I. - 13a.

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[b. mastebs.

teachers of technical classes might be provided on a fixed scale somewhat in the same manner as in the Sixth Schedule, Part V, District High Schools. Section 127 : The Senior Inspector in each district and the Inspectors and Assistant Inspectors should be appointed by the Board, but their number, grades, and salaries should be as set out in the Twelfth Schedule, and provision similar to that in the case of primary-school teachers should be made Eor the paymeni of the salaries of the Inspectors. If the Inspectors were under the direct control of the Department they would to a great extent lose their independence and initiative. They would thereby be deterred from freely criticizing and offering advice upon changes in the education system that might be introduced from time to time. Circumstances might arise where the Board would be deprived of their expert advice, Eor as officers of the Department they would very naturally feel reluctant to express an opinion on matters connected with the Department. Dominion Scale of Salaries for Inspectors : Some years ago a Dominion scale of salaries was established for the payment of teachers, and, as it seems to us that every branch of the teaching service from the lowest to the highest should be brought under the same system, we would strongly urge that a Dominion scale of salaries should also be provided for the Inspectors. At present the salaries of Inspectors are at the mercy of the finances of different Boards, with the result that there are gross discrepancies between the salaries paid to Inspectors — e.g., some receive £600, and others as low as £300. The position of Inspector is looked upon as one of the highest in the service, and no Inspector should receive a lower salary than the maximum received by the highest teacher in the service. The education district, however small, should not be handicapped by having to pay its Inspectors salaries incommensurate with their responsibilities nor adequate enough to attract the best men for such important positions. If, moreover, an education district is not in a position to obtain men with the highest qualifications, then the efficiency of education in the district must suffer in consequence. To nationalize the salaries of the inspectorate would also tend to increase the chances of promotion for every teacher. The salaries, too, should be such that the most able head teachers in the service may be induced to enter the inspectorate. The stronger and abler the men are that are chosen for Inspectors the better it will be Eor education throughout the Dominion. Clause 131 : This clause seems to be unnecessarily harsh, and we would suggest that the clause should be deleted, or failing that a subclause be added as follows : " That the parents or guardians of such a child not being in a position financially to obtain medical or surgical treatment, the cost be borne by the Department." Section 154: After the words "Native school" should be added "or any Education Boards' offices." There does not seem to be any reason why the Boards' offices should not be included in the clause, seeing that practically every other building and laud is to be exempt. Fourth Schedule, Part I: My Board is of the opinion that the present system of election of members to School Committees would be more satisfactory than the system proposed in the Bill. It is more than probable that if nominations are not allowed to be accepted at the annual meeting the present difficulty of getting householders to act on Committees, especially in scattered country districts, will be more intensified. Eighth Schedule : The salaries provided in the Bill are not sufficient to induce the brighter boys and girls to enter the profession, and we suggest that the salaries of pupilteachers be as follows: First pear, £50, with allowance of £30; second year, £55. with allowance of £30 : third year, £60, with allowance of £30. There seems to be no good reason why the allowances in the Bill should be reduced as it is. Moreover, the amount of allowance is not sufficient, as a pupilteacher would find it very difficult, in the Taranaki District at least, to get board under £30 a year. It might be pointed out that the Bill recognizes this in the case of Junior and Senior Scholarship holders, and provides in section 99 (2) that they should receive a boarding-allowance of £35 per annum. The salaries in the Bill do not compare favourably by any means with other branches of the Public Service. In the Clerical Division of the Railways a cadet gets —First year, £50, with £26 allowance; second year, £65, with £2f 16s. allowance; "third year. £80, with £13 allowance. In the Clerical Division of the I'ost Office First year. £50, with allowance £28; second year, £65, with allowance £23; third year, £80, with allowance £18. All the banks operating in New Zealand pay higher salaries to the juniors entering their employ than the pupil-teachers are given in the Bill, and in some cases start on a salary of £30 per year better than the teacher. It must be obvious that if the Department wish to attract boys and girls to the service they must place the salaries on a better footing than those proposed in the Bill. Sixth Schedule, Part IT, Separate Schools: The principle has been laid down by the Department that male and female teachers doing equal work shall receive equal pay, but this does not obtain in reference to separate schools in the Bill. For instance, a male teacher in a separate school having control of 400 to 450 boys would receive a minimum salary of £370 a year, while a female teacher having control of the same number of girls would receive £260 a year. The same applies to the assistants in the separate schools. There seems to be no reason why this should be, as the responsibility is just as great, and the qualifications required are equal in either case, and under those circumstances what applies in the primary schools should apply in separate schools. We notice th tit no provision has been made in the Bill for the Taranaki Scholarships. 3. Mr. Hoybeit.] With regard to technical schools, you say a scheme of salaries of teachers which you suggest should be arranged in the same way as for teachers of high schools ?• Where the classes are sufficiently large. 4. Is it not a fact that a large number of teachers of technical schools are only part-time teachers ' Yes. because the classes are not sufficiently large to keep them employed. 5. You do not know that in Wellington a large number of (lie teachers of evening classes are engaged during the day and teach in the evening I That is for special classes. 6. Would you pay them a salary also as if they were whole-time teachers I —Oh, no, not in that case—only in the case of whole-time teachers.