EDUCATION BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 211, 15 December 1910, Page 3

EDUCATION BOARD

| MONTHLY MEET IXO. k The mooting of the Taranaki Kdncntion Board was continued yesterday morning, all members being present, with the exception of Mr. Cargill. RKPLYIXG TO THE INSPECTORS. The follfiwing resolutions were received from the Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Educational institute, in reply to the inspectors' answer to the suggestions forwarded by the institute regarding the grading and classification of teachers: —"(1) The institute regrets that the inspectors, by practically ignoring the suggestions of the Institute, have shown a total lack of interest in their teachers, and they feel keenly the want of sympathy shown by the reply received to their suggestions. (2) It is evident from the opinion of the inspectors that the classification scheme is not for the Taranaki district only, and as other boards discourage applications from teachers outside their own district, there is no chance of promotion for Taranaki teachers. The Institute is ol opinion that academic attainment alone is not a guarantee of general culture and ability to teach, the latter of which is moire important for success as a teacher. Under the Auckland Board a D 1 certificate is considered sufficient academic attainment for the rank of inspector. (3) All the power of awarding marks for efficiency should not be left entirely in the hands of the inspectors. Marks already given for attainment, as shown by the figures on certificates, should not be afterwards practically taken away. In this way work already done is ignored. A teacher, so long as he is in good health and takes interest in his work, does not, in ordinary circumstances, deteriorate in his work. (4) Grouping of A and B certificates. The > inspector? have practically done this in i 'their own scheme by putting both in i grade 1. The .teachers of this district arc laboring under great disadvantage in qualifying for degrees, especially in science, owing to their distance from a university. (5) Environment. Apparently the inspectors are not fully acquainted with the difficulties in many cases of improving the environment ol a school. (6) Low marking. The Institute still maintains that the marking by the inspectors is too low, and that according to the judgment of the inspectors a great majority of the teachers may be looked upon as inefficient. Their own annual reports do not carry. out this condemnation. In the Department regulations 14 marks qualify for grade 1 and denote excellence. Taranaki lias, many teachers in, this grade, but under the Board's scheme these ssme teachers are classed as only satisfactory or even lower. The Institute is prepared to quote instances in support of its opinion. (7) Appeal; The Institute considers that the whole Board with its inspectors is too cumbersome a body to deal with an appeal. There can be no arbitration without the presence ol a teacher on the appeal boards." • The letter was "received" and the Institute will be informed that the. Board has already adopted tlie ! inspectors' r& commendations. • TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT.

Mr. F. J. Eggleston was appointed temporary teacher of the two Tongaporutu half-time schools.

APPOINTMENT.

Miss C. E. Wylie was appointed assistant teacher at the Oaonui school as from 30th January, 1911.

CONTRARY TO REGULATIONS. The Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute forwarded a copy of the following resolution, which had been carried at the last meeting of the branch: "The Institute regrets that in the recent inquiry regarding punishment in one of our schools matters of which the teacher had no notice were introduced into the inquiry, contrary to regulation 38." On the motion of Mr. KennedyJ seconded by Mir; Adlam, the Board resolved to inform the Institute that it considered the .teacher referred to. had no real grounds for complaint either in the way the Board's committee conducted the inquiry, or in the way the Board dealt with the report. /

COMMITTEEMEN ELECTED.

The Board was notified that Mr. George Barleyman : had been elected to the Tututawa school committee in place of Mr. J. Brotli; and that Mr, A. Corney had been elected to the Tarata committee iji place ■ of Mr. Crozier, who had left:the district.—The appointments were confirmed.

URUTI'S OBJECTION. With regard to the Board's refusal to establish a school at Mt. Messenger, Mr. D. Eraser, of Uruti, wrote' stating <( We also saw by the Press that the inspector wished to add insult to injury by stating that we made misleading and inaccurate statements in reference to the petition we sent in; But if the Board will appoint some person to wait on us we will show him the children," also the mile pegs."—Mr. Fraser is to be informed that the discrepancies referred to by the inspector were in regard to the distances, not the number of children.

REFUND OF RATES WANTED. The secretary of the Central school committee - forwarded the following resolution: "That the attention of the Education Board be drawn to the recent decision of the Supreme Court, whereby it was ruled that school residences were exempt from local rates, and requests the Board to take the necessary action

to obtain a refund of rates on behalf of Mr. Dempsey from the Borough Council in respect of rates paid by him under protest, on account of the Central school 're&idence."-—The Board decided to irefer the matter to its solicitor for his opinion.

EXTENSION OF SCHOLARSHIP.

Mr. J. W. Tibbe, headmaster of the Auckland Grammar School, recommended the Board to favorably consider the extension of the scholarship now held by F. A. Campbell, which terminates this month, stating that Campbell is making good use of his time, is punctual in the performance of his duties, and is making very satisfactory progress.— The Board decided that it had no power to extend the period of its scholarship beyond the two years. APPROVED.

The chairman of the Central school committee (Mr. F. P. Corkill) wrote explaining why the school was holding its "breaking-up" ceremony on Thursday, 15th inst., instead of Friday.—The committee's action was approved. The Kaimiro committee reported that in accordance with the orders of the i district health officer, the school had I been closed for a week on account of a suspected outbreak of scarlet fever, and that the school building had been fumigated.—Approved. The Lepperton committee reported that the school had been closed on ac 4 count of an outbreak of scarlatina. The committee suggested that the school be. not opened again before the holidays, but that it be opened a week eariier in January—The action of the committee in closing the school was approved, and .the suggestion that the school bt opened a week earlier in January was \ .agreed to, providing tl\e teacher ii jtgreenblc.