E.—l3

1898. NEW ZEALAND.

SCHO0L-TEACHERS' APPOINTMENTS. RETURN SHOWING THE MANNER IN WHICH THE EDUCATION BOARDS CONSULT SCHOOL COMMITTEES PRIOR TO MAKING APPOINTMENTS.

Return to an Order of the House of Representatives dated the 10th August, 1898. Ordered, " That there be laid before this House a return showing the manner in which each Education Board in the colony, under section 45 of 'The Education Act, 1877/ consults the School Committee of the district before appointing school-teachers."—(Mr. Guinness.)

The following are the statements forwarded by the several Education Boards in response to a circular asking for the information required by the order. Wμ. Jas. Habens, Secretary for Education. Auckland. The manner of consulting School Committees in this district is described as follows: Upon a vacancy occurring in any position above the rank of pupil-teacher the Board submits to the School Committee the name or names of one, two, or three teachers, with particulars as to their age, classification, and service. If more than one name is thus submitted the selection of a teacher for the appointment is left to the Committee. If the Committee recommend the appointment of some other teacher the Board generally accedes to their recommendation if it can be done without injury to the service, and without injustice to the claims of the teacher or teachers nominated by the Board for the appointment. In the case of appointments of the value of £200 a year or more applications for the position are generally invited by public advertisement from teachers of a certain stated classification. From the list of candidates the Board selects five or six names (according to merit), and submits those names to the School Committee for their selection of a candidate therefrom. The testimonials of the selected candidates are forwarded to the School Committee, together with a summary of the Inspector's inspection and examination reports upon their school-work for the past few years. It is a rule of the Board that, in consulting Committees in connection with the appointment of teachers, only the names of applicants who are best qualified for the position, and who stand as nearly as possible on a level as regards qualifications, shall be sent on at the same time. 31st August, 1898. Vincent E. Sice, Secretary. Taeanaki. Extract from Board's Regulations. " The Board shall advertise and receive applications for all appointments of teachers, and, from the applications received, shall select the names of those candidates considered best qualified for the position, and forward them, with their testimonials, to the School Committee for selection. After receiving the name of the candidate recommended by the School Committee, the Board shall make the appointment at its next meeting." This arrangement has been found to work smoothly in this district. New Plymouth, 22nd August, 1898. B. Veale, Secretary. Wanganui." 1. This Board, in nearly every instance, promotes its own teachers from one school to another, keeping in view seniority coupled with efficiency. 2. "When a vacancy occurs the Board selects a certain number of suitable teachers for the position, and they are invited to apply through the Board. 3. When the applications are all received they are forwarded to the School Committee interested (with copies of the candidates' testimonials), and it is then invited to make a selection. 4. When the Committee has made such selection the teacher is appointed by the Board, the teacher, of course, giving the usual month's notice to the Committee of the school which he or she may be leaving. Wanganui, 16th August, 1898. A. A. Bbowne, Secretary.