39

1.—13 a.

E. MASTKHS.

7. Are you aware what proportion of the teachers of technical schools are whole-time teachers ? —No. 8. Would you be surprised to hear that there is a very small proportion in the Dominion '. J would not; but that does not alter the fact that they should be put on the same basis as the primary schools- 1 mean on the same system. 9. Do you think they would like to go down to that scale ? —1 do not mean the same rate of salary, but the position in the Department. 10. Do you think it is possible, in the state of development of technical education, to make such a scale ?—I think it is possible where you have teachers continually employed. 11. In the case of teachers continually employed, will you look at the provision made under the head of technical schools in clause 111 ?— That is capitation. 12. Is not that treating them very much in the same way as secondary schools are treated now ? —I suppose it is as far as that is concerned. 13. Does not that meet most of the cases of whole-time teachers of technical schools ?—Of course, it leaves the matter open for the Board to pay what salary they like. 14. Then would you suggest in regard to those teachers that some proviso such as that relating to the secondary schools in the Tenth Schedule should be included ? —I would suggest that. 15. With regard to the position of Inspectors, as to whether they should be officers of the Department or officers of the Board, have you considered the question of a Dominion system of grading of teachers ?—Yes, I cannot see but what that could come about exactly the same with the Inspectors under the Board as not being under the Board. It is proposed, I understand, to have a conference of Inspectors every year, and also a conference every third year of all the Inspectors, and they could arrive at some system quite as well as the Inspectors being under the Department. 16. Are you aware that there has been a system of marking for grading ever since the teachers' certificates were issued, marks of proficiency from Grades II to X ?- Yes. 17. Are you aware that efforts have been made at the Inspectors' Conferences to make the standards uniform ?—No. 18. And that they have entirely failed ? —No. 19. If they have not failed why should they ask for any other system of grading ? —lf they are anxious that this system should come about, why is it they want to stay under the control of the Boards in many instances ? 20. Who are anxious ? —The Inspectors. 21. lam looking at the point of view of the teachers. Do you think there is any hope of getting a Dominion scale of grading as long as the Inspectors belong to different Boards ?— I should think so if the Inspectors are willing to do it. Ido not see why they should not. 22. Why should they be able to do it better than before ?—There is one main point in connection with the Inspectors, and that is that you are depriving the Board members of the advice that is necessary to those Board members. You must realize that members of Education Boards have their own business to attend to, and they cannot give the same amount of thought that the Inspectors do to their business. We look to the Inspectors for advice, and if the Inspectors become officers of the Department naturally their sympathies would be with the Department; and when the question of the Department or the Board came up the advice that we looked for before would be wanting because the sympathy would be with the Department, and that is why we suggest that the Inspectors should be under the Board. 23. You have seen subclause (3) of clause 128, have you not? —Yes; but what would be the effect of administering that provision ? 24. Do you know of any large self-governing colony with an education system that does not have the Inspectors under the central Department ? —No, Ido not. lam not acquainted with the systems of other countries. 25. Now, with regard to medical inspection, you say that the Department should pay the cost in the case of indigent parents '. Yes, that is the effect. 26. Would not that be the proper thing for Hospital Boards ?—-I do not care who pays it as long as it is provided for. 27. Is there not a certain amount of provision for that being done now ? This only relates to a serious defect or disease. Does not clause 131 relate to those cases that are supposed to be treated by a Hospital Board ? —Perhaps they should, but here you take action. 28. No, we do not say we take action at all. Are they not cases that would come within the cognizance of a Hospital Board ?—One would think it naturally came within the power of the Department according to the Bill. 29. You said that you thought nominations should take place at the annual meeting as well as before ?—Yes. 30. Are you aware of the confusion in several places ? For instance, in Auckland, where there were five hundred or six hundred people trying to get into one room at the annual meeting, and it was utterly impossible to get either nominations or votes ?-■■ Yes, there were very special circumstances in connection with that. I am referring more particularly to the different country districts. You know and I know that we have difficulty very often in getting Committees to work at all. and in some cases we have to call a second meeting. 31. They know that they have to give the nominations before in the case of County Council elections and Road Board elections, do they not '. Yes. There is not the same interest taken, though. There is not so much glory attached to it. and they are not so keen after it.