37

E.—l4

494. The Chairman.] In the case of your own school, where the average attendance has dwindled, is it due to children leaving the district, and growing up, and so on ? —Yes. 495. With regard to what you state as an objection owing to temptation, it is not so much the temptation offered by the increase as the crushing effect on a teacher of a decrease for which he is in no way responsible ? —Yes, I object to that. 496. What assistance have you ?—I am one of those who have a sewing-mistress at £12 a year. 497. What does the Committee receive? —7s. 6d. per head. 498. During the time you have been in charge of this school have you applied for the charge of some larger schools?— Yes, over and over again. I might instance the case of the late Mr. Lucas. He came here twenty years age, and remained here teaching until his health began to fail. He applied for schools here, there, and everywhere to my knowledge, but they would not have him, and although he had splendid testimonials he could not get away from here. 499. Was that the fault of the Education Board or the School Committee ?—The Education Board ; they will not send the names up. 500. Mr. Hill.] It was not the fault of your Education Board ? —Not our Education Board; the Boards he applied to. 501. You prefer that teachers should be transferred to other districts by the Education Department ?—Yes. Nathaniel Thomas Prichard, Chairman of the Grovetown School Committee, examined. 502. The Chairman.] How long have you acted in your capacity ? —Nearly thirty years. 503. We shall be very pleased to hear from you with regard to the subject under discussion?— Well, I only wish to say that we are perfectly satisfied with our teachers; and with regard to the question of the amalgamation of the sexes, I quite approve of it. The grievance of the assistant teachers in this district is that they stand no chance of rising in the profession. 504. How do you get on with your pupil-teachers ? —Very well. The only trouble we had was some years ago; we had a teacher who was intemperate, and the Board would not take action. 505. Was the Committee prepared to take action : did they make a complaint? —Yes ; I went to the Board myself. 506. Mr. Mackenzie.] Did the Committee recommend his dismissal?— Yes; but it took three years to get rid of him. 507. The Chairman.] What effect had it on the school : did the attendance suffer? —Yes, very materially ; the average attendance was 56, and when he left 25. I think the Board should take more notice of complaints brought forward by the Committee against teachers. 508. Generally speaking, the teaching has been satisfactory ? —Yes. 509. There has only been that one complaint ?—Yes. 510. You are satisfied with your present staff? —Yes; and we work very amicably together. 511. Have you a teacher's residence?— Yes; but the house is very rotten. It has been up thirty-five years, I should say. The reason the school was established at Grovetown in the first place was on account of the country between Blenheim and Grovetown being flooded, and the children were unable to get into Blenheim. 512. In regard to the interior of the building, is it well lighted and entirely suitable for the children ? —Not the central part of it. That was the first part built. As the school increased we added to the building. 513. Then, the old portion is very defective ?—Yes. 514. Mr. Mackenzie.] You say there is a teacher's residence : has the teacher a family who require the whole of the house ?—Yes. First of all, there were three rooms, and they were added to gradually, and the building has been patched up. 515. The question has been raised whether it would be wise to allow part of the allowance to go for rental instead of building-allowance ?—We could not get a suitable house in the district. 516. Mr. Gilfedder.] What is the average attendance at your school ?■ —96 to 114 ; for the last quarter 97. 517. I see some time ago that the average attendance was 106 : it has since gone down?— Yes. 518. Under the proposed scale the female assistant would receive £10 a year more than at present ?—Yes. 519. If the average went above the hundred there would be another assistant —a male—so that the proposed scale would be a decided advantage on the scale you have at present in regard to staffing and salaries, would it not ?—Yes.

NELSON. Tuesday, 30th April, 1901. F. G. Gibbs, Headmaster of Boys' Central School, and President of Nelson Educational Institute, examined. Mr. Gibbs : The teachers of the district held a meeting on Saturday night under the auspices of the local Educational Institute. - Mr. Easton and myself were deputed to lay before you the matters which we considered should be brought under your notice. I hand in a copy of the recommendations adopted by the meeting [Exhibit 16]. I will deal first with clause 1 [clause read]. Of course, we do not wish this recommendation to be carried out with any great nicety.