20,. when he would be entitled to go into the next grade." This would do a-. iy with (he big stop from grade to g -\ ■.

On the motion of the 1 ■■ • ; e:. it wis decided that Mrs Dowling >-srs .Johnson, l'eulington, and Mcflroy be a \leiutntion to wail upon the Hon. Minister for Education during his forthcoming vi..it to Xew Plymouth, and lay before liiin the decisions arrived at.

On the motion of Mr Penlington. seconded by Mr Pope, the secretary wis instructed to write to the various branch secretaries in the colony for information as to allocation of holidays.

Mr Mcllroy gave notice to move r.t (he gencnl meeting that the Kduc.ition Boards be asked to supply teachers with "ollicirtl'' stamps for use in official correspondence with the Boards, Mr Johnson M'ill move to reorganise (lie district, making the New Plymouth branch the main branch of .the Institute in Taranaki, and that other branches be sub-branches of this, with the idea tint the secretary at the Xew Plymouth centre, should be the district secretary. '.To will also suggest the holding of meetings in turn at Xew Plymouth, Inglewood, and Stratford.