8.—14

68

56. What is your rule with regard to the transfer of teachers :- do you exchange or transfer from one district to another ?—Sometimes we do. 57. Supposing that a teacher in one part of your district did not get on well with the Committee, would you make an effort to exchange ?—Yes, with the consent of the Committee. 58. Do you consult the Committee with regard to appointments of teachers ?—Yes. 59. Do you send the names in ? —Yes. 60. You have very little opportunity of promoting your teachers on account of the few large schools?— Yes, very little opportunity. 61. You do not separate sexes in any of your schools, do you : you do not think it advisable? —No. 62. Do you consider the certificates of applicants when making an appointment ? Is it not a fact that, perhaps, when a teacher with a Dl certificate applies for a situation, one with El or E2 will get the appointment ?—Yes. 63. Do you discourage applicants from outside districts applying for appointments in the Grey District?—No, not now, though we did at one time. 64. Do you not think it would be better for the cause of education generally, and for uniformity of inspection and examination, if the Inspectors were placed under the central department, and were removable from one district to another?— Yes, I think it would be a good idea. 65. I suppose you experience considerable difficulty in getting qualified or trained teachers in the Grey, owing to the want of a training-college? —Yes. 66. With regard to female teachers, I see that there is a preponderance of female teachers in the Grey District : do you find that they are as efficient in the smaller schools as male teachers ?— I do not think so; I think male teachers preferable. 67. I suppose the salaries are not high enough to induce male teachers ?—No. 68. How many children do you consider that a female teacher can manage efficiently ?—About thirty. 69. Teach them as efficiently as a male teacher?—-Yes, I think so. 70. Do you pay her an equal salary ? —No ; or we did not. 71. With regard to these small schools, I suppose you would experience considerable difficulty if you proposed to close any of them ?—Yes. 72. I suppose there is a considerable amount of pressure brought to bear on the Board to establish them ?—Yes. 73. With regard to house allowance, have you residences for all the teachers? —No. 74. What course do you adopt in the case of these teachers who have no residences? —I think when the average attendance reaches a certain number they get house allowance. 75. Are there Committees in connection with all these smaller schools?— No. 76. Have they Commissioners ?—They have what they call Provisional Committees. 77. Do your regulations allow an increase of salary to a head-teacher for every extra pupil in average attendance, or do you increase by grades ?—lt is an up-and-down increase : I think, by individual pupils. 78. Mr. Hogben.] Do you know the details of the expenditure of the Board ?—No, Ido not. 79. I will put the question in another form. Supposing, for example, that the expenditure of the Board is about £1,000 for everything else except teachers' salaries, allowances, buildings, cost of training pupil-teachers, and so on, if the Board were to get £1,068 they would not feel any anxiety about the introduction of a colonial scale of staff and salaries ? —No, I should think not. 80. The Board would not feel that its power was being taken away by the introduction of a colonial scale of staff and salaries? —No, I do not think so. 81. Of course, it would be understood that the Board would have the appointment and dismissal of teachers, subject to the consultation of Committee, as it is now. You are of the opinion that the Board would not make any objection ? —No, I think they would not. 82. Can you tell me if all the schools with an attendance of over 50 have residences?— Some of them have not. 83. Have you any difficulty in getting teachers where there is no residence attached to the school ? —Sometimes we have. 84. Is it easy for the teachers to find board and lodging in all the districts where they have to go ?—lt is very difficult in some parts ; of course, it varies as to charges; perhaps they can get it for 12s. or 14s. per week. 85. Then, they can get accommodation ?—Yes, of a rough kind. 86. The Chairman.] Do you find any great difficulty in obtaining teachers when vacancies occur ? —No. 87. In these schools that are somewhat isolated do you experience any difficulty?— Sometimes. It depends on the situation of the school. 88. These schools are not situated very close to one another ?—No ; they are four, six, and eight miles apart. 89. I see you have not very many of what are regarded as small schools, with an attendance of under 15 or 16 ?—About eight. 90. Have you many applications from female teachers for these isolated schools—aided or household schools ?—No ; we have none. 91. Have you lost many efficient teachers through leaving for other districts?— Yes. 92. Is that owing to the salaries you-pay ?—No ; I think it is because they want a change. 93. You think they become dissatisfied? —Yes, and want a change of scene. 94. I notice that you have over forty female teachers and only about fifteen male teachers, a proportion of practically three female teachers to one male teacher : do you not find any disadvantage on that account ?—N o, Ido not think so ; female teachers seem to get along very well.