1.—13 a.

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[G. CRAWSfIAW

authority would probably lead to trouble. Sixth Schedule—Staffs and Salaries : The effect of the staffing provisions of the Bill appears to be that schools with an attendance of 1-240 are unaltered in staff; from 241-250 an increase of either a pupil-teacher or an assistant is provided for; from 501-600 there is no alteration; and from 600 upwards the staff is reduced by one assistant. The last-mentioned reduction is strongly disapproved by the Board. The Board notes with regret that better provision is not made for the assistant in schools of lIIa and lIIb. In these schools the lady has great responsibilities. As a rule these schools are situated in the country, and most female teachers will not go into the country if they can avoid it. The Board has had many instances of a teacher preferring to accept a position in the town at £90 rather than take a position in the country at £120. Apart from the isolation attached to many of these positions the accommodation offering is frequently very bad, and the Board is of opinion that the teachers should be paid a salary sufficiently high to enable them to pay a fail , price for good accommodation. I'nder the present circumstances it is only nncertilicated teachers who will accept these positions, and once in the country a teacher has not much chance of obtaining a certificate. Consequently the Board is of opinion that in schools of Grade lIIa and lllis the first female assistant should be paid a salary of £150 to £180. Eighth Schedule :It is provided that first-year pupil-teachers commence at £35 per annum. This salary the Board, considers insufficient. The I each ins; profession requires the very best men and women, and there appears little hope of getting them when the initial inducement is less than that in other Government and commercial services. It is true that they are to be trained for the profession, but the study and additional work necessary to obtain a teacher's certificate is not always attractive, and when the arduous preparation carried out in addition to the daily occupation is completed the teaching service offers little, if any, better prospects than the other public and private services which do not require the same " overtime " training, and for which the salary payable from the beginning is greater than that provided for pupil-teachers Twelfth Schedule: The Board is of opinion that only the best teachers should be appointed Inspectors. The minimum salary paid to an Inspector should be higher than that payable to any headmaster. It is evidently wrong that an Inspector should be receiving a less salary than a headmaster whose work it is his duty to report upon. Native schools: Tn 1912 there were 108 Native village schools under the direct control of the Education Department. Twenty of these were in Hawke's Bay, and the departmental Inspectors, in visiting these Native schools, had to pass public schools, while the Board's Inspectors passed the Native schools on their journeys to the public schools. The Board is strongly of opinion that these Native schools should be placed under the control of Education Boards. The proportion of Native children in attendance at some public schools is greater than that in connection with some Native village schools. Travelling in Hawke's Bay is difficult and expensive, and the Board considers that much unnecessary expense would be saved if the Native schools were placed under the jurisdiction of the Education Boards. The Board knows of no reason whatever why this should not be brought about. In the Native-school code it is provided that a junior assistantmay be appointed when the average attendance is 21 and two assistants at 51. In the public schools the first assistant is appointed at 36 and the second at 81. The Board is of opinion that where the number of Natives in attendance at a public school of Grade II (new) or higher is not less than 25 per cent, of the total roll number, some additional assistance, if only a pupil-teacher, shovld be provided for. Teachers" removal expenses: There is no provision in the Bill for the payment of teachers' removal expenses. The Board inaugurated a scheme of classification and promotion of teachers. The scheme, which provided for the transfer of teachers, had the approval of the Board, Inspectors, and teachers : but when put into operation it partially broke down owing to the fact that teachers transferred were required to pay their own travelling-expenses, which amounted in most cases to a greateT sum than the additional salary for three years attached to the higher position offered. The Board is convinced that no promotion Scheme can be complete which does not provide for the transfer of teachers, and no such scheme is possible until the cost of the removal of the transferred teacher, his family, and effects is provided, as is done in every other branch of the Public Service. It has been suggested that the Boards may, under the new conditions, undertake this expense. As regards this Board its receipts for administration have for some years scarcely covered the expenditure, though it is one of the most economically administered of the Education Boards, and, as has been pointed out above, the proposals under the Bill will probably place the Board in a worse position than formerly. It is therefore hopeless to expect the Hawke's Bay Board to deal with this matter, much as it would like to do so. 2. Mr. Hogben.] As far as T understand, you imply that in TIIa schools there is not an improvement 9 —l did not say that. I said that the Board would like to see a further improvements 3. The Board are aware. I suppose, that the salary, for instance, of the assistant mistress usedto be £100 to £120, and under this Bill it is proposed to make it £120 to £140. What you want is to raise it further still ? Yes. even if you take it off those in the town schools. Tn a school of that kind you must offer some special inducement for a girl to go there. You want a capable girl there, and you want to offer her some special inducement. Tf necessary, take it off the assistants in the town schools, where they have the supervision of certificated teachers. Tn the country they probably have not. The female teacher has the female side of the school and the arrangements'in connection with needlework and domestic work, and it is a special department. 4. Suppose this relates to a school of 150 : what do you mean by her having the female part of the school ?—She is responsible for the administration of the female part of the school outside school hours, and for the infants in school hours. Tt'is specially necessary in a school of that kind that a teacher should be a certificated teacher before she goes out there, and she should be a good teacher. 5. You admit she gets an improvement of £20 under the Bill ?— Quite : but Tdo not admit that it is enough.