E.—l4

38

But there are some portions of the colony—for instance, the back country of Nelson, the West Coast, and a few places in the interior of Otago—where the cost of living is shown by the Government returns to be double, or more than double, what it is in the large centres. The artisans in these districts are paid more in consequence, and we thought that some arrangement could be made, in a rough and ready way perhaps, to place the teachers in these districts on an equal footing with those in more favoured districts. The banks used to give their clerks on the west coast of this Island an extra allowance, and I believe some of them still do so. We should like to bring this principle under your notice. Mr. Easton has agreed to take charge of clauses 2 and 3. Coming to clause 4 [clause read], that recommendation was framed to meet such a case as that of Mr. Cowles, whose letter you have received this morning. There are a few other similar cases in this district. A few years ago some of the Nelson schools were amalgamated, and central boys' and girls' schools were established. Some of the teachers who had previously been teachers in the smaller schools were put into various positions in the central schools, and their salaries were kept at the previous figures. This is the reason why some of the salaries appear to be high. Whenever the Nelson Board has altered its scale it has acted in accordance with this principle, and we venture to express a wish that the Government will do the same in introducing its proposed scale. In the Nelson District there are some aided schools where the attendance falls very low, and in some cases the payment received by certificated teachers in charge has been not more than £2 or £2 10s. for the month. We think that the principle of a minimum living-wage should be adopted, and it should be understood that no certificated teacher should be allowed to take up work at such an exceedingly low remuneration. 1. Mr. Hogben.] Is that at the Tophouse ?—No. It was at Pigeon Valley. Miss Cowles was the teacher. When the householders in some remote district request the Board to establish an aided school, some minimum salary should be fixed; and if the capitation under the new scale does not amount to £70 a year the householders should be required to make it up to that minimum. Clause 6 [read]: At the side-schools in Nelson the attendance ranges from 90 to about 170. The following are .the returns of attendance at all the Nelson town schools for the September quarter of 1900: Tasman Street, 126 ; Hampden Street, 92 ; Brook Street, 68 ; Haven Boad, 166; Toitoi Valley, 225 ; Boys' Central, 288. I would point out that the Board does not place the sideschools on the same footing as country complete schools. In some of the country schools with an attendance of from 20 to 25 the scale salary is £100. In the four side-schools referred to the minimum is £72, and the maximum is £84. We did not presume to decide whether a school in which children are taught only to the Second Standard should be ranked equal to a complete school of similar size or to a complete school of half or quarter of that size. We merely wish to bring before the Commission the fact that here is a state of things which seems to demand some special provision. In the Boys' and Girls' Central Schools, the upper standards only being taught, the teaching requirements are, presumably, higher than in. complete schools with the same attendance, and the salaries are rather higher than they would be under the scale otherwise. We think that some special provision should be made in such cases as these. lam referring now to the proposed new scale. It seems to us that where higher requirements are demanded the salaries should be higher. 2. Mr. Davidson.] What has been your experience as a teacher : what class of schools have you taught in ?—I was for about ten months assistant in the Bridge Street School in Nelson. At Westport I acted as temporary headmaster in the State school for three or four months. 3. What was the size of the Westport School ?—The attendance was about 250. 4. Mr. Gilfedder.] Was it the high school ?—No ; the high school was not then established. I was at the Nelson Boys' College as assistant master for four years and a half. 5. Mr. Davidson.] You have not taught in any small mixed country schools ?—No. 6. Then, you cannot say from your own personal experience what number of pupils you think a sole teacher could efficiently manage, could you? —Not from experience. 7. I understand the schools in Nelson are separate schools, six in number?— Yes. 8. Do you think that those schools could with advantage be amalgamated ?—Yes, with very great advantage, and with a great increase of efficiency so far as teaching is concerned. 9. And the same opinion would apply to the Bichmond schools ?—Yes. 10. Have you considered at any length the proposed scale of staff and salaries ?—Yes. 11. Have you noticed that the salary is arranged in two columns ; in the first column the fixed salary is given, and between grades of schools there is an increase of capitation grant : do you think it better that there should be an increase by per unit or that a fixed salary for each grade of school should be given?—l think it better as laid down in the scale, by the increase per unit. 12. You notice that in the grade from 35 to 75 the head of the school and an assistant forms the staff?— Yes. 13. What is your opinion as to the liberality of that staffing : do you think an assistant should come in as early as 35 ? —Yes, I think so, seeing that the only alternative would be to have a pupil-teacher. Owing to disadvantages under which these pupil-teachers labour in small country schools, I think it would be better to bring in an assistant. 14. If it were possible to introduce a sewing-mistress as some form of assistance between 35 and 40, not to allow the introduction of a certificated teacher till after 40, and by that means give the teacher in the grade of from 35 to 40 a higher salary, would that in any way, or to any great extent, lessen the efficiency of the school?— There would be only five additional children, and for the five the headmaster, if a man were in charge, would have the assistance of a sewing-mistress, and an increased salary. I think that should work very well; but lam afraid it would be exceedingly difficult to get a good sewing-mistress in many of our back-country schools—l mean it would be difficult to find any one who would reach the departmental requirements. 15. Do you know that there is no such difficulty existing at the present time in any part of New Zealand ?—I do not know whether there is or not.