GRADING OF TEACHERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 May 1916, Page 3

GRADING OF TEACHERS.

A GOVERXMEXT SCHEME. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, May IS. Regulations for grading teachers under tlie new scheme were gazetted today. They provide for a Dominion grading scheme, for which teachers have been agitating for many years past.; The inspectors, acting together, are to meet annually in order to grade certificated tiachers employed by the Education Boards in their own districts as on February 1, and to report' to the Minister toi Education not later than March SI. Provision is made for certificated teachers who may be temporarily out of employment and for Native school teachers. For the purpose of determining the grading of teachers, the inspectors are to divide teachers provisionally into six groups, as follows: Group A, bead teachers with salaries of grade I, and assistants with salaries of grades I and II; group li, head teachers with salaries of grade II and assistants ivith salaries of grade III: group 0, head teachers with salaries of grade NT and assistants with sairies of grades IV and V: group D, head teachers with salaries of grade IV and assistants with salaries of grade VI and VII; group E. head teachers with salaries of grades IV and V; group 1), tiachers with salaries of grades VI or VII.

It is provided that head teachers of district high schools, unless classified in Group F, shall be placed in the group next above that in which they would otherwise be placed under the above provisions. Teachers' in part time schools are to be grouped in all cases as if their grade of salary were determined by part 4 (B), of the fifth schedule of the Education Act. Relieving: and temporary teachers, other than permanent relieving teachers, are to be grouped according to the grade of salary of their last permanent position. In the cases of novfnal schools, the kindergarten mistress, senior secondary assistant and sole teacher shall be placed in grade A. The remaining assistants in such schools, other than those in charge of middle schools, arc to be grouped according to the grade of salary they would receive in oorresoonding positions in schools of grade VIT, but are not to be placed in a group lower than B except as otherwise provided. The grade of salary for the purpose of these regulations is to be the grade of salary in parts 1 and 2 of the Fourth schedule of the Education Act. payable to the teacher on February 1, but shall not include any additional nayment or

allowance by way of salary or other wise.

Marks are to be allocated by the inspectors for the purpose of grading on the following basis: Skill in teaching, maximum marks 4(1; personality and discipline, 15; organisation and management. Id; environment, .">: academic attainments, 10; service, 1(1. In allotting marks under the several headings above stated the grading officers shall be guided by the following table of comparative values:— Maximum, 40 15 5 Very good to exexcellent 35—W 53-13 5 Good ...■ :«)—•» I"" 12 4 Very Fair 23-29 8-0 3 Fiii- ... 20—24 (i— V 2 Weak".'.'..'."..... IS-m *-5 1 Very Weak 10-14 3 0 Marks for environment are to be awarded to a teacher in respect of the school and its surroundings and for evidence of the teacher's value as a useful factor in the life of the community. A further clause provides that to marks awarded under the above scale there shall be added quotas for the purpose of weighing value of the marks i:i the classified groups in recognition of the relatively higher qualifications demanded by higher positions. The quotas will be as follows: Group A, 10; group B 20; group O, SO; group T>. 40; group E. 50; group F, ISO. The grading test, as prepared bv the inspectors in the. different districts, will be forwarded to the Minister for Education, who will publish a complete list before June 30' in each year. All marks will be regarded as confidential, and any teacher who is dissatisfied with his or her grading may appeal in writing to the Director of Education not later than July 31.