EDUCATION COMMISSION

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10650, 5 June 1912, Page 5

EDUCATION COMMISSION

SOME INTERESTING EVIDENCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) , Last Night. , "Children are less examined . now•than they .used to; be,., hut. they..arc e. •still dvel#^rfraed;^ ; -said ~,' t]l€!'/ ' lit- ,; spector-Gencral cf Schools' (Mr Hogben) at to-day's alting of the Education Commission.

"I bave no hesitation in saying that we are an over-examined •comm'unaty," •was the opinion expressed by MrrE. R. Mulgan, Chief Inspector under tlie Auckland (Board. "Children, are ■examined from the cradle to the •grave. The result is that there is a •tendency to lose sight of the real objects of education, on the part of teachers, pupils, and parents. An examination, of some kind is 'necessary. For one .reason., the public must have some safeguard that ibe work of the schools is being earrieu on properly." ' He •suggested that ntetead of three, two •term examinations should be made by the toeadimaster in. each y'ear. The part taken by s c'hool committees in the selection of teachers for primary schools, was the subject of a question) .addressed to Mr Hogben by Mr Kirk. : "The: Committees in some parts of •the tDomiriion," said Mr Hogben, "have too miiich voice in the / choice of teachers." Be considered that the ■Ooifflmittees-should bave some opportunity to express an opinion, but the Board should make the actual selection;. He-.-was certainly opposed to any extension' of the .Committee's powers- in, regard to the appointment of teachers., for tbe reason that they were not in the possession of the information necessary for the making of a selection. They had. only paper and hearsay evidence, or informatiqiii Tney gained from teachers who interviewed the members. 'Mr Hogben 'agreed -.with nlemtoers of the Commission that a mistake bad beeai made .in giving committees the final cWoi.ce •when four names-were submitted to tit. ! iM'r Piram said that in order to a.v•oidi the (effects of that mistake the Boards 'sent one name to the Com- ' 'mittees in each case.

• Questions irelatircg tio the staffing of primary scliodlis were discussed by Mr Muigan, Oiieif Inspector under the •Auclitomtl Board <of Education. Mr Mulgan said that a great deal had been done iby the Inspector-General in the matter of givirtg ito schools a more Hberail staffing, bait Borne of Ahem, though the regulations were complied •wlith, were in his lapinioro under-staff-ed, lit som© of 'the large schools as ■many, as 60 or,-.70, and even more pupils were under one -teacher, and. that ( was too many children Ifor one teacher. •Tt was true that in such a class there •wbitfd he a- pupi'l teacher; but he i:ould give ; really vCry little -practical There was a short supply u>f teachers. One cause Avas that the iperiod of training was eo long. A (teacliei} could not earn even an assietlamt's salary before the age /of 23 •years. "Another reason is that we iclo riot pay our teachers and assistants enough," said Mr Mulgan. Tliere lare .not enough .prizes, in fact I think fyhovG aire no prizes at all in> the service. I coiii&ider, if I have been corVeeflFy informed,, that half of the service is ■ underpaid. The maximum Salary paid to headmasters is £4OO, Vwith £SO house allowance." Mr Davidison., a member of the iOommisslon, remarked that it took six years to reach the highest grades.: Mi- Mulgaw added that there were only a few positions ifor which the salary was ,na.id. The iresnilt was that 'teaoliteirs' lacked Ithe incentive to work that existed in. other- professions, _ in which there a.chance of promotion {Uftl 'SUCCC69. ' ' .