The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2497, 12 July 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1888.

Equal exact justice to all men, Of wbatioevcr state or persuasion, religious or political.

Mr Theo. Cooper, who was the chief opponent to Mr G. M. Reed at the late public meeting in Auckland on the education question, has contributed two very long letters on the subject to the Herald, which are deserving of every attention. On a matter of so much importance, we need make no apology for reproducing in our columns the main feature of Mr Cooper's proposals for the reform of the present administration of the national system of education. Mr Cooper's first letter was devoted to the economic side of the question as to the duty of the State in pi-oviding scholastic instruction for the young. The arguments adduced were mainly theoretical, and exhibited an amount of crudity, as well as want of knowledge of the world, tbftt exposed their shallowness and unsoundness. The special pleading style adopted by Mr Cooper was more in keeping with the Police Court than with the calm reasoning of,

a national question affecting all classes of the commonwealth ; as, for example, his deduction that limiting free education to the four standards would drive the children of the people to the gutters. Such a statement is an utter absurdity and a libel on the parental instincts of the people as a whole. When, however, Mr Cooper, emerges from his abstract contentions and enters upon the practical and business-like aspect of the subject in hand, he presents a totally different figure. In his second letter he proceeds to demonstrate in a clear manner to what a large extent the costly administration of the Education Department can be reduced, without impairing its efficiency. There is no difficulty here in following MiCooper, and grasping his details, notwithstanding his aversion to lowering either the school age or limiting the standards. Mr Cooper first deals with the cost of primary education and proceeds to expose the many anomalies that exist in the payment of teachers, the absence of a regulated scale of salaries and the rate of pay. We pick out one or two of the examples he quotes, such as the head master of the school at Napier who has 675 pupils and receives a salary of JE475 per annum, whilst the headmaster of Newton East school with 683 pupils receives £399 a year. The headmaster of one Christchwrch school, with a working average of 943 pupils, receives £345, but the, assistant master of another school in the same town is in receipt of £316, and his headmaster £433 per annum. The headmaster of a smaller school at Selwyn with 375 pupils receives £366, and the principal assistant in Wellesley-street school, with a roll of 830, receives only £150. Mr Cooper proposes to re-adjust the scale of pay in the following manner:— HEAD TEACHEBS. Per annum.

Second assistants in schools, where more than one assistant is required (this would be in schools with an average attendance of over 200), £75 per annum ; all other assistants, £50; pupil teachers of the first year, £20; pupil teachers of the second year, £25; pupil teachers of the third year, £30. If employed in the country schools, and at a distance from their homes, an extra allowance of £10. Sewing teachers (these only to be employed without a female teacher), £5 per annum.

The teaching staff is proposed to be regulated according to tho average number of pupils, giving one teacher, assistant teacher, or pupil leacher for every fifty pupils. This would reduce the present body of tochers from 3045 to 2467, or, as Mr Cooper elaborately shews, reducing the cost of the staff from £■293/708 io £226,195 and effecting a saving of over £67,000 on this head alone.

Mr Cooper further proposes to reduce the vote for school buildings to £10,000. The cost of native, schools, which was last year £21,000, Mr Cooper would charge against native lands, but this part of his scheme would be impracticable. The administration of native schools, however, could be amalgamated with the ordinary schools by which means their special expenditure would be saved. Finally Mr Cooper would have schoolmasters in free quarters pay rent for their residences, sufficient to represent the interest on the cost of construe tion and for repairs, which would be equal to £3,000 per annum ; and he would abolish the seventh standard, thereby saving £5,000. Ac cording to these proposals, for which Mr Cooper deserves very great credit, the large sum of £130,000 can be saved in the present extravagant expenditure for public instruction. It is, moreover made more abundantly evident than before, that we have been indulging most recklessly in a system for which there is no real justification. The recent discussion has established the fact, until now but little known, that the Act does not authorise and never contemplated bestowing free education beyond the fourth standard, and that the compulsory age is from seven years to thirteen. If the system is confined within the limits provided by law, as regards the school age and also the standards, a further sum of £70,000 can be taken off the shoulders of the taxpayers, and our scheme of national education will be brought within the means of the colony. By Mr Cooper's plan and a strict observance of the Act, £200,000 can be saved out of the public revenue, without in the least degree, sapping the principle of the system of education, but removing it from the possible danger of being shaken down by its own weight.

The position of the party of retrenchment is materially strengthened by Mr Cooper's published proposals and expose of the unwarranted expenditure now being incurred by the Department. Though.he was brought forward at the public meeting, like Balaam, to curse the efforts of the advocates for economy, he after all, turns round and blesses them.

Schools, with an average attendance of not more than 15 ...£00 0 0 Schools over 15 and under 20 .. 80 0 0 „ 20 „ „ 25 ...100 0 0 „ 25 „ „ 50 ...125 0 0 , , 50 „ „ 100 ...150 0 0 „ 100 „ „ 150 ...175 0 0 „ 150 „ „ 300 ...200 0 0 „ 300 „ „ 400 ...250 0 0 „ 400 „ „ 500 ...300 0 0 „ „ 500 and upwards ...350 0 0 The maximum salary attainable to be £350. ASSISTANT TEACHERS. Per annum. Schools »ver 50 and under 100 ... £70 0 0 (-100 „ 150... 100 0 0 1st assistants J 150 „ 300 ... 125 0 0 ) 300 ,. 400 ... 150 0 0 „ „ (.400 and upwards 200 0 0 The maximum salary attainablo to be £200.